This Brahms recital was not pianist
Ivo Janssen's first disc. He made his debut with a coupling
Ravel's Le tombeau de Couperin and
Chopin's preludes and followed that up with an all-
Prokofiev recital. Both those discs had been astonishing -- the
Ravel/
Chopin for its ardent objectivity and elegant virtuosity and the
Prokofiev for its immense power and bludgeoning virtuosity -- but this Brahms disc was beyond both of them. No one ever disputed
Janssen's technique, but his playing here combines the consummate control of
Pollini with the complete digital independence of
Richter. Similarly, no one ever contested
Janssen's interpretations, but his performances here combine the passionate subjectivity of
Argerich with the inherent nobility of
Arrau. The imaginative strength of his Scherzo is matched only by its savage wit. The stark tragedy of his Vier Ballades is equaled only by their ineffable consolation. The deep soulfulness of his Drei Intermezzi and Vier Klavierstücke is surpassed only by their intimate profundity. Anyone who knows and loves Brahms' piano music should not hesitate -- this is a recital to place beside those of
Backhaus,
Kempff, and
Gilels. As always in Globe's recordings, the 1990 digital sound is crisp, deep, and warm.