Search - Franz Liszt, Mily Balakirev, Alexander Glazunov :: Piano Masters: Simon Barere

Simon Barere: Piano Masters

Andrew McIntyre | Leipzig Germany | 01/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recommend this disc to everyone interested in piano music. Barere does not deserve to have passed into obscurity. The first thing you notice is his technique, of which I have not heard the equal. His rendering of Schumann's Toccata is one of the greatest imaginable technical feats. Barere chooses a very fast tempo but the execution is remarkably clear and precise, and there are no signs of fatigue even after four minutes of stretched double notes. (If anything, I think he speeds up towards the end.) His performances of other technically demanding works like Balakirev's Islamey and Liszt's Don Giovani Fantasty and Spanish Rhapsody generate considerable excitement in the fast passages. Felix Blumenfeld's beautiful (and seldom played) Etude for the Left Hand also receives a fine performance, in which Barere produces a beautiful singing legato effect which obscures the difficulties of the work. Liszt's third Petrarch Sonett also shows that Barere can play with great tonal beauty. This cd gives a good overview of what Barere can do, and the sleeve notes are quite informative. Barere recorded in the 78 era, so the recordings aren't free of surface noise, but the noise is not excessive, certainly not enough to prevent the listener from enjoying piano playing of a very high order."