A strong artistic profile emerged from Argentine pianist Ingrid Fliter’s live 2005 Concertgebouw recital, released by VAI in conjunction with her receiving the coveted Gilmore Artist Award in 2006. Her all-Chopin studio debut for EMI confirms my earlier impression, along with certain reservations. For example, the capricious bravura of her live Chopin C-sharp minor and A-flat major Op. 64 waltzes now seems set in mannered stone, as do the D-flat (“Minute”) waltz’s arch rubatos. A dance-class pianist trying to emulate Fliter’s speed-ups and slow-downs and poor sense of melodic projection throughout the E-flat Op. 18 waltz would be fired on the spot.
Similar rhythmic issues prevail in the first two Op. 59 Mazurkas, despite Fliter’s beautifully coaxed inner voices and limpid sonority (listen to how offhandedly she throws away the A minor’s quiet final bars). Happily, her relatively steady pulse in the F-sharp minor piece yields a stronger sense of character and contrast. Fliter’s episodic, fidgety Barcarolle stops and starts when it ought to sail smoothly. She’s also all over the place in the Fourth Ballade, yet her sophisticated grasp of the composer’s complex polyphony (especially in the treacherous coda) is nothing to disparage.
This asset distinguishes the B minor sonata’s opening movement, where Fliter’s lyrical warmth and concentration come into perfect focus. I like how she differentiates the Scherzo’s opening section and recapitulation (the second time is lighter and more scintillating), but some listeners may find the Trio a bit pulled about. In an era where too many pianists milk the Largo to slow death, Fliter’s relatively brisk, even austere interpretation is a breath of fresh air, buttressed by strong left-hand underpinning. My only quibble with the Finale concerns Fliter’s tendency to rush when the music builds, undermining its inherent classicism and cumulative impact. I suspect I’ll return to Fliter’s Chopin B minor sonata more often than its disc mates.
