December 2025 Classical Record Reviews [Excerpt from Stereophile review by Jason Victor Serinus]

These reviews are re-posted from Stereophile.com, written by Jason Victor Serinus / Stephen Francis Vasta.

Dvořák: Slavonic Dances
Czech Philharmonic/Sir Simon Rattle
Pentatone Music PTC5817414 (CD). 2025. Holger Urbach, prod.; Stephan Reh, eng.
Performance ***
Sonics ***½

I shouldn’t have praised Tomá Netopil for recording the Slavonic Rhapsodies instead of the seemingly inevitable Slavonic Dances: Apparently he was leaving those for Sir Simon Rattle. The question then arises: How well will Rattle’s soft-edged attacks and laissez-faire rhythmic alertness suit the dances’ infectious crispness?

In the first four dances—a furiant, a dumka, a polka, and a sousedská—Rattle is reasonably straightforward. The occasional inflective detail turns iffy; otherwise, he mostly stays out of the orchestra’s way. (That’s never a bad policy with players on home ground.) The furiant’s stretto coda is rather a racket, but in the nice, easy polka, the different musical elements are clearly “placed.” The sousedská begins gently and graciously, though coordinations are approximate in the climactic statement.

Those problems unfortunately crop up more frequently later. The splattered landing on the last go-round of the skočná (track 5) vitiates the nice bounding energy at the start. The mood in Dance 12 is quietly searching, but here and in the ensuing pacírka, the textures thicken as Rattle goes grand.

Some dances bring strong insights. The starodávný (track 10) is gracefully shaped. Soggy chording doesn’t obscure the rhythmic point in the F Major skočná (track 11), and Rattle doesn’t overdo the wistful yearning in the lyrical final dance, one of the best things in the set. Still, I wanted more time to savor the harmonies in the flowing Dance 6; the start of Dance 7 doesn’t scan properly; and Rattle runs phrases together in the second starodávný (track 14). And throughout the set, he doesn’t really feel the folk-like major-minor shifts, which just sit there.

The sound is fine—nothing special in terms of either imaging or depth, an occasionally conspicuous overhang, and a few fierce, edgy tuttis. —Stephen Francis Vasta

Mozart: Sonata in C; Andante with Variations
Schubert: Duo in A minor; Fantasy in F minor
Javier Laso, Josep Colom, pianos
Eudora EUD-SACD-2503 (SACD). 2025. Gonzalo Noqué, prod. and eng.
Performance ****
Sonics *****

The purpose of piano duo writing, whether for one instrument, as here, or for two, is not primarily to make more noise. Rather, the availability of four hands allows elaborate, layered textures that incorporate extensive, even oppositional counterpoint that would be impossible for one pianist.

Since both soloists have figured prominently in Eudora’s lists, it’s good to hear this collaboration. Their flawless precision should be no surprise; even better is their unanimity of intent, projecting music as if from a single, purposeful consciousness. Beautifully balanced textures expose buried midrange themes as bass lines provide firm support.

Crisp, clear scales ripple through the Mozart in all registers; the primo particularly sparkles. The Andante, beginning simply, expands flexibly to accommodate embellishments, which the pianists handle with poised dexterity. Graceful sectional ritards clarify the structure of the Andante with Variations; the busiest variation is crisp and clean, while the minore is painted in more ambivalent colors. The chordal cadences arrive with gratifying unanimity.

The players, oddly, seem less relaxed in the Schubert. After a peremptory start, the turbulent Lebensstürme Duo is mostly stuck in a single color, with severe contours in the chordal climaxes. The F minor Fantasy—four short movements, played attacca—covers a broader, deeply felt emotional range. High accents in the two middle movements lack depth, though the Allegro vivace’s fugal “waltz” demonstrates the possibilities of four-hand writing. After a powerful fugue, the finale’s thoughtful ending seems to hang fire. Excellent, unobtrusive sonics. —Stephen Francis Vasta