Joining these three concertos for keyboard and strings -- Bach's D minor Concerto, BWV 1052;
Shostakovich's Concerto No. 1; and Schnittke's Concerto from 1979 -- was an inspired idea that allows the listener to compare and contrast the composers' very different approaches to the medium. Bringing pianist
Ksenia Bashmet together with her father
Yuri was equally inspired. Though no
Richter,
Bashmet junior is still a fine pianist with a dexterous technique, a bright tone, an expressive way of phrasing, and a wonderful way of building a slow movement's climax, and her playing here is always interesting. Similarly,
Bashmet senior knows how to get the best playing out of the Moscow Soloists and how to best support his daughter's keyboard artistry. Though one can certainly think of finer performances of all three works, the chance to hear them all together executed with such style and sympathy may be irresistible to some listeners. Quartz's digital sound is a clear and clean, but oddly lacking in depth of field.