Although the C-sharp minor sonata carries a higher opus number than Tchaikovsky’s better-known G major sonata, it’s actually one of the composer’s earlier works for the piano. The piece was only edited and published after Tchaikovsky’s death and is seldom played in the West (not that the G major causes box office stampedes, either!). Armen Babakhanian’s well-schooled fingers, ample yet sometimes metallic sonority (mostly at loud moments, perhaps this has to do with the engineering), and rather literal-minded temperament allow you to hear what the music sounds like in a solid, professional performance. If you can get hold of Samuel Feinberg’s hard-to-find version, however, you’ll notice how his winged, balletic treatment of the Scherzo or his songful rubato in the slow movement contrast to Babakhanian’s relatively earthbound treatments. Or beg, borrow, or steal Emil Gilels’ deleted recording to hear how the demanding climaxes in the outer movements can truly soar.
Babakhanian proves more successful upholding the G major sonata’s “symphony without orchestra” reputation: You can’t fault his well-proportioned dynamics, steady yet flexible tempos, and tightly-knit transitions. For incisive sweep and crackling vibrancy, though, the old mono accounts by Gregori Ginsburg and Sviatoslav Richter remain perched above many modern versions lining today’s CD bins.
