In 2015 Daniel Barenboim made news with the unveiling of a Steinway D concert grand especially designed for him by the Belgian instrument maker Chris Maene. Unlike standard grands where the strings cross diagonally, the so-called “Barenboim” piano has straight parallel strings. This results in a less homogeneous and blended sound than usual, with more timbral distinction and clarity between registers. However, Barenboim’s first solo recording on the new instrument often falls flat.
The pianist plods heavily through the three familiar Scarlatti sonatas that open this recital. The C major K. 159 lacks suppleness and grace, while the E major K. 380’s quasi-military gait morphs into a cosmic crawl, despite Barenboim’s beautifully modulated trills. The D minor “Pastorale” K. 9 better absorbs Barenboim’s spacious tread, colorful pedal dabs, and rhetorical gestures, but the interpretation ultimately wilts rather than lilts.
Had Barenboim infused Beethoven’s C minor Variations with more dynamic contrast and variety of articulation, he would have better justified his sedate pacing. The Chopin G minor Ballade alternates between caricature (the opening section’s pretentious rubato) and caution (the held-back coda). Barenboim’s grand, massive conceptions of the Wagner/Liszt March to the Holy Grail from Parsifal and Liszt’s Funérailles tellingly showcase the range and definition in the bass register. Although the pianist generally handles Mephisto Waltz No. 1’s swashbuckling dynamism with kid gloves, the notorious right-hand skips are quite light and limber, proving that Barenboim may have a few surprises up his sleeve yet. An uneven release.