Sonatas No 6 Op 29 Suite From Romeo & Juliet Op 75
Lugansky's Prokofiev is a winner: three major works played with virtuosity, power and, where necessary, delicacy, along with scrupulous attention to the score. The Sixth is the first of the composer’s "War" Sonatas, premiered in 1940. The aggressive rhythmic opening gives way to a quiet theme, the entire movement permeated with an agitated restlessness well captured by the pianist. In the middle movements he creates the right atmosphere, infusing the slow waltz with premonitions on disaster. The propulsive, driving finale, like the virtuosic finale of the Fourth Sonata, is done with spectacular accuracy at supersonic speeds---thrilling rides, both. He's as good in the somber opening movements of the Fourth. And in the longest work on the disc, Lugansky nails each of the ten pieces Prokofiev transcribed from his Romeo and Juliet ballet score. There's jaunty swagger in "Masks," playfulness in "Minuet," gossamer pianism in  "Lily Dance." The finale, drawn from several scenes, is quietly moving. A treasurable disc. --Dan Davis