Recording of the Week, Alexander Melnikov plays four pieces on four different pianos

Many of Alexander Melnikov's previous discs have seen him performing on a piano that is appropriate to the composer and period (for instance using an 1885 Érard piano for his recording of the Franck Violin Sonata, or a fortepiano for music by Beethoven and Schubert). His latest offering takes this a stage further, with four pieces performed on four different pianos.

The change in sound from a modern piano is apparent right from the start of Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy, where Melnikov's choice of an Alois Graff fortepiano from circa 1828 allows for a more rhythmic, almost percussive attack to repeated notes, and added clarity in some of the faster passages. The difference is particularly keenly felt in the second movement Adagio. There’s a husky, veiled resonance to the opening chords that sounds quite unlike a modern instrument, but which suits the mood of the movement perfectly, and then when the semiquavers start shortly afterwards they are imbued with a delicate, almost fragile, bell-like attack that adds whole layers of nuance to the piece just by virtue of the different sounds possible.

This carries through into the Chopin Études, Op. 10 (here performed on an Érard piano from 1837), where the evenness of tone combined with Melnikov's sensitive pedalling make for a performance that brings out things that you don't normally hear, such as the gentle way that the chords delicately bounce underneath the chromatic line in the second Étude, or the absolute precision with which every single one of the left-hand semiquavers is presented in number twelve, the famous Revolutionary Étude.

Perhaps the most striking difference in sound, though, is encountered with Liszt’s Réminiscences de Don Juan, a Fantasy based around themes from Mozart's Don Giovanni. In his booklet note Melnikov elaborates on the technical differences between the four pianos and the reasons behind his choices. Referring to the Bösendorfer instrument used for this Liszt piece, Melnikov admits that “interaction with this temperamental instrument is always extremely personal - for listener, tuner and player alike”, hinting that the direct attack may at times seem relatively stark. Once I had adjusted to that, though, the benefits (such as the increased speed of articulation made possible by the immediacy of the hammer action) far outweighed any initial reservations about the sound.

Alongside the Transcendental Études this piece is generally considered to be one of Liszt's most technically fiendish works, and this is certainly true of the end: an extended coda based on the Champagne Aria (Fin ch'han dal vino) which is a veritable tour de force. The sheer brute strength of the repeated notes and the density of the chords builds up into the most monumental of sounds, and is a jaw-dropping performance from Melnikov. For me this is definitely the highlight of the disc.

Just as my ears were becoming accustomed to the sound of Viennese pianos, I was suddenly wrenched back into the present day by Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrushka, which Melnikov performs on a modern Steinway Model D concert grand. As with the other pieces, there is virtuosity on display in spades, but it’s never just an excuse to show off: Melnikov manages to shape even the most fiendish bars, crafting them beautifully and allowing this performance to move far beyond a simple, flashy showpiece.

This idea of juxtaposing different pianos is a fascinating concept, but luckily it is more than just a gimmick. After the initial surprise of the varying timbres of each instrument, you soon forget about such technical considerations and become drawn in to the actual interpretations, all four of which are dazzling and highly recommended.