| Site review by Polly Nomial March 12, 2011
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
An obvious pairing of two wonderful works of Schumann.
From all the Fantasia's I've heard on SACD to date (Auf Flügeln des Gesangs - Claudius Tanski, Schumann, Liszt - Pedro Burmester, Schumann: Piano Works - Nicolas Bringuier), this version is easily accorded the finest sound and technical mastery of the score. Jin Ju is not short of poetry either and this is easily the finest musical account of the quartet. Her reading is fresh with plenty of character but some will find the overall pace a little slow that occasionally is in danger of lacking momentum and undermining the musical dialogue and feels a little "safe" in conception; unsurprisingly the finale pages come off best in such an approach although there is less contrasted emotional drama preceding that diminishes the feeling of release that the tranquil ending can engender.
A similar story emerges for the sonata; compared to the classic account of Gilels (now a BBC Legends release that is worth every penny, even though it is fairly poor sound) there is a lack of momentum caused largely by Jin Ju concentrating too much on detail rather the longer line. The speeds are not slow though in any way (except when Schumann calls for it) - rather, it is more about the phrasing choices. A great shame really, for when the final coda reaches its climax the effect is not the tumult of piano arpeggiated chords that it can be when the details are placed inside a larger framework.
The sound is one of MDG's best representations of the piano and cannot be too highly praised for every detail of pedalling and tone is admirably purveyed.
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Copyright © 2011 John Broggio and SA-CD.net
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| Site review by akiralx August 27, 2012
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Performance: Sonics (S): |
An excellently recording with ideal piano sound. Jin Ju's account of the op. 17 Fantaisie is one of the finest of recent years, occasionally ruminative, but with a firm impetus. One never feels the music is in danger of coming to a halt as with Pletnev's DG account. The total timing is over 34 minutes but the interpretation does not feel slow. The Sonata, a lesser work, begins commandingly and Jin Ju holds the disparate structure together well.
One thing worth mentioning though is that Jin Ju plays the original coda of the Fantaise's Finale, not the revised (i.e. normal) edition played by virtually ever other pianist. The only other soloist to do so as far as I know is Andras Schiff on his fairly recent ECM recording. He also played the Finale with the usual ending as an appendix, which Jin Ju doesn't do here.
The original text has the soloist modulating the valedictory chordal sequence into a touching passage just before the end of the work - I actually now prefer this to the normal edition, but slight black marks to MDG for not mentioning this alternative reading anywhere in their notes.
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Copyright © 2012 Alex Leach and SA-CD.net
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