Grieg’s piano music unfortunately does not meet much favor with concert performers, apart from his famous Concerto. There is, however, something to eat and drink in the hundreds of pieces written for this instrument by the composer of Peer Gynt. Everything is not equally inspired, but there are several little gems that would benefit from being heard more.
It is in this context that these days, at ATMA, the new CD by Toronto pianist Sheng Cai, entirely dedicated to this composer, is appearing. The musician has set his sights on the two most important works, namely the Sonata in E minor, opus 7, and the Ballad in G minor, opus 24, in addition to a transcription of the famous Suite no 1 of Peer Gynt, performed by the composer himself, and the rare Scenes from popular life, opus 19.
Little known in Quebec, Sheng Cai was born in China and immigrated very young to the Queen City, where he worked with Anton Kuerti. He recorded the Transcendent execution studies de Liszt for the same label two years ago. His new record was released last December at the Isabel Bader Center in Kingston.
Cai has a very precise playing and is able to find interesting colors in the piano shade, especially in the Ballad. Where the shoe pinch is that its interpretation often lacks character, especially in fast passages. It should not be forgotten that Grieg himself studied with Liszt. The different indications given by the composer in the Ballad (capriccioso, furioso, scherzando, etc.) therefore invite, it seems to me, more fire.
Slower episodes suffer from the same problem, like the Menuetto de la Sonata, which has nothing of the affliction that Leif Ove Andsnes will for example seek in his referential version at Virgin. Same thing in “The death of Åse” of the continuation of Peer Gynt, where the “doloroso” dissolves in relative indifference.
We will buy more the disc for opus 19, which contains three pieces to discover.
Classical music
Edvard Grieg
Sheng Cai
ATMA Classic