Pianist Nami Ejiri was born in Tokyo in 1973 and has made a name for herself on the international competition circuit. She recreates Mussorgsky’s well-trodden picture gallery in bold primary colors. The Promenades are fierce and assertive; Ejiri’s sober spinning of The Old Castle’s long, lyrical tune rivets your attention; and Bydlo’s grim, heavy tread nearly spends itself toward the conclusion. Tuileries, the Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks, Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle, and the Marketplace at Limoges are not as supple and texturally varied as Richter or Ashkenazy make these movements out to be. Perhaps Ejiri’s been hoarding power, for the concluding movements steadily build to a fulfilling apotheosis.
The late Igor Khudolei’s freewheeling suite based on themes from Mussorgsky’s great opera Boris Godunov seems custom made both for Ejiri’s roaring sonorities (the Coronation Bells pack quite a punch!) and for her gift for projecting melodies so that they can be heard a thousand miles away. That said, I’d trade the motoric solidity of her repeated chords and glissandos in Varlaam’s song for a little more giddiness and abandon. I hope to hear how this gutsy pianist might tackle other repertoire. Excellent recorded sound rounds out this worthwhile package.
