My previous favorite recording of this repertoire was by Keith Jarrett–also on ECM, from 1995; and it still is. However, this new release includes all eight of the 1720 suites, whereas Jarrett’s program offered only four (plus three other works). So now I’m glad to have both of these, which are not only complementary, but that bring welcome attention to these gems that, especially compared to Bach’s keyboard oeuvre, are strangely neglected. Give this program 10 minutes and you’ll not only be hooked on Handel’s catchy themes and contrapuntal wizardry, but you’ll be wow-ed by Lisa Smirnova’s commanding, fluid, captivating technical display, and by the uninhibited color and characterful expression she elicits from her modern piano (the identity and specifications of which unfortunately are not identified in the liner notes–which, by the way, are a reconditioned version of Uwe Schweikert’s excellent original notes for Jarrett’s recording).
Russian-born/Austria-based Smirnova takes on these pieces as if they are giants of the repertoire–and they really are, and she folds them into the big-boned body of the modern piano as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her playing particularly exploits the bold bass-register resonances, leaving no doubt as to these works’ power to excite. This set contains two CDs, but you will wish there were more–and we can only hope that Smirnova and ECM will go on to record the rest of Handel’s remarkable keyboard output. Until then, you shouldn’t even consider missing this excellent release.
