Search - Samuel Barber, Bela Bartok, Sergey Prokofiev :: Garrick Ohlsson: Prokofiev; Bartók; Webern; Barber

The Breadth of Garrick Ohlsson's Gifts

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 04/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If ever there were an album that sampled the wide spectrum of the artistry of pianist Garrick Ohlsson, this is the one to buy. Although Ohlsson has been around for a substantial amount of years, constantly performing with orchestras and in recitals, he is best known for his brilliant recordings of the entire piano works of Chopin - a daunting project now completed.



But Ohlsson's talent stretches far beyound Chopin. In this very fine recording he has elected to include four works that are in extreme contrast. Yet he tackles each work, finds the essence, and plays each as though each composer represented was his specialty. Here are Prokofiev's Sonata No. 8 in B flat major (in a stunning reading!), Bartok's Three Studies for Piano, Webern's Variations for piano, Op. 27, and Samuel Barber's Sonata for piano, Op. 26. Not only is Ohlsson's technique formidable, but also his touch is delicate and precise in the pages of rapid notes.



Hearing Garrick Ohlsson perform live in a recent appearance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, playing the finest performance of the Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 this listener has ever heard, further impresses with the breadth of his repertoire. He is a no nonsense performer, one more interested in the concerto than in the showmanship of his younger colleagues, and that is refreshing in itself. That performance experience encourages a return to this album to hear just how far afield he is able to go! Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, April 06

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