Rachmaninov Album Reviews
INTERNATIONAL RECORD REVIEW
NOVEMBER 2005“The young Russian has all the energy of Kocsis’s very fine interpretation combined with the dynamism of Horowitz. This is a triumphant follow-up to Sudbin’s Scarlatti and confirms him as one of the most important pianistic talents of our time – and he’s still only 25.” FULL REVIEW (GRAPHIC FORMAT) — Harriet Smith
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
NOVEMBER 12, 2005 CD OF THE WEEK“This is a signal addition to the Rachmaninov catalogue by one of the most fascinating and auspiciously talented pianists of the younger generation…He approaches Rachmaninov with a blend of sensitive affinity and ardent audacity that yields huge rewards.” FULL REVIEW — Geoffrey Norris
BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE
DECEMBER 2005 5 out of 5 & INSTRUMENTAL CHOICE“Russian-born pianist Yevgeny Sudbin has deliberately opted not to play safe here and offer the usual well-worn favourites in this stunningly performed and warmly engineered Rachmaninov disc. It’s an extraordinary disc by anyone’s standard.” FULL REVIEW (GRAPHIC FORMAT) — Erik Levi
THE TIMES
NOVEMBER 4, 2005 5 out of 5“It’s hard to know what to admire most on this dazzling recital from the 25-year-old Russian pianist: his subtle range of colours, the clarity and finesse of fingering, the imaginative insights, the passion or the repertoire. First, the neglected and fascinating Chopin Variations; then, after two opulent song transcriptions, the thunderous Second Sonata. Finally two soufflés whipped up from Fritz Kreisler. Magnificent.” — Geoff Brown
THE GRAMOPHONE
NOVEMBER 2005“Here, surely, is a young virtuoso in the widest, most encompassing sense. Sudbin makes an unforgettable case for the Chopin Variations… You will be hard pressed to recall a more talented or deeply engaged young artist.” FULL REVIEW (GRAPHIC FORMAT) — Bryce Morrison
THE SUNDAY TIMES
NOVEMBER 27, 2005 3 out of 3“His powerful but resonant, rich and beautifully controlled sound is perfect for Rachmaninov.” — Stephen Pettitt
LE MONDE DE LA MUSIQUE
NOVEMBER 2005”Yevgeny Sudbin affirme avec ce disque une personnalité originale et attachante.”
STEPHEN HOUGH, PIANIST
NOVEMBER, 2005“Yevgeny Sudbin's new Rachmaninov disc is truly wonderful. His playing is audacious, stimulating, heartfelt and utterly alive in every moment."
CLASSIC FM MAGAZINE
DECEMBER 2005 5 out of 5 & BEST BUY“Rachmaninov’s Second Sonata requires fingers of steel and a heart of gold, qualities that Yevgeny Sudbin seems to possess in abundance. Not only does he outgun even the mighty Horowitz,…Sudbin’s reading manages to make the Sonata’s impulsive changeability seem utterly convincing. In even the most note-splattered pages he miraculously sounds as though he has technique to spare.” FULL REVIEW (GRAPHIC FORMAT) — Julian Haylock
PIANO MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005“At 25, Sudbin stands already among the elect. His debut Scarlatti disc [BIS-CD-1508] proclaimed his stature in no uncertain terms, rightly prompting comparisons with Horowitz, but it would have been hard to guess on that basis alone that he was a great viruoso in the essentially romantic Russian tradition. This second release [BIS-SACD-1518] leaves no doubt of it. From beginning to end, we are in the presence here of a major, world-class artist - a fearless technician with an all-encompassing command of his instrument; a musical dramatist of exceptional acumen and sophistication; a poet who moves seamlessly between unbridled rhetoric and extreme intimacy; a stylist who catches the particular spirit of everything he plays, from the almost schizoid rollercoaster of the Chopin Variations and the febrile Second Sonata (his own version, based on those played by Horowitz) to the Russo-Viennese Kreisler arrangements (Liebesleid, Liebesfreud) and the lyrical delicacy of Rachmaninov's arrangements of his own songs, Lilacs and Daisies. What's more, he is served here by an A1 recording team. If he doesn't soon become a household name then there is something very deeply wrong with the household." — Bettina Neumann