These are live recordings but the audience were obviously so silently absorbed that it's easy to forget their presence. Their enthusiastic applause comes as a real surprise, although it's not hard to see what they were so excited about. Janina Fialkowska won huge plaudits for her ATMA Chopin recital earlier this year, and this one is destined to join it as a definitive concerto disc in the closing stages of the composer's 200th anniversary. Chopin's two concertos are fresh-minted in her hands, such is her marvellously mercurial playing. If you thought you knew all there was to know about these concert-hall warhorses, you haven't heard Janina Fialkowska.
Contributor
Stephen Pritchard
Stephen Pritchard has written on classical music for most of his 45 years in journalism. He was the Observer's first readers' editor, and prior to that was a managing editor and production editor
Stephen Pritchard
The GuardianTramp
