| Site review by akiralx June 20, 2006
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A fine SACD of Schubert and Liszt, played in a very spontaneous manner, very much of the grand Eastern European style. The Wanderer is given a first rate reading, not overtly reverential as Schubert often is, in fact the performance is quite Lisztian in feeling.
Similarly the major work by that composer, the Dante Sonata, is equally fine. Borac is perhaps more attuned to Liszt than Schubert and all of the shorter works here are done extremely well.
Sonically, this isn't quite state of the art. The booklet claims her other Enescu SACDs have received rave reviews for their sound quality - which surprises me a little if they sound like this. In stereo (the only layer I can listen to, via a Stax earspeaker system) the piano sounds rich and full, with a tremendous bass. All very good but the acoustic is a slight problem - it sounds large, and reverberation often threatens to become a problem, but never quite does. But there is no clangour as on inferior recordings in empty venues. I suspect this may be a recording which sounds better in multichannel, and which hasn't mixed down to stereo quite as successfully as some others.
I shouldn't make too much of the very slight sonic deficiences as really this sounds pleasing (I'm happy to give this 4 stars) and the performances are very fine. But maybe sample before you buy if possible.
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