One might wonder if at such an early point in his career Polish-Hungarian pianist
Piotr Anderszewski deserves having an entire Carnegie Hall recital recorded and released as a two-disc set. The proof is his performance, which triumphantly vindicates Virgin's decision. Not only does
Anderszewski play his varied yet cogent program with supreme virtuosity, he interprets it with sublime artistry. As in his previous studio recordings,
Anderszewski's tone is crisp, bright, and richly colored, and his technique is clean, strong, and subtly nuanced. As impressive as his playing was in his earlier studio recordings, it is staggering here. His speed and accuracy in the Finale of Schumann's Faschingsschwank aus Wien rival
Richter's and
Michelangeli's, and the clarity and lucidity of his playing of the Fuga from Beethoven's Opus 110 Sonata match
Brendel's and
Pollini's.
Anderszewski's interpretations go deep, finding lyrical raptures in the sonorous Sarabande from Bach's Partita, and dramatic ecstasies in Janácek's In the Mists' jagged Andantino that are as emotionally thrilling as they are aesthetically exciting. As a snapshot of one of the great living pianists, this two-disc set is well worth hearing, especially in Virgin's amazingly vivid and astoundingly intimate live sound.