As was the case with
another recent disc from Talent they
seem reluctant to reveal the provenance
of the recordings. The present one is
published and copyrighted 1995/1998/2005,
which seems to indicate that at least
some of the recordings are more than
ten years old, which doesn’t matter
at all, technically speaking. Recording
engineer Rob de Winter has provided
a rich resonant sound with a powerful
bass in luxury class. The playing is
accordingly beautiful with romantic,
finely moulded phrases but slightly
laid-back and not so rhythmically alert
as my comparison, a disc with Clélia
Izurum, that I reviewed
less than a year ago. She has a thinner,
more sharply etched sound, not as resonantly
recorded and her rhythms are more pointed,
syncopations almost jagged and some
of the harmonic spicing appears a little
more daring. She plays a Bösendorfer
while I believe that Ms Ferman’s instrument
is a Steinway. Her more relaxed playing
also means that the rhythms tend to
be ironed out, which possibly makes
her disc more comfortable to listen
to while Ms Izurum undoubtedly is more
provocative and thrilling. The differences
of approach are further enhanced by
their choices of tempo: Polly Ferman
is generally slower – even though there
are exceptions. Both ladies are fully
convincing in their respective attitudes
and it is quite possible that if I had
heard the two recordings in reverse
order I might have considered Clélia
Izurum a bit eccentric. Having played
her disc off and on over more than six
months, her readings have become the
norm for me. For that reason it was
perspective-building to make these comparisons.
I am happy to have both, and since I
really have taken this music to my heart
I will certainly continue to listen
to Ms Izurum but will probably turn
to Ms Ferman in some moods. Danzas
Afro-Cubanas and Andalucia
are common for both discs, while Polly
Ferman has Danzas Cubanas for
herself. These dances are lighter and
less rhythmically sophisticated and
possibly better suited to her approach.
She also adds a couple
of encores in the shape of Granada
and Lecuona’s greatest hit, the song
Siboney, which came my way just
weeks ago on Juan Diego Florez’s newest
offering Sentimento Latino. The
lyrics and the orchestral accompaniment
provide an extra dimension but even
the piano version brings forth the elegance
and surging melody, catchy without being
too sentimental.
As so often these two
discs leaves me like Buridan’s
ass. I hope readers now have some
idea of the differences. Whichever version
you choose you will be in for some highly
entertaining music, a kind of early
cross-over that suits people with a
sweet tooth and a liking for good melodies.
It also cater for those who prefer charming
Latin-American rhythms and, in the Danzas
Afro-Cubanas and Andalucia,
some daring harmonic excursions.
Ms Ferman’s disc has
a short bio on Lecuona but no comments
on the specific pieces played here.
To sum up: Excellent
slightly laid-back romantic playing,
but Polly Ferman brings out Lecuona’s
cross-over music to perfection.
Göran Forsling
Polly Ferman (piano) 
