Liszt: Harmonies poétiques et religieuses— Roberto Plano, piano (Decca 4812479)
Another Cleveland International Piano Competition is in the books, so it’s a good time to highlight the most recent recording by a CIPC Gold Medalist, Roberto Plano, who took First Prize in 2001. “For his debut on Decca, Plano has chosen a masterwork that is rarely performed, and that has not appeared in Universal’s catalogue for the last 50 years” says the Presto Classical website. “This is the first complete recording of Harmonies poétiques and religieuses since France Clidat in the sixties. Thanks to a very strong technique Roberto Plano has often been defined a virtuoso. But he is much more than that, and in fact it’s not virtuosity that is underlined in his performances of Liszt’s music, who remains one of his favorite composers. Finalist in the Van Cliburn Competition 2005, Roberto Plano has since toured US extensively every year, as well as Europe. He has recently been appointed as piano professor by the Boston University, where he will start next September.” The ten pieces of Harmonies poétiques and religieuses are pure Liszt, and their essence is captured in this two-disc set by a former CIPC champion . (As of this writing, this CD is not on the ArkivMusic website.)
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