Media recluse he may be, but Sokolov in Salzburg is a definite must-have for all piano aficionados.

ORCHESTRAL • CHAMBER • VOCAL • OPERA

Sokolov 
The Salzburg Recital
Grigory Sokolov p
Deutsche Grammophon 4794342 (2CD)

RARE GLIMPSE OF LAST OF THE RUSSIAN GREATS

Grigory Sokolov is regarded as the last representative of the Russian school. He will not record in the studio. Unlike Argerich, he has eschewed concertos and will only play solo. In the style of great artists such as Michelangeli, he plays when, where, and precisely what he wants. In this live Salzburg Festival recital from 2008, his programme consists of two Mozart Sonatas, the 24 Chopin Preludes and a group of encores. So is this enigmatic, marketing nightmare of a pianist worth your attention? Definitely.

Sokolov’s Mozart is as pristine as that of Maria João Pires, yet in the old-school manner his melodic line comes across as a string of glistening pearls. His phrases breathe naturally, and his fast passagework is evenly produced. In Chopin’s 24 Preludes...