NAXOS LAUREATE SERIES - PIANO
BRAHMS Klavierstücke op 76
DEBUSSY Three Preludes from Book II
PROKOFIEV Sonata no 8 in B flat major op
84
Amir Tebenikhin
(piano)
Recorded October 1999
Naxos 8.554768
[72.45]
Crotchet AmazonUK
AmazonUS
Amir Tebenikhin is yet another prize-winning young Russian pianist who seems
destined to enjoy a glittering career. He was only 22 when he recorded these
three very different works, yet the maturity of his playing is already
impressive. The four Capriccii and four Intermezzi which comprise the Brahms
Klavierstücke embrace a wide range of moods and Tebenikhin explores
these with great imagination. I particularly enjoyed his sprightly account
of the B minor Capriccio and his deft shaping of the contrasts in the C sharp
minor Capriccio.
He is no less successful in capturing the exotic colours of the Debussy:
the superb clarity and even-ness of his touch in Feux d'artifice is
absolutely riveting. What impressed most about his Prokofiev was the fact
that while projecting the music with the requisite energy and fullness of
tone Tebenikhin never resorts to the merciless thumping which so often mars
performances of this composer's piano music. The finale in particular is
superbly articulated and hurtles to a brilliant conclusion.
All in all, here is a young man to note: his seemingly effortless and
comprehensive technical control, remarkable in itself, is always the servant
of the music, not its master. Recording is first class.
Adrian Smith
