Marina Horak--Professor of piano, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

What strikes immediately is a pleasant, high quality piano sound rarely obtained in recordings. The limpid, transparent, yet also incisive tone makes me listen – and I remain riveted  throughout. The playing is rhythmically compelling and relentless in its concentration, at the same time having a „speaking“ (recitativo) quality when appropriate. The sound is layered in such a  way as to produce a multidimensional sound landscape.

In Medium Piano Becky invests the music with just he right measure of melancholy to make it sombre, but not sentimental. The expansive, deep power of touch conjures up power and intensity. In the Toccata, oscillating between classically modernistic structures and effects of muted strings, Becky masters all the registers of the keyboard with equal aplomb creating a dramatic architecture with sturdy rhythm and evokes playfulness in the brittle lace-like patterns in the middle section. 

She moves among different styles with great ease. So M. Bauer's musical language,   neo-romantic to scriabinesque, comes to life in wide breath and convincing rubatos, with lovely colors, voice interweaving and flowing virtuosity. 

Her interpretations on the present disc show pianistic prowess and artistic power. Her intelligence leads her through the most complex scores, and yet at the same time she has the grace to capture the simplicity of folk tunes. 

This pianist does not confine herself to less known women composers because Chopin, Brahms, Rahmaninov, Scriabin, Ravel and co. might be out of her reach, but because she wishes to share with us these musical jewels presenting them with accomplished pianism and the whole gamut of expressions from lament to exuberance, from meditation to passion.




-- 
Marina Horak
Pleteršnikova 10a
SI-1000 Ljubljana
[email protected]
www.marinahorak.com
Tel.+386 41 210371
Links to video film on internet TV:
Discovering the Hidden Potential with Prof. Marina Horak, 1st part (Eng.)
Discovering the Hidden Potential with Prof. Marina Horak, 2nd part (Eng.)