Frederic Chopin(1810-1849)
       Preludes, Opus 28

Dmitriy Sokolov
Elysium 711
Recorded 1995
Coupling:
Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition
TT 73:08

This 1995 recording presents a 16 year old Russian pianist who also make
his New York debut at Alice Tully Hall in the same year.  That concert was
reviewed by New York Times critic James Oestreich who referred to Sokolov
as "a sensational talent".  Sokolov is now a young adult, but I personally
had not heard of him until recently becoming aware of this Elysium disc.
Actually, I had him mixed up with the 'other' Sokolov, Grigory, who is
older and has recorded for Opus 111.

This debut recording finds Sokolov tackling two pillars of the classical
piano repertoire: Chopin's Opus 28 Preludes and Mussorgsky's Pictures at
an Exhibition.  Sokolov obviously isn't afraid to get his feet wet with
a host of recorded competition for comparison.  Also, his New York debut
found him playing these very same works along with some Beethoven.  I'm a
long way from beginning my review project of Mussorgsky's masterpiece, so
this review will only key on the Chopin Preludes.

Is Sokolov the 'real deal'?  Was he a bit too inexperienced at 16 to handle
such a frequently recorded work?  Will time simply reveal that he is not
up to the task regardless of age?

Sokolov certainly is the 'real deal' in terms of technique, flow, and
general approach.  His technical skills are abundant, and there is nothing
he can't accomplish.  For such a young pianist, he has very fluid phrasing
which sounds as natural as I could want.  Also, he plays most of the
preludes with a highly idiomatic sense of Chopin, and a few of them are
among the best on record.  I particularly love his 8th Prelude where he's
a swirling sensation in total command and the 14th Prelude which he delivers
with such granite strength.

Although only 16 when the performances were recorded, Sokolov sounds much
more mature than one would expect.  The slow and contemplative preludes
reveal an artist who seems to have decades of life experiences as evidenced
by the 13th and 15th Preludes.  In the 20th Prelude, Sokolov's very slow
descent is absolutely sublime and riveting.

However, there are some kinks in the ointment revolving around Sokolov's
intent to be distinctive.  First, there are a few preludes where he engages
in very long pauses which sound empty to me and damage momentum.  Second,
Sokolov offers some loud and exuberant passages in the 7th Prelude which
derail the serene nature of the music.  Third, too much drama is injected
into the 21st Prelude.  Finally, In the 23rd Prelude, he is simply too
fast to convey the music's delights.

Don's Conclusions: Although I wouldn't place the Sokolov version of
the Chopin Preludes at the top level, it is very close to being one of
the best available.  Assuming he learns to avoid taking risks that can
back-fire, Sokolov could well end up being one of the great artists of
the 21st century.  His recording and career certainly deserve your close
attention.

Don Satz
[log in to unmask]