Liszt: Sonata in B minor / Nuages gris / La notte / La lugubre gondola II / Funérailles
Krystian Zimerman's brilliant, powerful account makes an extraordinary impression, both in its overall sweep and in its extremely fine resolution of textural detail. The pacing is excellent, the playing electrifyingly virtuosic yet disciplined, the interpretation impassioned yet dry-eyed and impressively controlled. The fugato is taken at an unbelievable clip and rendered with dazzling accuracy and effect. The recording, made in the concert hall of Copenhagen's Tivoli Park in 1990, achieves an outstanding balance between presence and ambience.--Ted Libbey