Product: Jorge Luis Prats in Recital (2007)
Rating: 4.0
Musical gold slightly compromised by recording compromises
This recital given by the Cuban pianist, Jorge Prats, in Miami in 2007 is wide-ranging in its repertoire, breath-taking in its virtuosity, beguiling in its charm, infectious in its joy, generous in its spirit and altogether without parallel in my experience.All of this can be summed up during the bonus interview as Jorge Prats describes his `trick' when doing the glissandi in one of his encores .... You need a bit of damp or wetness on your hands he remarked as he demonstrated a single note glissando up and down the keyboard ... then another in 3rds .... then in 6ths ... followed by 5ths, then octaves and then 3 notes at once (1,3 and 5)! Of course, he goes on, some pianos are a bit more difficult so then you just use palms and he smilingly whizzed up and down the keyboard with palms sounding just as good!However, he remarks, the piano is just a `tool' with which he is able to express emotions or style. The 60 minute documentary is filled with countless examples of style, emotions expressed and his total joy in music making based on the international experiences he has gained over a lifetime. All of this is related to his approach to his programming as he sits at the piano giving a constant flow of practical examples with hardly a glance at the keyboard. An absolutely riveting interview.The concert is even better with piece after piece given the sort of performance you would be lucky to hear in a lifetime - and here they are all at once! The Bach-Liszt opening Prelude & Fugue has a tremendous range of sonority and sensitivity. This prepares us very well for the exotic world of the Scriabin Preludes Op.11. The Cuban music of Cervantes follows where Prats is clearly on home ground. Ravel's Gaspard continues this range of textures and imagination concluding with one of the most exciting renditions I have ever heard of Scarbo. La Valse is orchestral in its textural scope and concludes the official program. About 20 minutes of wonderful encores follow with much emphasis on Cuban derived music but ending with Wagner-Liszt's Liebestod.The extensive illustrated interview is one of the best I have ever seen with Jorg Prats effortlessly compelling total attention with his charm, knowledge, skill and sheer musicianship.The visual recording is rather basic with lighting that can be doubtful. It is presented in letterbox format. The sound is fortunately in very good stereo and gives finely wide-ranging reproduction of the piano timbres from the smallest pianissimo to the greatest fortissimo.On a desert island and short of a piano, this could well be one of the most rewarding discs of piano music that you could take. My personal opinion is that while this is well worth 5 stars as a musical grade, because of the recording compromises, 4 stars is probably a safer all-round guide for most purchasers.