FRITZ STEINEGGER - CONCERT PIANIST

Piano Music, Classical Pianist, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Schubert. These recordings are sponsored by the Gordon Getty Foundation.

These recordings are the newest release from the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation: There is nothing ordinary about Fritz Steinegger's performances. In the Schubert Impromptu, the long strands of notes, like strings of pearls, radiate, each with its own unique hue, while at the same time fitting into a perfectly formed line. By contrast, in the Fantaisie-Impromptu the chains of notes are released in waves. The Bach is likewise very satisfying, an ideal combination of technical mastery and consummate artistry and, most impressively, clarity of musical texture. The Mozart Rondo is played as though the pianist had never even heard lesser performances. There are no exaggerated accents here, in fact, the whole performance has a lyrical urgency about it that makes it sound like it was actually written by Mozart, instead of, as many performances suggest, some heavy-handed amateur. In the Beethoven Concerto, the piano is bright, its entrance breathtaking. Throughout, one hears aspects of Beethoven that are never bombastic, but frequently, caressing. Steinegger knows how to tease with the occasional understatement, but it is always a compelling understatement. Instead of the usual crescendo on ascending notes, he might draw the listener into the music even more by making a decrescendo where it is delightfully unanticipated. Steinegger's recordings also illustrate what a vital musical culture there is in Mexico today. Nobody should pass them up. Reviewed by Retired University of North Carolina Piano Faculty Thomas G. Turner

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