Great Pianists Of The 20th Century, Vol. 29

Nelson Feire - piano

Although not as reclusive as his close friend Martha Argerich, Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire gives far too few public performances to satiate those who have discovered his coruscating virtuosity. He commands the instrument as if it were his mother tongue, as the range of repertory selected for this collection amply demonstrates. Freire's innate musicality marries technical polish of the highest order with an arresting instinct for beauty. Witness the heartfelt classicism that probes beneath the surface symmetries of his Mozart or the unique openness of his Chopin, where Freire weaves a rainbow of subtle shades and purling roulades. The flashy bravura called for in the Godowsky transcription/fantasy on Die Fledermaus or in Liszt's Totentanz and Hungarian Rhapsody no. 10 seems to come naturally, never evoking the air of the practice room. Freire is also an exceptionally thoughtful artist: consider the dignified, epic sweep with which he renders Brahms's five-movement Third Sonata, described by Schumann as a "veiled symphony." If Freire's is a new name, do yourself the favor of getting to know this artist. The performances collected here are an object lesson in the expressive possibilities of the instrument. --Thomas May