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Enescu: Piano Sonatas 1 & 3 - Borac

Avie Records  AV2081 (2 discs)

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Instrumental

George Enescu: Two Piano Sonatas, Nocturne, Prelude and Fugue, Pièce sur le nom de Fauré, Scherzo

Luiza Borac (piano)

All

Works (6)

• George Enescu: Nocturne in D flat major (1907)
• George Enescu: Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 24 No. 1 in F sharp minor
• George Enescu: Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 24 No. 3 in D major
• George Enescu: Pièce sur le nom de Fauré (1922)
• George Enescu: Prelude and Fugue in C major (1903)
• George Enescu: Scherzo (1896)

Reviews (1)

Review by John Broggio - December 31, 2006

A wonderful disc from a wonderful player who confirms her potential as displayed in Wanderer: works by Liszt and Schubert - Borac

This set comprises two discs with 94 minutes of material split as follows:
Disc 1
Prelude and Fugue
Nocturne
Scherzo
Pièce sur le nom de Fauré

Disc 2
Sonata 1
Sonata 3
(Sonata 2 was sadly never committed to paper by Enescu.)

Throughout, from Ravelian andante "finale" to the first Sonata to the shadowy world of the Nocturne, Borac displays complete mastery both technical and musical. The sonatas could not be more contrasted with a definite progression in musical language displayed by Enescu between the two works; the first is composed seemingly in honour to Ravel with occasional forays into Romanian folk music whereas the second draws far more extensively and explicitly on such material.

The first disc is a more reflective disc, which gives balm to the soul such is the calm and pathos of the music in Borac's hands. A particular favourite is the quasi-Bach Prelude and Fugue (which sounds like a Busoni transcription that didn't feel the need to display a huge amount of testosterone) or perhaps the Nocturne, in which not all the shadows are pleasant (there are distinctly nightmarish episodes before the calm returns). The Scherzo and Pièce are small but attractive make weights which Borac gives the same level of service.

The engineering is gorgeous, with as good as piano sound as one could wish to hear.

Highly recommended.

Copyright © 2006 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

Performance:

Sonics (Multichannel):

Related (1)