Johann Sebastian Bach

“This verges on the unbelievable. Leon Fleisher, now 75, who for more than 35 years couldn't use his right hand because of dystonia (a neurological disease 'characterised by involuntary muscle contractions which force certain parts of the body into abnormal, sometimes painful movements or positions'), recovers fully after treatment with botulinum toxin (more familiarly known as Botox). And he plays as if he'd never been incapacitated. Dexterity and dynamics are effortlessly controlled. Tone is evenly spread; bass lines aren't weak, chords are cleanly articulated and inner voices have their place. Best of all, technique is coupled to an imaginative intellect that portrays the language of each composer in deep terms.
Schubert's sonata is very personal, running a gamut of feelings from resignation to gaiety but Fleisher (who repeats the first-movement exposition) also finds an undercurrent of toughness which he allows to burst forth in the finale. Yet there's a place for ease, for moments of stillness in the transcriptions of Bach; and it''s gratifying to hear Chopin hauntingly dark and shorn of glitter.
Perhaps some glitter would have enlivened Scarlatti's sonata but Fleisher finds a contemplative side to the music that is often overlooked.
Good sound, though the piano is close and recorded level is higher in the Schubert. There are also breathing noises.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010