Album

The brilliant live performances recorded here were made less than a year before the untimely death of the artist, pianist Andrew de Grado. At just 37 years of age, de Grado had already established himself as a prominent soloist, educator (University of Illinois School of Music in Urbana-Champaign, IL), and chamber musician (having toured with violinist Joshua Bell). These recordings give us a glimpse of his artistry.

The Brahms First Sonata is truly an organic, intimate performance. Although it is filled with rubato, it is never overly romanticized. Despite the thick texture of Brahms' piano work, de Grado's playing is never muddy or pounding. The Andante is magnificently simple, graceful, and never pretentious. Listeners who seek a flawless technical performance will no doubt take exception to the occasional errors, especially in the third movement; but for those who seek a vital performance filled with well-balanced risks, this interpretation is sure to satisfy.

The true jewel of this collection is the Prokofiev Sonata No. 6 in A major. Like the Brahms, it is filled with powerful, aggressive playing that never crosses the line into being an assault on the instrument. The Allegretto is quite playful, almost jovial, while the third-movement waltz is pure elegance, highlighting the performer's ability to quickly change color and mood. The fourth-movement Vivace is probably the swiftest performance that comes to mind, but it is pulled off with mercurial aplomb making for a splendidly exciting conclusion to the album.

© Mike D. Brownell, Rovi

CD 1
Johannes Brahms Composer Piano Sonata No.1 in C, Op.1 Work Recorded 1997 28:17 Andrew de Grado Piano
1	1.Allegro	10:24			$1.99
2	2.Andante	6:14			$0.99
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro molto e con fuoco	5:16			$0.99
4	4.Finale: Allegro con fuoco	6:23			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Prelude in Ab ('Presto con leggerezza'), CT.191 Work Recorded 1996 Andrew de Grado Piano
5	Prelude in Ab ('Presto con leggerezza'), CT.191	0:47			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Prelude in C#-, Op.45 Work Recorded 1996 Andrew de Grado Piano
6	Prelude in C#-, Op.45	4:40			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Impromptu No.3 in Gb, Op.51 Work Recorded 1996 Andrew de Grado Piano
7	Impromptu No.3 in Gb, Op.51	5:52			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 3 Waltzes, Op.34 Work Recorded 1996 Andrew de Grado Piano
8	1.No.1 in Ab	5:04			$0.99
Sergey Prokofiev Composer Piano Sonata No.6 in A ('War Sonata No.1'), Op.82 Work Recorded 1997 27:11 Andrew de Grado Piano
9	1.Allegro moderato	7:59			$1.49
10	2.Allegretto	4:33			$0.99
11	3.Tempo di valzer lentissimo	7:34			$1.49
12	4.Vivace	7:05			$1.49