Peskanov’s collection contains several notable rags in the Joplin repertoire including “Heliotrope Bouquet” co-written with the opium-addled genius Louis Chauvin. Peskanov carefully retains the calm center of this piece while often lagging behind and jumping in front of the beat. The effect is one of drama. Studied listeners will note Peskanov’s departures and elaborations compared with other pianists and will appreciate them for the delicious artifacts they are. “The Entertainer” is played with punch and gusto, figures tart and tight. Peskanov’s tempo is in keeping with contemporary performance speeds. The pianist’s dynamics once again lend a thrilling degree of drama to the pieces, ensuring they are never boring. “The Easy Winners” contain brilliant flourishes of liberty Peskanov takes with the score. More precise than Kirby and less didactic than Rifkin, Peskanov plants a spring garden of Joplin with his interpretations.
But none of these previously mentioned pieces are the real test for the pianist. Peskanov closes the disc with the ragtime waltz “Bethena” written within months after the composer’s wife’s death. It is a complex piece compositionally and dynamically. Peskanov captures the sorrow, loss, and beauty perfectly with the standard grand piano and its broader tonal palette. This disc inaugurates another Naxos series that should more than win over the fussiest of ragtimers.
Personnel: Alexander Peskanov: piano.
Selections: Maple Leaf Rag; Heliotrope Bouquet: 'A Slow Drag Two-Step'; Pine Apple Rag; Solace: 'A Mexican Serenade'; Paragon Rag; Pleasant Moments: 'Ragtime Waltz'; Elite Syncopations; Original Rag; Fig Leaf: 'A High-Class Rag'; The Entertainer: 'A Ragtime Two-Step'; The Easy Winners; Country Club Rag; The Strenuous Life; Bethena: 'A Concert Waltz'.
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