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4.5
For many generations, Vladimir Horowitz has been the iconic keyboard virtuoso of the XXth century. His astounding live performances, as well as his abundant recordings, were replete with breathtaking pianistic wizardry and utterly arguable musical insight. The fabulous effect of his performances stemmed from a very personal way of approaching the great masterpieces in connection with an overwhelming need to convey the performer's truth regarding the work rather than composer's strict annotations. The masterpiece thus got a deeply felt - sometimes weird and extravagant - reading but never a mere ad literam interpretation. With Horowitz always there is a re-creation of the whole work, so that the same work can sound out differently at different moments. The objectivity seems not to have any value in his conception, but only things distilled by his own sensitivity. A cold, impersonal reading is a sterile one in his viewpoint, and is lacking the appeal to audiences. Romantic in attitude, other-worldly in technical skills, often disputable in conceptions,bu always looking for a pulpy sound, for magic colors, Horowitz secured for him a definitive place in the Parnassus of the greatest pianists ever and enthralled a huge mass of fans.On this recording, Horowitz is caught in his late years (1986 - 1989) when his famous virtuosity got wiser and somehow sedate, as the inner peace seemed totally cover his visions and renditions. We are offered here an elegantly unquiet Mozart, witty (in the early Sonata in B flat major K 281), sparklingly thoughtful (in Adagio in B minor K 540), tormented and playful (Rondo in D major K 485). Schubert spreads grace and lighthearted feelings (both the Moment musical in F minor D 780, no.3 and the Lisztian transcription of the seductive Serenade), while the last number in program - Valse Caprice no.6 from "Soirees de Vienne" (Schubert/Liszt), a favorite encore of Horowitz's - rounds off magisterially an all-Viennese recital to be cherished by lots of his admirers.For all these marvels, played with youthful verve I give 5 stars to this recording. It witnesses the serene wisdom and inexhaustible joy of playing of the late Vladimir Horowitz, a truly giant of the piano.
