Review from Classica Magazine

Translated from the original French (PDF)

Not only Alexandre Kantorow's name will be remembered from the 2019 Tchaikovsky Competition, but also that of An Tianxu. The young Chinese demonstrated remarkable aplomb in a Cauchemardesque final, where the order of his program with orchestra was reversed without his knowledge. Although this incident cost him a medal, it also revealed the artist's unshakeable spirit and great musicality, beautifully underlined in this first album of the Russian works that accompanied him during the competition. Tchaikovsky's Nocturne Op. 10 No. 1 is captivating from the outset, with its beautiful, crystalline yet powerful sound. Before the Scherzo-fantaisie by the same composer, the pianist unveils his dazzling virtuosity and poetic imagination, making Lisitsa's technical perfection pale in comparison. The depth and integrity of his discourse, also recognized in his masters Meng-Chieh Liu and Dang Thai Son, drive the rhythmic accuracy of Prokofiev's Études op. 2, without resorting to the feverishness of Shishkin or the gravity of Berman.

A heroic epic awaits us in Rachmaninov's Variations on a Theme of Chopin, where pathos, enchantment and nobility intersect, far from Trifonov's inner torment. With this recording debut, An Tianxu immediately establishes himself in the front ranks of the musical world.