These sorts of miscellaneous
recitals can be a good foil to the many
‘complete editions’ that we are all
fond of collecting. You can sit back
and enjoy a voyage through the many
facets of Chopin’s genius, and if it’s
well picked, you are guaranteed plenty
of contrast and changes in mood.
That’s what Artur Pizarro
tries to give us here. The title gives
away his motivation; this is a trip
through his childhood, sharing with
us pieces he heard as well as learnt
in his formative years. It’s like the
reopening of a dusty piano stool to
find the old dog-eared copies whose
front covers and inner pages are imprinted
indelibly on the memory.
Well, enough of the
misty-eyed nostalgia – the question
is, does it work objectively as a varied
Chopin recital at full price, especially
as there are loads of this sort of thing
littering the catalogue. Well, there
is a great deal to enjoy, as well as
some rather mannered touches. The sound
is certainly spectacular, with the distinctively
rich bass and bright upper register
of his favoured Blüthner grand
beautifully caught by the Linn engineers.
Pizarro’s playing itself is interesting
and makes you take notice. His Beethoven
sonata cycle rather divided critics,
with some of his original, even quirky,
phrasing and tempi not to everyone’s
taste. Some of that creeps in here;
the slow music is very slow, as in the
first two of his Nocturne selection,
where Pizarro’s very steady tread sends
us into a trance-like atmosphere where
Chopin’s searching harmonies seem forward
looking. That’s if you’re being charitable,
but you could argue that the D flat
Nocturne that follows nearly suffocates
from being loved to death in this way.
The faster, fiery pieces
come off quite well, though having just
listened to the controlled virtuosity
of Nikolai Demidenko in the Scherzos
(Helios) I found Pizarro’s approach
in No.2 decidedly ordinary. I would
have liked more light and shade in the
Waltz selection, but his Mazurkas are
excellent, as is his passionate rendition
of the famous Polonaise. Indeed, this
could be, for me, the pick of the disc,
with the pent-up tension and superbly
even left hand octaves making for thrilling
listening.
I suppose it may depend
on whether you’re a fan of the artist
here, or indeed his personal selection,
but if you are you will be treated to
a gorgeous piano sound which, I’m reliably
informed, is even more seductive and
spectacular in SACD format.
Tony Haywood
Artur Pizarro (piano) 
LINN
CKD 248 [79’02]
