Ulvi Yurtsever wrote:

>As hard as it is to believe, I seem to have this CD before Don Satz (well,
>it was on sale:) My first impressions are very good: Ashkenazy's version
>seems to have cured all the things I don't like in Nikolaeva's Hyperion
>recording.  First of all, the sound is much better; it is in fact close to
>perfect as solo piano recordings go (Decca has a good track record for
>excellent piano sound, at least in recordings made in the last few years).

Yes, I don't have the Ashkenazy yet; it's on back order from the web sales
site.  Although I am looking forward to getting it, I am not expecting
great sound.  I have found Decca piano sound to be relatively "tubby" on
solo piano recordings.  Decca's track record gets no congratulations from
me.  Fortunately, I have an equalizer to mitigate Decca's mode of
engineering.

As for interpretation, I'm glad that Ulvi has a high opinion of the
Ashkenazy; I hope I like it as much.

Ulvi does not like the sound or interpretation of the Nikolayeva.  We
differ here.  I think the interpretation and sound are superb.  As I've
mentioned before, there is a bleakness to both the sound and interpretation
that I find irresistable in these works.  Jarrett on ECM didn't have it;
we'll see what Ashkenazy and Decca deliver.

Don Satz
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