A self-produced CD release with a dorky title, the performer’s name virtually hidden from sight, no catalog number, and little distribution beyond the artist’s website and a few online retailers usually does not warrant serious attention. But not this time. The 17-year-old pianist Benjamin Grosvenor has garnered extraordinary acclaim over the past few years, and his solo-debut disc thoroughly justifies all the buzz, and then some.
He tosses off three of Nikolai Kapustin’s jazz-influenced etudes with effortless aplomb and debonair style. The same goes for his beautifully sculpted Scarlatti sonatas, and swift, somewhat restrained, yet constantly singing Chopin Nocturnes (hopefully more harmonic tension and linear interplay will someday figure into Grosvenor’s interpretations).
True, Grosvenor pushes Moszkowski’s Caprice espagnol to breakneck limits, yet his innate musicality and colorful control save the day. By contrast, the pianist characterizes the three Iberia selections with beautifully proportioned rubatos, playful accents, and skillful pedaling. The last three selections convinced me less: Grosvenor’s rounded-off and elongated phrasing prettifies what ought to be roughed up in the Cziffra transcriptions, and causes Love Walked In’s melodic trajectory to sag. Still, these are quibbles, not high crimes, and I hope that this disc will turn out to be the first of many major milestones for this amazingly gifted musician. Hear for yourself by visiting www.benjamingrosvenor.co.uk. [4/29/2010]
