https://radioklassik.at/programm/sendeformate/thema/the-handel-project/

CD OF THE WEEK

THE HANDEL PROJECT

Artists: Seong-Jin Cho

Label: DG

EAN: 0028948630189

When one thinks of early music for keyboard instruments, the works of Johann Sebastian Bach are the ones that spring to mind. Then probably Scarlatti and others, but hardly Georg Friedrich Handel. The South Korean pianist Seong-Jin makes no secret of his fondness for Handel's suites for keyboard instruments and has now recorded some of them, along with Brahms' Handel Variations, on CD. Michael Gmasz reveals more about our CD of the week.

While more and more pianists have recently discovered their preference for playing historical keyboard instruments, just think of the recently presented Bach CD on the clavichord with András Schiff, Seong-Jin Cho deliberately chose a modern Steinway D for his Handel recording. Although he was inspired by harpsichord interpretations such as that of Trevor Pinnock, the modern grand piano is the instrument on which he feels at home and with which he can express exactly what he wants. And that's quite a lot.

The great thing about Seong-Jin Cho's interpretation of Handel's three suites is the absolute restraint and concentration on the essentials of the music. This isn't about posing, no one is trying to read something into Handel's work that wasn't intended at all. Therein lies the beauty of Seong-Jin Cho's game. Almost innocently, timidly and yet convincingly, he begins the CD with the Adagio from the second suite from the 8 Suite de pièces de clavecin, whereupon the clear touch and dynamic subtleties of the first Allegro show the direction in which his interpretation is heading. He also bases the Handel Variations by Johannes Brahms on this clarity, even if then of course more pedal and more romantic transfiguration are added to his playing and it may sound really "pomposo" towards the end. Wilhelm Kempff also chose the romanticizing approach when he arranged a Handel minuet. Here too, at the end of his current CD, Seong-Jin Cho shows completely different colors and a completely different approach to Handel than at the beginning of the recording. (mg)

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