MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

REVIEW Plain text for smartphones & printers

Support us financially by purchasing this disc from

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6 [29:09]
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 [26:49]
Eugen Indjic (piano)
rec. 2013, Filharmonia Pomorska, Bydgoszcz, Poland
DUX 1187 [55:58]

Eugen Indjic has been best known, recently, as one of the victims of the Joyce Hatto hoax. Hatto’s widely acclaimed recordings of the Chopin mazurkas were, in fact, made by Indjic, and those very good performances are now available again on the Calliope record label. Indjic has an artistic history which goes back much further than that. He was once the youngest soloist to perform with the Boston Symphony, appearing as a teenager by invitation of Erich Leinsdorf, and his biography boasts of close friendships with Arthur Rubinstein, Vladimir Horowitz and Alexandre Tansman. Emil Gilels called him “a unique and inspired artist”.

Many years have passed since then, but this CD is evidence that Indjic is still, indeed, “a unique and inspired artist”. Why aren’t more of his recordings widely available? Can Dux continue to remedy this?

This is a fine Schumann recital, consisting of two big suite-style pieces, Davidsbündlertänze and Kreisleriana. Both are early works, both are immediately appealing to the listener, and both present challenges to the performer which go well beyond finger fatigue. These pieces capture Schumann’s bipolar personality well, bounding quickly between his expressive poles of bubbly enthusiasm and deep contemplation.

Indjic is fully capable of this range of expression. He plays this music with a solidity and straightforwardness which call to mind past names like Kempff. Recent pianists like Herbert Schuch and Michael Endres have drawn bigger contrasts, in Kreisleriana, by playing up the sudden dynamic shifts and pushing the music’s bipolar nature to extremes. Personally, I like that style of contrastful performance, but if you are inclined to a more sober experience, Indjic is a great guide. He is especially good in the last few pieces from Davidsbündlertänze. Here the reflective Schumann and thoughtful Indjic are truly kindred spirits.

Dux’s recorded sound is very good, although be warned the standard CD comes in a case that’s usually associated with SACDs. I find it very hard to resist the combination of a very good pianist, an exceptional piano, rich music and state-of-the-art sound. Let’s hope this is the beginning of an extensive collaboration. I want to hear an Eugen Indjic Brahms recital.

Brian Reinhart




 



Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing