About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

This recording of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and Schumann's Kinderszenen, played by pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, is the soundtrack to a film by Robin Rhode, apparently depicting, among other things, the "murder" of a piano and a leap in the North Sea. Listeners concentrating on the quality of the musical performances, however, are unlikely to feel they're missing much without the visuals. With his brash technique, bronzed tone, and unique interpretations, Andsnes again demonstrates himself to be one of the era's greatest pianists and most indispensable artists. Even in works as familiar as Pictures and Kinderszenen, he finds new things to say -- a new way of approaching the pictorial elements of Mussorgsky's score by illuminating its variegated colors and chiaroscuro, and a new way of expressing the sentimental tone of Schumann's by articulating its inner lines. Recorded in bright, immediate digital sound, this disc should be heard by anyone who likes the pieces or admires the pianist. James Leonard, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

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