As with his previous two solo Naxos releases, Boris Giltburg’s all-Rachmaninov recital is artistically up and down. There’s no doubt that he can navigate Rachmaninov’s imposing textural terrain with complete technical and idiomatic authority when so inclined. In the Op. 16 Moments musicaux, for example, the pianist’s full-bodied tone, ringing basses, and carefully built climaxes convey an appropriately orchestral impact. Also notice how he brings out the full measure of the C minor (Op. 39 No. 7) Étude-tableau’s brooding qualities by observing the composer’s meticulous dynamic gradations and expressive directives.
By underplaying the swirling passagework that blazes under Horowitz’s hands in the Moments musicaux E-flat minor Allegretto, Giltburg casts the music in an unusual and convincingly coy, cameo-like light. Such curvaceous lyricism, however, drains most of the power and cross-rhythmic momentum from the F-sharp minor Étude-tableau, while Giltburg’s sedate pacing renders the cycle’s final D major piece at a boring lope, in contrast to Richter’s tigerish sprint. And Op. 39’s opening salvo’s Agitato marking goes for nothing by way of Giltburg’s habitual and ultimately predictable tapering and ritarding at phrase ends. In short, Giltburg is at his best when he plays straight and checks his fussy, studied tendencies at the studio door. If only that happened more often. Naxos offers excellent sonics and annotations.
