Earl Wild’s reputation for romantic repertoire understandably, yet unfairly, overshadows his long-standing advocacy for the music of his time. He breathes fresh air into the Barber Sonata, taking the opening’s Allegro Energico marking at face value. The Scherzo and closing fugue are whimsically projected and dance lightly with Mendelssohnian élan. Wild infuses warmth and witty character into the Stravinsky Sonata’s deadpan countenance.
An old Wild standby, the Hindemith Third, is buoyant, enlivingly articulated, and cogently phrased. Wild’s own three-movement Sonata, completed literally days before the recording sessions, is quite attractive and well-made, highlighted by a sustained, lyrical slow movement and a jubilant finale inspired by Ricky Martin’s heartthrob-of-the-moment brand of salsa. I hope the outcome of this work will step up Wild’s creative productivity, for he is a real composer. He remains an unreal pianist at 84, whose supple fingerwork can easily be mistaken for a young, hotshot firebrand. In sum, this release is one of the finest recordings in Earl Wild’s long, individual career, and cannot be recommended too highly. [11/2/2000]
