Recordings of
Tchaikovsky
's
The Seasons, Op. 37a
, tend to come with disclaimers, and so it is here. "Perhaps not every rising-star performer would choose to record
's solo piano music," writes annotator
Jessica Duchen
.
wrote the 12 pieces (one for each month of the year) quickly for publication in a magazine, and they are pure light music. To disvalue them for this reason, though, is nuts; they are perfect examples of the genre, and not everything has to be the grim
"Pathétique" Symphony
. They run into trouble when they are overlaid with too much sentimentality, and pianist
Bruce Liu
does an admirable job of avoiding that trap here. His performances are beautifully self-effacing, and they let the spontaneous-seeming details of
's writing come through. The "Song of the Lark" (March) is a lovely and fresh treatment of that highly common theme. Consider "The Hunt" (September), which also avoids clichés while vividly portraying that event.
Liu
has avoided joining the crowd of
Chopin
specialists since his Chopin International Piano Competition win, and he has likewise declined to compete with the young virtuosos on the scene, although he certainly could. Instead, he is carving out a niche with sensitive interpretations of Romantic repertory, not always the most-often-heard stuff, and he takes a step forward with this understated release.
Deutsche Grammophon
's Siemens-Villa studio sound corresponds ideally with
's aims.
was rewarded here with an appearance on classical best-seller charts in the late autumn of 2024. ~ James Manheim