In his recording debut, Belgrade-born and Brussels-based pianist
Milos Popovic has chosen a set of three works by Robert Schumann: his Drei Romanzen, Sonata in F-sharp minor, and Kinderszenen. The freshness of his playing and the ardor of his interpretations are enough to eclipse memories of performances by such masters as
Arrau,
Kempff,
Horowitz, and
Richter. His tempos are ideally balanced between poise and impulse, with accelerandos of uncanny ease and naturalness. His phrasing is all about singing, and every line -- top, bottom, and middle -- has its own melody. Furthermore, his sonorities are rich and sensual, his rhythms muscular but agile, and his control of form absolutely complete, every moment at once a surprise and a fulfillment. In
Popovic's hands, each work has its own character -- the Romanzen recklessly heroic, the Sonata relentlessly passionate, and the Kinderszenen innocently poetic. The composer who emerges here is strongly romantic and supremely virtuosic, and the pianist is defiantly individualistic and consummately musical. Recorded in 2007 in clean, direct but close digital sound in Flagey Studio 4 in Brussels, this recital introduces a major new Schumann player to the scene.