pianist n. 51 december 2009 / january 2010

 cd reviews           

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What's better: a single-composer disc or a mixed recital? It depends on the performer, says Marius Dawn, who gives top marks to Howard Shelley, Nadejda Vlaeva and Florian Uhlig

ANDREA BACCHETTI

Cherubini: Six Sonatas

RCA Red Seal 88697057742

(...)  Finally to two releases featuring composers who lived around the time of Beethoven but who did not put their stamp on the sonata in the same revolutionary way he did. Cherubini is not remembered as a piano composer at all, having secured his name in the world of the opera. However, the spirited performance from Andrea Bacchetti show Cherubini's sonatas are well worth listening to and might even be substitutes for the overly played Mozart sonatas. Bacchetti is a fine performer and balances everything perfectly. This is, in the best sense of the word, simple music to be listened to with enjoyment, leaving little else than a sweet remembrance. (...)