Review by Joel Moors from BBC
“Marcel Rominger’s CD impresses from start to end. The Bach is rendered beautifully, with an understanding that is often lost in bringing the composer’s work to the modern piano. The opening Prelude is at once exuberant and considered, while the Allemande and Sarabande perfectly capture Bach’s poignant introspection.
The intricacy of the Courante, Gavotte and Gigue is carried off with diamond accuracy, rounding off a performance that is equally polished, considered and characterful.
Rominger’s rendition of Beethoven’s ‘Appassionata’ is one of the highlights of the CD. His lyrical interpretation of the 1st Movement is simply wonderful, displaying a dynamic range that is the hallmark of an accomplished performer and a first-rate recording.
The allegro ma non troppo is performed with brilliance – the ideal showcase for Rominger’s technical and musical maturity. He makes the technical demands sound effortless, and in doing so gives a compelling and energetic performance.
This is a world apart from Liszt’s Two Concert Etudes, which is a delight of melodic escapism. In the Waldesrauschen the listener is drawn immediately into a performance that ends and begins with pure magic, while the impish Gnomenreigen is delivered with polish and conviction.
Finally, the Prokofiev Sonata. Here Rominger seems to revel in the harmonic exuberance of this beautiful and demanding work, grappling with the fortissimo passages and emerging as the clear victor.
In all, this is a stunning recording from a prodigiously talented musician. Highly recommended.”
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