Having recorded the complete Piano Sonatas of Mozart and Schubert, on Warner, Elisabeth Leonskaja now makes a natural move to the above composers, collectively known as the Second Viennese School, each though individual, lucidly interpreted and communicated by Leonskaja (who coincidentally lives in Vienna), ripely recorded, opening with Berg’s Opus One Sonata, a single movement of meticulous rhapsody, notably romantic within the rigour. Webern’s Variations (Opus 27) follows, spare and significant music. The rest is Schoenberg, his Opuses Eleven, Nineteen, and Twenty-five – respectively the pivotal Three Pieces (from Brahms into the twentieth-century), the fascinatingly elusive Six Little Pieces, and the six-movement Suite, the latter with titles such as ‘Gavotte’, ‘Musette’ and ‘Gigue’, refashioned with modern dress. Throughout this absorbing hour-long recital (therefore with room for the Pieces that are Opuses Twenty-three and Thirty-three) Leonskaja’s commitment and concentration are palpable. If this music has previously been found (or imagined as) forbidding, then Leonskaja might be about to change such opinions and perceptions. Warner Classics 2173228826, released September 13.
https://www.warnerclassics.com/artist/elisabeth-leonskaja/releases