Bach, Beethoven, Rzewski
Piano fans already knew Igor Levit was bold, but this three-hour set is another order of ambitious. Levit’s sound is big and booming where it needs to be, while remaining technically assured throughout. He gets at the wild swings of style in the Beethoven, while faithfully observing repeats in the Bach. And he takes up Rzewski’s score on its invitation to improvise. Since it would be a fool’s errand to compete with the free-jazz-like abandon of Rzewski’s own recorded cadenza, Levit opts for a quieter (but still ominous) expression of anger—stylistically impressive, and a joy to hear.
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