James Nalley literally recreates these 20th-century American piano landmarks as the repertoire pillars they are. He gives Copland’s stately, tabernacle-shaped chords their sonorous due and takes generous time navigating Ives’ transitional tempo fluctuations. Many pianists take the Copland’s whimsical central movement at a bright, business-like clip. Nalley, however, imposes a wider degree of nuance and inflection than the norm, creating a palpable conversation between the rapid right-hand lines and simple left-hand figurations. My only quibble is that Nalley does not often phrase Ives’ quotes from hymns and popular tunes in a manner that indicates familiarity with the originals. For instance, he rightly observes Ives’ marcato directive for the “chorus” leading into “In the Inn” but doesn’t spotlight the “Bringing in the Sheaves” melody as clearly as other pianists. And Nalley (okay, two quibbles) could have better distinguished the dynamic contrasts and accents in the petulant fourth movement–it all transpires on much the same textural and emotional level. Still, Nalley’s virile pianism and obvious love for these scores comes across in performances that combine a high degree of interpretive insight with impressive technical facility. The ample sonics are a bit cavernous for music that thrives on clarity, but you may well enjoy the added sense of space.
