Simon Trpčeski, Cristian Măcelaru & Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava - Shostakovich: Piano Concertos & Piano Trio No. 2 - All Music

4.5*

Shostakovich's two piano concertos have always been popular, and the influx to the West of Russian and Eastern European musicians who have them solidly in their repertories has only intensified their frequency in concert and on recordings. Pianist Simon Trpčeski thus enters a crowded field, but he more than amply justifies his decision and has earned well-deserved commercial success. One distinctive feature is that his album offers the rare combination of concertos and chamber music; a century and a half ago, or even in Shostakovich's time, this wouldn't have raised so much as an eyebrow, but now it's rarer, and it has the advantage of displaying Trpčeski's skills as both soloist and chamber player. The chamber work involved is the Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67, a work that captures the full horror of World War II with its Jewish-themed finale. It is one of Shostakovich's darkest works, and Trpčeski and comrades Aleksandr Krapovski and Alexander Somov capture its full impact. The very end is haunting. The concertos themselves are also very strong, with Trpčeski avoiding a light, bouncy tone in the Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op. 102, in favor of a longer-term energy that makes for quite an infectious ride. Cristian Măcelaru, leading the little-heralded Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, is closely attuned to Trpčeski, and in all, this is very much worth the attention of those who think they can close the book on their Shostakovich collections.