As for Jan Lisiecki, a comparison is made with Bruce Liu, here in the 4e Scherzo (and so, too, with Beatrice Rana’s recent miraculous CD in All Four). But this time, they are alter egos, the winners of the 2015 and 2021 Chopin Competition, on two slightly different paths: Liu more playful and feline, Cho more tense, almost hair-raising. There is no need, for those who have just acquired the scherzos, so perfectly balanced between sardonic and meditation, of Beatrice Rana (+Studies op. 25) to immediately buy those of Seong-Jin Cho. However, we must admit that the Korean pianist is more than a good figure and that the vital breath of his 2e Concerto, unfortunately accompanied a little heavily by Noseda, is admirable. With less touch of elegance, Cho recalls the musical integrity of a previous winner of the Chopin Competition, Yundi Li. This dense record, with a remarkable sense of phrase and musical breathing, in a world where sentimentality has so plagued the Chopinian interpretation, is to his credit.
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