Product Description
The ‘popularised’ title of this disc belies the refined and powerful pianism of Warren Mailley-Smith in three of Beethoven’s best loved piano Sonatas. Mailley-Smith’s debut release on the Sleeveless label presents a young british pianist with much to say in arresting performances of the Moonlight, Pathetique and WaldsteinSonatas. This recording successfully strikes a balance between faithful commitment to the score and a rejection of over-sentiment, making for a most engaging introduction to this new artist on the international classical stage. The recording was made on the beautiful Steinway model D at Champs Hill in Sussex and has received acclaim for its clarity and quality of sound in addition to the international quality of the performances presented by the artist.
slchai – :
“…to be congratulated is Warren Mailley-Smith, for adding to the catalogue three refreshingly unsentimental readings of these solo piano warhorses.
While this album’s title may give the impression that this is classical music as easy listening, the pianism is far from soft soap. Mailley-Smith resists the temptation to blunt edges and slow adagios to a crawl – a trap fallen into by many a renowned pianist. Instead, he imbues each work with an obvious enthusiasm that proves he hasn’t simply learned these scores for the sake of this recording. Those familiar with Andras Schiff’s recent accounts of Beethoven’s piano sonatas will perhaps detect a hint of Schiff’s taut pianism in Mailley-Smith’s playing…”
slchai – :
November 2009
Moonlight Serenade – Beethoven Sonatas
Warren Mailley-Smith (piano)
CD review
http://www.classicalreview.co.uk