Review from American Record Guide (Nov/Dec 1997 issue)

Brahms Piano Concertos Nos 1&2

By HAROLD C. SCHONBERG

"Sgouros plays with technical command, rich piano sound, strong rhythm, power, and musical authority."

The Greek pianist Dimitris Sgouros was 12 years old when, in 1982, he played the Rach 3 in Carnegie Hall with the National Symphony under Rostropovich. With a beaming Rostropovich watching from the podium, the boy then played four encores, ending with the Liszt Feux Follets.

Now it is 1997 and Sgouros, an old man of 28, has recorded two of the biggest pianistic challenges, the two Brahms concertos. And they are very good. Sgouros plays with technical command, rich piano sound, strong rhythm, power, and musical authority. They don't come much better than this. His approach is something on the Backhaus order, which means clarity and constant forward motion. Like Backhaus, Sgouros has no fancy ideas about the "philosophy" of the music, and he does not try to make a Big Statement in the slow movements. He merely maintains the melodic flow, making almost chamber music out of his dialog with the orchestra. Very impressive.

One peculiar thing. In the last movement of the B-flat, where those fast double-note scales in both hands come, he has worked out something that sounds like a simplification. I have played it a dozen times or so, gone to my piano, and still can't figure out what he has done.

The Sofia Philharmonic is not one of the world's great ensembles, and its strings sound rather dry. But the horns and winds are good, the director knows his business, and the first cellist makes a handsome sound in his solos with the piano in 2:II.
 

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