It is wonderful to see
Prokofiev's suites from his Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet ballets in their solo piano forms joined together on a single disc, but, sadly, the results here are somewhat disappointing. When the going gets tough,
Anastasia Voltchok's technique gets scrappy, and she has a small, precise tone that works well in the more intimate pieces but lacks the power for big moments. Finally, though her sense of rhythm is rock-solid, her sense of tempo rubato is nearly non-existent, and her performances come off as wanting in flexibility. Still,
Voltchok brings obvious affection to the music here, as heard in her heartrending reading of "Romeo Bids Juliet Farewell," so this is not a disc to be dismissed.
Prokofiev's admirers may return to it more often than they might have at thought on a first hearing. Novalis' digital sound is clear and warm, but a bit distant.