Re: WAYLTL - September 2024

On 9/11/2024 2:59 PM, Todd M. McComb wrote:

At least at one time, there was some overlapping interest here in
the English virginals repertory....  I & others have noted piano
recitals for this repertory

A propos (albeit at the outer edge of the classic English virginal/spinet repertory), the first cd of the latest Sokolov album (recorded in 2023) is all devoted to Purcell. Not exactly the strongest part of Purcell's opus, his keyboard pieces are lovely and entertaining pieces for amateurs, including several Froberger-inspired suites and a bunch of transcriptions from his theatrical repertoire (Irish and Scotch tunes, the Round O from Abdelazer popularized by Britten, the Chaconne in g...). Quite expectedly in light of his recent recitals, Sokolov gives beautifully nuanced readings while choosing unhurried tempos. The overall impression is crepuscular if not nocturnal, perhaps a bit too austere for this kind of music but always sincere and deeply felt. The second part of the album is devoted to Mozart (Sonata in B flat K333 and Adagio in b K540) and unfolds along similar interpretive lines, something that works quite well especially in the meditative Adagio. The customary encores conclude the album, including the N-th reading of Rameau's Les Savages (Sokolov *really* likes this piece) together with Chopin's Raindrop prelude and the Bach-Siloti Prelude.