My primary temptation here was simply a high-resolution version of the Bartok piano sonata. Thus my surprise and delight not just with Miyuji Kaneko’s incredible performance, but also with a viscerally realistic piano recording, possibly one of the best I’ve heard.
The recital opens with Beethoven’s Pathetique, which to a jaded listener such as myself, is an invitation to use the skip button on the remote control. I’m glad I didn’t, for Kaneko kept me fully engaged until the last chord. Nevertheless, it is the Bartok that stands out the most, not just the sonata but also assorted pieces from his Mikrokosmos, Romanian Folk Dances, Suite for Children’s and 10 Easy Pieces, which by the way, don’t sound that easy at all. Throughout the selection, Kaneko strikes a perfect balance between Bartok’s percussive attack and bouncy rhythms. Bach’s Suite no. 5 is also included, with an amazing clarity of inner and outer voices. Actually, I have to say that in Kaneko’s hands, the contrast between Bach and Bartok reveals a lot of unexpected similarities, regardless of the centuries between both composers.
But a lot of the credit should go as well to the Exton recording team, which presents the piano in full bloom and in a perfectly balanced soundstage. An engaging complement to Kaneko’s virtuosity.
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