5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, youthful and vital accounts, September 10, 2011
This review is from: Piano Sonata 3 / Ballades (Audio CD)
Brahms wrote his third piano sonata when he was 20; Rubinstein's recording here dates from his seventies. There is no trace of discrepancy, however. Rubinstein's first movement is brilliantly youthful, full of romantic élan, power and momentum, and the Andante is intimate, yearning and lyrical. The Scherzo sparkles with youthful vitality again, the Rückblick is flowing and the finale full of power. Although I am not completely sure the popularity of the sonata really measures its qualities (it isn't quite a masterpiece, though a very impressive work from the composer's youth), I could hardly imagine a better case being made for it than this. Rubinstein was in fact even older when he recorded the Ballades op.10, but again you could hardly tell from the spirit and flair he manages to conjure from them. These are wonderfully done, thoroughly attentive, crystal clear, but full of surging drama. As encores we get an earlier, delightful recording of the Intermezzo op.116 no.6 and a flowing account of the op.118 no.5 Romance. The sound is pretty good, even if the piano tone is occasionally just a little thin. Enthusiastically recommended in any case.
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