Three years on from his 'almost incredible' debut recording of Alkan's Concerto and Symphony for Solo Piano (which was nominated for a Gramophone Award in 2020), the Australian pianist and high-flying barrister Paul Wee is no less impressive in the maverick French virtuoso's transcription of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20; it's coupled with Liszt's equally redoutable arrangement of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony on a recording which Harriet Smith applauds in the latest issue for the 'delightful insouciance' and 'fearless daredevilry' of Wee's playing.
In case you missed it, back in early 2020 David spoke to Paul about being 'immediately awestruck' by Alkan's music as a teenager, how his day-job in commercial law involves three key skills that translate readily into his work as a pianist, and how he maintains his formidable technique despite 'frequently going for weeks at a time without touching a piano' - read the interview here.
Recording of the Month
Beethoven-Liszt & Mozart-Alkan: Piano Transcriptions
Paul Wee (piano)
'The imagination with which Wee brings the concerto to life is staggering and the way he differentiates between tuttis and solo writing adds much to the drama.'
Available format: SACD
Editor's Choices
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 & 8 Hungarian Dances & Dvořák: Symphony No. 6
Bamberger Symphoniker, Jakub Hrůša
'The performances are hugely enjoyable for their lyrical warmth and attention to detail. Hrůša favours tempos that allow the music to breathe.'
Available formats: 2 SACDs, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Mahler: Symphony No. 9
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Sir Simon Rattle
'This account of Mahler’s ostensibly last symphony comes off the page in ways that are so personal that while I was listening comparisons seemed odious.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Beethoven, Schumann, Franck
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Martha Argerich (piano)
'What’s fascinating is the way these two musicians create performances of such charismatic individuality without seeming to do very much – other than play magnificently, of course.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
'This is just a fantastic recording. It sounds great, the playing is erudite and courageous, and it’s quite simply the best thing I’ve heard all year.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
A Golden Cello Decade, 1878-1888
Steven Isserlis (cello), Connie Shih (piano), Olivia Jageurs (harp)
'Everything about this release is a pleasure, from the refinement and intensity of the performances to the absoulte perfection of the recorded sound. Don’t miss it.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 192 kHz, 24 bit)
Chaminade: Piano Music Vol. 2
Mark Viner (piano)
'I welcomed Mark Viner’s first volume of Chaminade solos...this is an equally impressive addition to the composer’s discography, dispatched with palpable fondness and pianistic relish.'
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Hélène de Montgeroult: Études
Clare Hammond (piano)
'Nimbly executed, sensitively phrased and beautifully recorded, Clare Hammond has left all pianophiles in her debt...An early contender for next year’s Gramophone Awards.'
Available format: SACD
Cristo: Magnificat, Marian Antiphons & Missa Salve regina
Cupertinos, Luís Toscano
'As if the musicological discoveries were not enough, I’m now quite bewitched by this glorious Iberian sound world.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 192 kHz, 24 bit)
Roma Travestita
Bruno de Sá (sopranist), Il Pomo d’Oro, Francesco Corti
'De Sá’s musicality sings through in his phrasing and da capos that are as unfailingly musical as they are showstopping.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
DVD of the Month
Reissue/Archive Issue of the Month
Schubert: The Complete Piano Sonatas
Elisabeth Leonskaja (piano)
'No question about it, Leonskaja’s Schubert on Warner (her Schubert recordings for Teldec are completely different) should provide you with a lifetime’s worth of musical nourishment, and the sound, now as before, is superb.'
Available formats: 8 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
