[Critique] “Schumann Brahms”, Benjamin Grosvenor

In the life of a music lover, when you see your teenage idols (Arrau, Lupu…) or your mentors (Moravec) disappear, you tell yourself that a bygone era will never return. When it comes to the piano, our times allow us to experience the miraculous fallacy of this presumption. At the very least, the novelties of Pavel Kolesnikov and Benjamin Grosvenor are expected, like those of Radu Lupu or Claudio Arrau in the past. And to the question “But what more will Grosvenor be able to do in Kreisleriana where the Intermezzo op. 117 ? », the English pianist brings answers which give shivers of emotions and draw tears. The key word is: “sound”. The sound production (Arrau, but with a different energy) and the direction of the sound, which disregards the complexity of Schumann’s tumults and is further enriched in Brahms’ dreamlike escapes, defy common sense. This CD, supplemented by the 2e romance op. 28, Blumenstück, Abendliedthe Andantino of the 3e Sonata of Schumann, the Variations op. 20 by Clara, is a masterpiece.

Schumann Brahms

★★★★★

Classic

Benjamin Grosvenor (piano), Decca 485 3945

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