Search - Frederic Chopin, Elisso Wirssaladze :: Elisso in Japan

An excellent Chopin recital

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 07/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD was recorded at an all-Chopin recital given by Elisso Wirssaladze in 1999 in Nagoya, Japan. Wirssaladze, whose playing I've only recently become aware of, is a piano professor at the Moscow Conservatoire. There are several recordings on Live Classics of recitals from various venues; I've reviewed several of these earlier.This disc starts with the Polonaise No. 1 in C sharp minor, Op. 26, and is generally less brusque than one generally hears it played. The slower section at about 3:30 is lovingly, meltingly sung. Wonderful.Other highlights:
In the most familiar Polonaise, No. 6 in A flat major, Op. 53, she handles the repeated downward-running left-hand octaves with no sense of strain and carries off their slow crescendo smoothly, a near impossibility for lesser players. The dreamily rocking Barcarolle, Op. 60, is played with grace and languor. Lovely. I liked the swing of the several waltzes included, and particularly of the Op. 69/1 Waltz in A flat major. The Fantasy in F minor, Op. 49, is exciting; in the 2/4 march section I was reminded as never before how much Schumann's writing of similar passages (in his own 'Fantasy,' or the 'Davidsbundler Dances' owes to Chopin.The rest of the disc is of a piece with these selections. I would say that Wirssaladze's approach is more that of, say, Moravec or Perahia, in that she has a softly rounded tone, has utter control of dynamics, subtle phrasing but with crisp rhythms as well. There is never an ugly tone, even in the fortissimo passages. Rubato is musically expressive without calling undue attention to itself.I would love to hear this pianist play one of my favorite Chopin pieces, the Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante, Opus 22. No one in my experience has equaled Arthur Rubinstein's recording, but I'm thinking she might come close.Reviewed by Scott Morrison"