Pianists, who literally merge with the piano, whose energy flows fully into the piano while playing, and in a wonderful way arrives at the audience as unbelievably nuanced music, whose origin apparently is not based on the piano mechanics set in motion by the pianist's finger technique, but miraculously is due solely to the presence of the pianist in front of the piano, are rare, very rare. One of these exceptional pianists was the Britain John Ogdon, who already at a tender young age conjured up musical and musical wonders out of the piano that seemed to come about with the utmost naturalness. The unity of pianist and piano went so far that the audience very well perceived the change in atmosphere in the concert hall even before the first sound was heard. This unconditional and complete devotion to making music meant that John Ogdon consumed himself far too early, like a candle lit at both ends, ending up as a psychic wreck.

Four decades later, the pianist Daniil Trifonov enters the stage, who, at a similar age as an exceptional pianist, performs comparable miracles on the piano and, in a similar way, ensnares his audience like John Ogdon once did. Like him, Trifonov is not only a pianist, but also a prolific composer who performs his piano works publicly. And like him, Trifonov is first winner of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition, which gave his career international momentum. The Liszt album, which was recently emphatically received by the critics and the public, is now followed by a reminiscence of the Polish pianist / composer Frédéric Chopin with the album Chopin Evocations, on which Trifonov has assembled not only works of the Pole but also of other composers in which Chopin is more or less strongly echoed.

The genius of Daniil Trifonov becomes accessible predominantly from Chopin's variations on Mozart's "Là ci darem la mano", which in his interpretation sound like a fresh-set improvisation rather than a bicentennial composition set on music paper. Not far from this approach, Trifonov presents Chopin's two piano concertos. He is accompanied by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Mikhail Pletnev, who is responsible for the revised orchestration of Chopin's undoubtedly not too professionally designed orchestral part. Himself a pianist with an international standing it obviously was a concern of Pletnev to put the contribution of the composer's novercaly neglected orchestra in both concerts carefully in a better light, which he succeeded. Transcending so to speak into heavenly spheres, both concerts are given the best possible interpretation in the hands of Daniil Trifonov. The Fantasy-Impromptu passes by weightless as fine cirrus clouds hovering in the sky, fading into nothingness. Adding extra color to Chopin Evocations are the composers whose activity is inspired by Frédéric Chopin, namely Robert Schumann with his "Carnaval", Edvard Grieg with his "Hommage à Chopin", Samuel Barber with a Nocturne, Tchaikovsky with one of his Morceaux op 72 and Frederic Mompou with his Variations on Chopin's Prelude in A-flat major. These compositions mirroring compositions by Chopin, masterfully executed by Daniil Trifonov, make the album, which is mainly devoted to the Polish master himself, a compelling compendium which, in its compilation, is pleasantly off the beaten track.

It would be an unforgivable mistake not to download this album. May there follow many further albums by Daniil Trifonov of this extraordinary quality, and may this exceptional pianist learn from John Ogdon's too early retirement not to waste his energy reserves transferred to the piano too early.

Daniil Trifonov, piano