I started with the second of the three ‘War’ Sonatas, scorching and troubled from Stewart Goodyear, a super-virtuoso yet music-serving account that grips the imagination whether in lyricism or propulsion, thoughtfully considered by the pianist and spontaneous in the execution, with the final movement thrilling, the ‘curve’ of the coda caught ideally. No less successful and rewarding are the Concertos, in which the BBCSO and Andrew Litton are significant contributors – piano and orchestra locked-in to one another productively – whether the dash and whimsy of No.3, during which there is especially deft woodwind detailing (although the Finale’s middle section is on the slow side, albeit by only a few degrees, if, now wearing my trainspotter’s cap, compensated for by hearing the trombones at 8:57, not always the case). In terms of scale and ambition the four-movement Concerto No.2 is almost operatic, not least the tsunami of a cadenza in the first – given a ‘mad professor’ outing by Goodyear. The second sizzles, the third is gawky and macabre, and the Finale is a tour de force, the folksong-like elements offering contrasts, then racing unstoppably to an ovation (if an audience were present), Litton and the SO equal to the vivid accompaniment needed and faithful to Goodyear’s stunning playing. Completing this superb release, recorded January this year (Maida Vale, Concertos, and at Wyastone Keys), are Andrew Keener’s high-end production values and Dave Rowell’s beautifully balanced, all-encompassing sound. Orchid Classics ORC100335.
Stewart Goodyear records Prokofiev’s Piano Concertos 2 & 3 – with BBC Symphony Orchestra & Andrew Litton – and Sonata 7 for Orchid Classics.
