Winner of the World Piano Competition in 1997, the British pianist Ashley Wass has been given the opportunity to record a CD. His choice went to César Franck, and this already says something positive regarding the young musician’s curiosity. His program is close to that of Stephen Hough on Hyperion. Along with the well-known triptychs Prélude, Choral et Fugue, and Prélude, Aria et Final, Wass adds two large-scale works from the composer’s youth: the almost unknown elegiac Eglogue and the passionate Premier Grand Caprice. Two poetic miniatures complete this generously filled program. Franck’s mix of Lisztian romanticism and fascination for Bachian counterpoint finds in Wass an ardent champion with a solid technique and sensitive touch. His intelligent playing does justice to the early works, but seems a bit unripe and shy for the mature masterpieces. One thing that’s missing is a capacity to vary colors inside the same dynamic range. The pianissimos always carry the same faded shade, while the fortes acquire an unpleasant stiffness and brutality echoed in places (Choral) by a saturated metallic resonance. At Naxos’ budget price, though, this CD is still a fair recommendation if you want to discover Franck’s main body of piano works.
