Encores

On *Encores*, Daniel Barenboim selects some of his favorite encores from his dazzling career—which began in 1950, when the pianist was a child prodigy—to mark his 80th-birthday year. Recorded beautifully in Berlin’s Pierre Boulez Saal, the album showcases Barenboim’s characteristic range of color. The third of Schubert’s *4 Impromptus* has real poetry, and Barenboim knows that less is more in Schumann’s “Träumerei” and Debussy’s “Clair de lune.” The Schumann *Fantasiestücke* are beautifully judged, while the Chopin études show off Barenboim’s still-sparkling technique. Albéniz’s “Tango” is a delicious final note in this charming birthday celebration.

Both as conductor and as pianist, Daniel Barenboim seems to be in fine form as he enters his ninth decade; the present release is part of a series of albums and concerts marking his 80th birthday in 2022.