by Jarrett Hoffman
Precision, clarity, and character stood out in the opening selection from Vitaly Starikov (25, Russia) — Bach’s Fantasia and Fugue in a, BWV 904. He brought the different voices of the opening into a discussion of their own, and pointed up certain phrases in the Fugue with an attractive, manic energy.
Two works by Chopin followed. The tempestuous opening of the Etude in b, Op. 25, No. 10 (“Octave”) was engagingly phrased, and the conclusion was emphatic. The Op. 23 Ballade No. 1 in g was a bit consistently intense in tone, but Starikov’s technique shone in several delightful scampers around the keyboard. [Read more…]