Circus and Magic

Bloch, Debussy, Prokofiev, Ligeti

Reinis Zarins – piano

Champs Hill Records: CHRCD048

Repertoire, repertoire ! That is what determines some of our choices to review amongst too many received.

Bloch's Circus Pieces Suite (1922 - a good year, c.f Hindemith's Suite 1922) reveals in capsulated form "a distaste for the injustices that are inflicted on the less fortunate by those who should know better"; it's a huge discovery.

Prokofiev's Cinderella Intermezzo is so rich that you should take a half-way break in listening to this programme - maybe to look up my favourite DVD of the ballet...?

Then via Ligeti to the Stravinsky Petrushka transcriptions.

A very good listen. The notes by the pianist and another commentator are good, as are Alga Ozo's witty studio photos; so I let you see both of them.

Peter Grahame Woolf