Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Franz Liszt, Vladimir Ashkenazy :: Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas Nos. 7 & 8; Liszt: Mephisto Waltz

Deserving of the "Legends" label, if only there were more!

R. Lane | Tracy, CA USA | 04/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Prokofiev's solo piano compositions, the Sonatas especially, have long been unjustly and shamefully by the recording companies. And by well known artists such as Vladimir Ashkenazy.These are great performances. Prokofiev had a knack for writing music that was playful, jubilant, and reflecting a positive outlook while still being full of provacativeness and deep thinking. His Sonatas are not as approachable as the popular ballets; you have to listen to them with an attentive ear, and repeatedly at that, to gain an appreciation for them. Ashkenazy is a master with these sonatas, plumbing the depths or the music but obviously having a great deal of fun doing so. There's seriousness mixed with lightness. The Romeo and Juliet pieces are also unforgettable in Ashkenazy's hands.The Liszt is equally well played, enjoyable and lively but never over indulgent, played with perfection but without sacrificing the fun.The sound is among Decca's best piano recordings, brilliantly remastered with the latest technology.When I finish listening to these pieces, I find myself actually a little depressed as I wonder how much more Ashkenazy would do if he would put down the baton and return to the keyboard with a greater commitment. Had he not picked up the baton of the orchestra conductor, maybe he would have recorded all of the Prokofiev Sonatas by now. And some of the other neglected Prokofiev solo piano pieces too."

Fine Recordings Of Prokofiev's and Liszt's Music

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 04/17/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These recordings were made by Vladimir Ashkenazy around the time he embarked on his Beethoven piano sonata cycle in the early 1970's. His performances of Prokofiev's sonatas and piano transcription of passages from the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" feature lively, warm playing replete with ample doses of drama. Without question, these are among the most dramatic performances I've heard of Prokofiev's piano music. On the other hand, Ashkenazy tends to emphasize the lyric qualities of Liszt's music in his warm, vibrant performance of the Mephisto Waltz. While these performances may not be the definitive recordings of these works, they will surely please fans of Ashkenazy interested in acquiring fine examples of some of his earliest solo piano recordings for Decca. The sound quality is superb due to the latest digital image-bit remastering."

Exciting Prokofiev and Liszt

Amy | 07/31/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's good to have Vladimir Ashkenazy's only disc of Prokofiev solo works for Decca beautifully refurbished. The 30 year old pianist took a less propulsive view of the Seventh Sonata's outer movements than did his teenage counterpart on EMI (reissued by Testament), taming the music's electrifying edges in favor of lighter gestures and lyrical wit. If he doesn't quite match the sleek accuracy of either Gould or Pollini's leaps in the finale, admirably varied inner rhythms emerge from the music's toccata like patterns. Ashkenazy's classically proportioned approach to the Eighth Sonata has more intense feeling and energy, than can be heard from Richter's cooler, more translucent finger work, and it proves no less convincing. His pedaling and spread chords evoke the sad sensuality of Romeo and Juliet's departure music arranged by the composer from the orchestral ballet. Given his sympathy for this repertoire, it's a shame Ashkenazy didn't explore more of Prokofiev's solo works on disc. The same holds true for the pianist's commanding, idiomatic, and intelligently virtuosic Liszt playing. He makes a veritable tone poem out of the composer's rarely heard F sharp Impromptu.



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