Search - George Enescu, Roland Pöntinen :: Enescu: Impressions

A vintage performance!

Robert Manari | San Francisco, CA United States | 01/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Enescu's orchestral works, including masterpieces such as his three mature symphonies, the three suites for orchestra, the symphonic poem Vox Maris or the more familiar Romanian Poem and his two rhapsodies, are already becoming available on an increasing number of recordings.



But Enescu's genius was also drawn to the most demanding of fields, chamber music. His contribution here also reflects quality over quantity. Eminent works such as his violin, cello or piano sonatas, the string or piano quartets, the Piano Quintet, the piano suites, the Octet for Strings, the `Decet' for Winds or his Chamber Symphony for twelve instruments, are also, fortunately for us, more often recorded nowadays.



The present recording is without doubt an outstanding contribution to the still too-small Enescu discography. Mihaela Martin's performance here is just exquisite; not only highly virtuous and spontaneous, but also warm, moving and soulful when needed. Playing with such phathos and unhibited sense of abandon she manages to fully capture the sheer drama and powerful emotions of Enescu's magnificent music. As for Roland Pontinen's accompaniment, is elegant, intelligent and delightfully reassuring.



Now that Enescu's own recording of 'Impressions d'enfance' with Dinu Lipatti is apparently lost, I have the feeling that this recording will eventually be considered the benchmark performance.

"