5 stars and
DISC OF THE MONTH
The good old days (when Italian branches of major recording companies had the luxury of publishing CDs recorded in our country – such as certain famous recordings by Rubinstein made in Rome for RCA) have returned. Now we can listen to an important CD, recorded in Rovereto, by the pianist who won the 1992 Busoni Competition and then began a successful career that perhaps did not entirely display her excellent musical qualities. You have a vivid impression of listening to the recital live in the hall, and I could not pay a better compliment to Kravtchenko, who plays Liszt with great enthusiasm and aplomb (Sonata in B minor), as well as with beautiful sound and elegant phrasing (Schumann’s Widmung), irresistible brio (the 12th Rhapsody, with astonishingly clean playing of rapid passages). A wonderful surprise, and a CD that I would certainly put at the top of the list. (Luca Chierici)