Pianist editor Erica Worth gives four stars to this Brahms release
Pianist Nada
Brahms: Variations on a theme by Paganini, Klavierstücke Op 118, Fantasien Op 116, Sonata No 3 in F minor and more
MEII Enterprises 6 82131 86689 4
(3CD)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
In this fifth and final instalment of Pianist Nada’s traversal of the complete Brahms solo piano music, we find ourselves presented with a varied programme spanning the virtuoso Paganini Variations, the engaging Op 116 and 118 sets of piano pieces and the less frequently heard Chorale Preludes for Organ Op 122 – arranged by the pianist and dispersed cleverly throughout the three-CD album. Pianist Nada offers up Baroque grandeur and elegance in the chorales, with an understanding of the instrument for which they were written.
Enjoy her performance of Brahms Sonata Op 1 in C below.
The Opus 116 gems are given all the loving care that they need (from the tender No 4 Intermezzo to the turbulent No 7 Capriccio), as are the Op 118 set. And what a treat to hear the feisty No 4 from the Five studies after JS Bach, played with determination and a flowing forward drive. Despite a somewhat muffled recorded sound, there is much here to discover and surprise.
