Search - Rachmaninov, Alexei Sultanov :: Rachmaninov: Pno Sonata No 2

Farewell to a genius!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 09/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alexei Sultanov's departure was one of the most regrettable and irreparable artistic losses the classic music experienced in 2005. These performances date from 1990 (Prokoviev and Scriabin) and 1992 (Rachmaninov).



Rachmaninov's Second Piano Sonata Op. 36, is one of these works that have not captured faithfully the interest of the great audiences. Sultanov exhibits his powerful expressiveness, astonishing prasing and superb articulation. If it's true there are moments I miss the fevered rapture exhibited by Michael Ponti (in both lives performances, Munich 1977 and Newport Festival, 1988), his exuberant gamut of expressive devices will engage even the most indifferent listener.



Prokoviev's Seventh Sonata presents by itself a huge challenge for this new generation of young pianists, who seem to forget the horrid conditions that surrounded its spirit. No other pianist has been able to express with major fierceness the bravura passages, elusive musicality and incorporeal introspection than Gyorgy Sandor in the middle sixties. The hammering staccatos, the bitterness behind the score and the sarcastic grimace of the last movement should never played without taking into account these factors. Perhaps the fact Sultanov was 21 could have signed this missed approach. Nevertheless there are luminous passages in the First and Second movement.



Scriabin's Sonata No. 5 was a real turning point in the career of this illustrious composer. The phantasmagoric elusiveness and the imaginative accords contai8ned in this score was totally assimilated and understood by this genius making me forget the classic version of Sviatoslav Richter. Without blinking I would say this was the jewel of the crown in this invaluable CD.



You must get this album. It's part of the recent legend who was Alexei Sultanov.



In memoriam!

"