Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition / Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales

Ivo Pogorelich is determined to leave his personal imprint on every note he plays. Here, however, his ideas are less unconventional than they are way off base. The pianist takes 42 minutes to get through Pictures at an Exhibition, compared to the standard half hour, and adds five extra minutes to most performances of the Ravel. This is because Pogorelich's frequent lingerings and expansions of phrase are rarely counterbalanced with a steady, referential pulse. Subsequently, the music swoons into disconnected phrases and dies on the vine. Seek out Sviatoslav Richter's more stylish--yet every bit as individualistic--Mussorgsky, or Artur Rubinstein's dashing, emotionally healthy Ravel. Keyboard fanciers, however, will understandably wish to savor Pogorelich's remarkable pianism. --Jed Distler