SHOSTAKOVICH - Piano Works [Ashkenazy] SACD / 2004

A great exponent of Russian piano music, Vladimir Ashkenazy is much admired for his brilliant and insightful recordings of Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich. Of these composers, Shostakovich poses the least daunting technical challenges, but, arguably, offers the most puzzling enigmas for interpretation. To his credit, Ashkenazy is usually circumspect and sensitive to Shostakovich's mercurial intentions. Where ambiguity holds sway, as in the brittle and unsettled Piano Sonata No. 2, or the quizzical and disturbing Aphorisms, Ashkenazy plays the music precisely and leaves the composer's riddles for the listener to ponder. Alert to the ironic possibilities in this varied body of work, Ashkenazy treads with care and generally avoids certitude. When Shostakovich flirts with parody, as in the grotesquely elegant Fantastic Dances (3) and the Lyric Waltz, there is no need to exaggerate because Shostakovich's mannerisms speak for themselves. Ashkenazy hints at his own attitudes in his subtle timing of phrases, but seldom goes further. Even though Ashkenazy's caution could be misconstrued as ambivalence, his discretion is preferable to broader, more flamboyant approaches. Only in the Polka is Ashkenazy over-indulgent. By treating this sly piece as a flashy encore, he oversteps the boundaries observed in the rest of his program, and closes the disc with a disconcerting bang.

Piano Sonata No. 2 Op. 61

1. I. Allegretto

2. II. Largo

3. III. Moderato Con Moto

Three Fantastic Dances Op. 5.

4. I. Allegretto

5. II. Andantino – Allegretto

6. III. Allegretto

Five Preludes

7. I. Allegro Moderato E Scherzando

8. II. Andante

9. III. Allegro Moderato

10. IV. Moderato

11. V. Andantino

12. Lyric Waltz from Dances of the Dolls

13. Short Piece from The Gadfly

14. Spanish Dance from The Gadfly

15. Nocturne from the Limpid Stream

Aphorisms Op. 13

16. I. Recitative

17. II. Serenade

18. III. Nocturne

19. IV. Elegy

20. V. Marche Funebre

21. VI. Etude

22. VII. Dance Of Death

23. VIII. Canon

24. IX. Legend

25. X. Lullaby

26. Polka from The Golden Age

Vladimir Ashkenazy - Piano

O Púbis da Rosa