Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Webern, Boulez: Works for Solo Piano (Maurizio Pollini, Piano)

With his heroic technique, intellectual clarity, and mastery of the coloristic possibilities of the keyboard, Maurizio Pollini was uniquely equipped to give us what is perhaps the single greatest album of 20th-century solo piano music. Combining the contents of two equally extraordinary but vastly different LPs recorded in the 1970s, this CD includes works generally acknowledged to be among the most difficult in the repertoire. In Pollini's hands, Stravinsky's fiendish transcription of Three Movements from "Petrushka" retains nearly all the subtlety of timbre and raw power of the orchestral original. No less invigorating is the pianist's rendition of Prokofiev's Sonata No. 7; his performance of the sonorously intricate finale will leave you breathless. Pollini hasn't shied away from works that are less obviously crowd-pleasing, however. He illuminates the craggy difficulties of Webern's concise Piano Variations with extraordinary subtlety; this is the kind of performance that can capture your imagination even if you think you can't abide musical pointillism. The massive, kaleidoscopic Second Sonata of Pierre Boulez provides the final test for the intrepid Pollini. One of the earliest and most daunting products of the post-war avant-garde, this is as far as one can get from easy listening, yet Pollini succeeds in conveying its bold, uncompromising vision and intricate profusion of rhythmic, harmonic, and textural invention. As a document of one of the few top-rank virtuoso pianists to embrace the fiercest musical challenges of his own time, this disc is priceless. ―Scott Paulin

Tracklist
Igor Stravinsky
Three Movements From 'Petrushka'
1. Danse russe. Allegro giusto
2. Chez Petrouchka
3. La semaine grasse. Con moto - Allegretto - Tempo giusto - Agitato

Sergei Prokofiev
Piano Sonata No. 7 In B Flat Major
1. Allegro inquieto - Andantino
2. Andante caloroso
3. Precipitato

Anton Webern
Variations For Piano
I. Sehr massig
II. Sehr schnell
III. Ruhig fliessend

Pierre Boulez
Second Sonata for Piano
1. Extremement rapide
2. Lent
3. Modere, presque vif
4. Vif

Maurizio Pollini (Piano)
Total Running Time: 1:08:14