À la russe

The French pianist Alexandre Kantorow burst onto the scene in 2015 with a gripping album of Liszt’s piano concertos. À la russe, his debut solo recital, came two years later, and confirmed the 19-year-old Kantorow as a spectacularly gifted player. Technically, Kantorow is scintillating: the smouldering, Mephistophelian finale of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 1, and the explosively athletic “Danse infernale” from Stravinsky’s Firebird show that. But his nuanced sensitivity in slower music also catches the ear. The “Berceuse” from Firebird is exquisitely textured, while Tchaikovsky’s “Passé lointain” from 18 Pieces is flecked with a delicate poetry. The recital ends with Balakirev’s Islamey, a touchstone of virtuosic Romantic pianism. Kantorow’s rendition is scintillating, dynamics ranging from the merest whisper to pulverisingly powerful as the piece builds to its coruscating conclusion. You can now experience this incredible album in Spatial Audio, with the sound clearer and more detailed than ever.