|
|
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
A Self-Recommending 3CD Set, 11 Mar 2004
Many of us remember the excitement at the appearance, in the late 1980s, of Barbara Nissman's recordings of the complete Prokofiev piano sonatas on Newport Classics. It was the first complete set ever released, as far as I know, and was immediately a best seller. Unfortunately, though, the Newport CDs are no longer in print. Enter Pierian Records. Pierian Records is a non-profit company, run pretty much as a one-man show by Karl Miller in Austin, Texas and 'dedicated to the preservation of historic recordings and obscure literature.' They have released a number of recordings by Barbara Nissman, surely one of our best American pianists. [See my review of her Liszt B minor sonata CD.] Nissman is a specialist in the piano music of Prokofiev, Ginastera, and Bartók and has, in fact, written a book about the piano music of the latter. She wrote the extremely helpful notes for this 3CD set. I have heard her play most of the Prokofiev sonatas (as well as various smaller pieces) in recital and can assure you that she conveys these pieces as well as anyone before the public today. It is true that some of the pianistic big guns have recorded some of the sonatas - Richter, Cliburn, Horowitz, Argerich - and a newer virtuoso pianist, Bernd Glemser, has recorded the lot. But Nissman's |
(1 customer review)
See all customer reviews...
