Alexei Sultanov was winner of the Eighth Van Cliburn
Competition. He hales from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. These recordings of
Russian piano sonatas originally appeared on Teldec (2292-46011-2) and
show much of the youthful impetuosity one would associate with someone
on the cusp of his career and still riding on a major win. His coupling
of Tchaikovsky First and Rachmaninov Second Concertos has similarly
reappeared on Apex, 0927-40835-2.
Sultanov has a big sound, but it has not been captured
too well by the Teldec team of Friedemann Engelbrecht (Producer) and
Eberhard Sengpiel (Engineer): there is a lack of body in the recording
which is singularly inappropriate to the big-boned Rachmaninov Second
Sonata. The piano playing itself is very Russian, with less use of the
sustaining pedal than one would normally expect from a Western player
and with an exemplary finger technique (runs and figuration tend towards
the perfectly even). There is, however, a relentless streak which surfaces
from time to time in the first movement which is disturbing and which
mercifully does not recur in the second movement (Sultanov is really
quite fantastical in places here). The finale leaves the listener in
no doubt as to the technical command, but it is not the edge of the
seat experience provided by some and where subtlety is called for it
is missing entirely. For a recent (live) account that comes much closer
to the heart of this marvellous piece, try Lang Lang on Telarc CD-80524
(from the Seiji Ozawa Hall in Tanglewood: see my review).
The Prokofiev is frankly underwhelming. Sultanov lacks
the ability to think structurally, so the whole becomes episodic and
diffuse. The occasional affecting lightnesses of touch and the flowing
Andante caloroso do not make up for this; in addition, the finale is,
one might say, dancing rather than urgent (or simply underpowered, depending
on your viewpoint). Certainly a sonata which under Pollini’s hands becomes
a truly exciting and gripping experience here comes across as nothing
really special. Indeed, Pollini remains the yardstick here and his DG
Originals disc of Prokofiev, Webern, Stravinsky and Boulez contains
some of the most amazing recorded pianism of the last century (447 431-2).
Scriabin’s Fifth Sonata is actually the work in which
he first introduced his ‘Mystic Chord’. Indeed, it does seem to breathe
a rarified atmosphere that Sultanov only partially projects. Some passages
seem decidedly on the careful side where a sense of abandon and exhilaration
are clearly intended by the composer. Here the recommendation goes to
Sviatoslav Richter on Dokumente 423 573-2.
Really this disc is only recommendable if you are searching
for this particular coupling. Otherwise, there are plenty of better
alternatives for each of the three works.
Colin Clarke
