Moments Musicaux
Navona, 2022
9/10
A solo piano outing that was documented live from USC Thornton’s Alfred Newman Auditorium, Antoinette Perry’s skills illuminate the works of German, Austrian, Russian, and American composers on this very cultured listen.
Franz Schubert’s “Moments In Musicaux” opens the listen with 3 chapters of graceful and bright key progressions that are quite melodic, and “Prelude In G# Minor, Opus 32 No. 12” follows with a darker approach that’s hypnotic in its atmospheric delivery of Sergei Rachmaninov’s work.
In the middle, Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s “Souvenir de Porto Rico: Marche des Gibaros” emits both beauty and mystery with a lower register that’s quite alluring, while “Davidsbundlertanze” radiates a sublime intimacy but can also flow brightly in the Robert Schumann original. George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” exits the listen, and it indeed is rhythmic, as Perry’s meticulous delivery is universally enjoyable.
The sound quality here is incredible and the execution flawless. For fans of solo piano records, it just doesn’t get much better than this.
Travels well with: Sang-Hie Lee- Textures In Classics; Gibbs Street Duo- Memories Unsettled