Readers unaware that Rossini wrote quite a large body of piano music -- years after he retired from opera composition -- should get to know the Péchés de vieillesses or Sins of Old Age. They're recognizably Rossinian, with clear sectional forms, very clever slow passages that build tension, and sparkling, energetic flourishes in the faster sections. In their externals, they're like opera overtures written for the piano. But they have a cockeyed spirit that's all their own. The titles on this disc (part of a series covering the complete Péchés de vieillesses) sound like Satie could have come up with them, and the Prélude pétulant rococo or Prélude inoffensif could easily be combined with Satie in recital. Note that although the booklet is translated from German into both English and French, the track titles are given in French and German only. Pianist Stefan Irmer, however, will help fill you in on the jokes you miss; his is an ideal, capricious reading of these works, with enough technique in reserve for him to be able to relax and enjoy. The sound environment of this disc is not quite up to MDG's usual standards: it is spacious and boomy, failing to suggest the Parisian chambers in which Rossini would have entertained his many admirers. The 1901 Steinway piano employed, however, is just right; credit goes to piano technician Manfred Bürki. Any Rossini lover will richly enjoy this disc.
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