Prior to this release, pianist
Nikolai Demidenko made a solo recording, a second volume of Bach/Busoni Transcriptions for Hyperion that came out in 2002. Though his renown has been earned largely through the acclaim attending to his recordings of Russian masters such as
Medtner, Mussorgsky, and Scriabin,
Demidenko has likewise had ample opportunity to demonstrate his prowess in standard, continental European literature, and his ASV recording of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations continues this side of his repertoire. The disc opens with the filler, Beethoven's short Sonata No. 24 in F sharp, Op. 78, "Für Therese," and it is a sparkling performance worthy of taking its place among the best available versions of this sonata. The Diabelli Variations have been recorded often and well by pianists such as
Artur Schnabel,
Rudolf Serkin,
Alfred Brendel, and
Daniel Barenboim, so any pianist, no matter how good, is stepping into a very crowded room when it comes to competition in this work.
Demidenko acquits himself well in it, and it is a very fast-paced and exciting interpretation to boot.
ASV's recording, made at St. Paul's Girls School in London, is a little distant and quiet, but every note is clearly heard and turning up the volume a little isn't going to inconvenience listeners who want to hear it. In terms of the performance itself, as is usual with
Demidenko, there isn't any aspect of it that disappoints and it represents Beethoven's music exactly, almost as it were coming directly off the printed page -- a plus in this work, which is multi-leveled, complex, and not conducive to a wide range of interpretation.