Ingrid Fliter - Scottish Chamber Orchestra - Chopin: Piano Concertos - AllMusic

For her first recording on the Linn label, Ingrid Fliter performs the two piano concertos of Frédéric Chopin with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jun Märkl, and both performances are presented in the hybrid SACD format. The multichannel treatment might seem excessive for these works, since the piano part is always clear and prominent, and the orchestration isn't dense or complicated. Even so, the myriad subtleties of dynamics, attacks, and phrasing come across with exceptional clarity and effectiveness in the state-of-the-art recording, which does a great service to Fliter and the orchestra. Fliter plays with nearly Classical elegance and restraint, which suits Chopin's writing, which is reminiscent at times of Mozart, and because of the music's technical refinement and expressive balance, it's the right approach. The orchestra's transparent textures are also appropriate, giving the piano sufficient support with room to breathe and making up for the occasional flatness of the scoring. Fliter's recordings of Chopin's solo piano music have laid the groundwork for a bright future, and this splendid recording reaffirms her affinity with this composer and promises more excellent performances for Linn.