Pianist Rémi Geniet was 21 when he recorded this absolute honey of a Bach recital. His articulation often recalls Glenn Gould’s dry-point detaché touch, but with additional lightness and color, as the deliciously yet not excessively decorated Fourth Partita Ouverture demonstrates, along with the characterfully clipped Courante and Menuet. By contrast, steadfast pacing and astute timing help sustain Geniet’s broadly paced Allemande and Sarabande. The Capriccio also reveals the young pianist’s gift for conveying a sense of “air” between certain notes and his uncanny sense of rhythm. Each movement of the A major English Suite sings out with lilting intimacy, while Geniet’s supple and transparent finger work keeps the C minor Toccata’s long fugue vivid and alive from start to finish. Geniet’s joyous, invigorated, and well-recorded Bach interpretations cannot help but leave you smiling and wanting more. In other words, this kid’s got it!
