Chopin

Album review

Pianist Janne Mertanen has been around since the turn of the century, recording thoughtful interpretations of Chopin and Scandinavian music on smaller labels, but when this Chopin collection appeared on Sony Classical in 2023, he had only recently been signed to the label. So perhaps he still qualifies as an up-and-comer. Mertanen put out an acclaimed pairing of the Chopin concertos several years ago, and on this release, he also sticks to larger forms with the Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, a pair Impromptus, the Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52, and the Barcarolle in F sharp minor, Op. 60. These are all later Chopin works, displaying the characteristic complexity of his music toward the end of his life. Mertanen's readings are rich, with many textures. Perhaps the most persuasive are the two Impromptus, which seem to have a hidden narrative in a way that Chopin's audiences would have appreciated, but all the works are varied. The big Ballad and Barcarolle feature subtle application of the pedals in passagework, leading the listener into a dreamlike landscape. The main attraction is the Piano Sonata No. 3, where the detail in Mertanen's reading may reveal new things in the music over multiple hearings. Consider the opening gesture, which in Mertanen's hands has an almost Brahmsian quality in its pregnancy of implication. This is a major Chopin release from a pianist who deserves wider recognition, and it was among the special pleasures among recordings of late 2023.

© James Manheim /TiVo