Simon Trpceski's second CD is solo piano works of Rachmaninov, mixing some of the composer's transcriptions with some of his Preludes and concluding with the Sonata No. 2. Trpceski certainly has the technical skills to handle the virtuosic writing, but he shows signs of good musical judgment. Take for example Rachmaninov's transcription of Mendelssohn's Scherzo from A Midsummer's Night Dream. Trpceski keeps it well animated, but where some conductors put in exaggerated sforzandos and crescendos to increase dramatic tension, ...
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Simon Trpceski's second CD is solo piano works of Rachmaninov, mixing some of the composer's transcriptions with some of his Preludes and concluding with the Sonata No. 2. Trpceski certainly has the technical skills to handle the virtuosic writing, but he shows signs of good musical judgment. Take for example Rachmaninov's transcription of Mendelssohn's Scherzo from A Midsummer's Night Dream. Trpceski keeps it well animated, but where some conductors put in exaggerated sforzandos and crescendos to increase dramatic tension, he restrains these so that the drama is more in keeping with the spirit of mischief-making with no dire consequences. Another example is the overworked Prelude in C sharp minor, where he avoids extra-added stringendos in favor of a steadier tempo throughout. The lyrical middle section of the Prelude in G minor, Op. 23/4, is slow, but not because he's wallowing in pathos. Trpceski does recognize the value of contrast and tension in Rachmaninov's compositions, such as in the Prelude,...
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