Do we really have to explain who Ivo Pogorelich was again nowadays? The sticker on the CD mentions it just to be sure: the legendary pianist has recorded a brand new album. A double message, therefore, which refers to a glorious past as well as an unmissable first. For those who have forgotten: in 1980 an as yet unknown Pogorelich made the world press because he had just not reached the finals of
… the prestigious Chopin competition. Martha Argerich then became so angry that the jury left. A scandal was born, which did not hinder the wayward genius. He dominated the LP and CD covers of Deutsche Grammophon for about a decade and a half, photogenic as he was. That was until 1996, when his wife and muse - the piano educator Aliza Kezeradze - died. The steady growth of his discography seemed to be over at the time, although he was still performing. But now there is finally a new album. Featuring Rachmaninov's passionate Sonata No. 2 alongside two lesser-known, but nevertheless groundbreaking Beethoven sonatas. (HJ)more
