Prokofiev, S.: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2, 7 and 8

Album review

Bernd Glemser, a pianist better known for his fiery performances of Liszt, Scriabin, and Rachmaninov, appears equally at home with the brittle and acerbic music of Prokofiev. These three piano sonatas -- among the composer's most percussive and pungent works -- are nonetheless brilliant compositions that demand a virtuoso's technique, which Glemser has in abundance. The Sonata No. 7, with its eruptions of stacked chords and insistent, hammered rhythms, is possibly the most exciting piece on this disc, and Glemser plays it with demonic force, especially unrelenting and explosive in the Precipitato finale. The Sonata No. 2, an ambiguous piece with shifting textures and abrupt mood swings, is less driven than the previous work, but in some ways is more demanding of the performer's energy. To hold the work together requires concentration and agility, and Glemser plays with spontaneity and responsiveness to match the sonata's chimerical transformations. The Sonata No. 8 is the most expansive and complex work on the album, and not least among its challenges is the need to sustain tension, even when the music is at its most placid and mysterious. Glemser's control is admirable, and the suspenseful mood he builds through the work makes the concluding Vivace a satisfying payoff.

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