For sound quality alone, Inna Poroshina’s first volume in Essay’s complete Dvorák piano music cycle ranks ahead of the competition. She also favors a less studied, more forward moving and impulsive approach to the delightful, very Schumann-esque (compulsive dotted rhythms and canons, for example) Op. 8 Silhouettes than Stefan Veselka’s larger-scaled conceptions on Naxos (you might say Poroshina is De Larrocha to Veselka’s Arrau or Kvapil’s Kempff in this repertoire). Likewise, Poroshina weaves the Theme and Variations together in fervent, dynamically charged arcs that may win pianists (and hopefully listeners!) over to this neglected masterpiece’s cause. Poroshina also plays the shorter pieces with immense authority and stylish aplomb. Kevin Bazzana’s vivid, scholarly booklet notes further fuel the joy that this release engenders. Warmly recommended.
