Tomas Vrana's recording of Bartok's Complete Piano Concertos highlights both his technical brilliance and interpretative challenges. While he displays impressive confidence and skill, some performances feel sluggish due to slower tempi. The Janacek Philharmonic contributes a somewhat muddy texture, despite excellent solo playing from its wind and brass sections. Notably, Vrana excels in the atmospheric slow movements, demonstrating imagination and adding rich color to pieces like the central Adagio of the second concerto. Overall, Vrana's recording is a bold addition to the Bartok discography, though it invites varied responses regarding its pacing and orchestral cohesion.
Even though they are among the most challenging piano concertos in the repertory, there is no shortage of outstanding versions on disc of the three Bartok works.
Tomas Vrana's performances are full of confidence, verve and faultless technical accomplishment, though they do seem rather sluggish at times.
Vrana's tempi are often on the slow side, but the textures from the Janacek Philharmonic tend to be rather muddy.
Vrana seems to be at most imaginative in the concertos' slow movements, especially the central Adagio of the second, adding wonderful colour and subtlety.
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