Pianist is hardly known for playing ; in fact, his last release before this 2023 release came in , and he can be plenty idiosyncratic when he wants to be. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, affected as it did everyone else, and he spent a good part of it in intensive study of 's . Those who shy away from 's excesses can rest easy here; the intensive studies show up in what is a rather detailed reading, and even his famous -like humming is minimized. says (now there is an awkward phrase) that he spent considerable time weighing details of articulation and dynamics in some of the variations, and while this perhaps comes at the expense of the overall line, it makes the counterpoint clear and provides some quite memorable passages. Sample the 20th variation for a purely pianistic extravaganza. The effect is somewhat similar to 's recordings of the work, especially the first one, but is less resolute in imposing his own personality. The biggest question mark here is the sound; served as his own producer in a Turkish arts center, with flat results and even a bit of distortion at the piano's top. Nevertheless, fans will be delighted, and even others will find that this stands out from the common run of . ~ James Manheim