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Grigory Sokolov - Schubert | Beethoven / ArtsHub review

For some years I have suspected Grigory Sokolov to be a genius. If he were asked about this term, he would probably scoff at such a suggestion.  For this artist places himself against the highest values and ideals. Here is a man who contemplates through hours of silence the meaning of the repertoire he performs, who polishes the rhetoric of everything he performs to perfection, who scrutinises every aspect of the instrument he plays, its touch and voicing.  Nothing is left to chance.  Sadly, he has more recently chosen not to perform concerti with orchestras owing to the lack of time necessary to form a true rapport. We may think this ‘all too precious' until we hear the poetry and depth of this solo recording, live performances from Warsaw (May, 2013) and the Salzburg Festival (August, 2013).  Everything sings and glows of its original intent.  There is a profoundly deep and natural sense of the genuine in his playing. Beautifully weighted and intelligently conveyed, nothing is glib, showy or superficial.

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