Young Luxembourg-born virtuoso Francesco Tristano Schlime is in no rush in either of the two piano concertos here, considerably stretching tempos beyond the norms in almost every movement. He is abetted by an equally laid-back Mikhail Pletnev, himself a virtuoso pianist of the first rank. Pletnev draws fine playing from his Russian National Orchestra, the music in general sounding supple and relaxed, with the edges sanded smooth and the attacks less potent. The first movement of the Ravel comes across best, with its bluesy Gershwinian character having a mesmerizing dreaminess and the jazzy rhythms given sufficient sparkle by the soloist and orchestra to yield an enchanting blend. But the overly deliberate tempo set by Schlime at the outset of the second movement imparts a ponderous pall that sabotages much of the lovely main theme's charm. The finale, with its mischievous pranks and playful character, fares a bit better, but again Schlime and company hold the reins back a bit too much. The five-movement Prokofiev Fifth, with its lively, odd-numbered movements and slower, even-numbered ones, needs more spirit in the outer movements and crucial central toccata, as well as less ponderousness in the long, dark fourth movement. Still, Schlime's playing is virtuosic and multi-hued, especially in the angular, jumpy first movement, and the orchestra is more than competent throughout. Argerich in the Ravel and Richter and Ashkenazy in the Prokofiev would be preferable alternatives to this decent but somewhat reticent offering. Schlime's own composition, 3 Improvisations, closes out the disc. The work, containing vague thematic and harmonic reminiscences of the two concertos, may appeal to those with an interest in Messiaen and modern jazz. The sound throughout the disc is clear, but slightly distant and low-level.

Rovi