Once one of Hyperion's hotshot young virtuosos, pianist
Nikolai Demidenko made a name for himself in the early digital era recording the most difficult pieces in the standard repertoire, Russian music in particular. This live, all-
Chopin disc,
Demidenko's first for Onyx, features some of the most standard of standard nineteenth century Romantic repertoire:
Chopin's Préludes (24) and Third Piano Sonata. Recorded live in Italy in July 2008 with the pianist serving as his own producer, the performances here have the old
Demidenko trademarks: a nearly superhuman technique coupled with poetic sensibility. The fast movements, such as the Molto agitato Eighth Prèlude, the Allegro appassionato Prèlude No. 24, the Sonata's Molto vivace Scherzo, and especially its Presto ma non tanto Finale, all have a technical sparkle. The Sostenuto Prèlude No. 15, the Largo Prèlude No. 20, and particularly the Sonata's Largo wring expressivity out of
Chopin's scores without ever giving in to cheap sentimentality. If one were to find fault with the performances, one could point to
Demidenko's tendency to stay on top of the notes in extremely fast passages or to his disinclination to dig deep into the sonorities in weightier passages. Still, for fans of the pianist or the composer, this disc will make for very interesting listening.