Leon Fleisher - Two Hands (2004)

Two Hands The title says it all. After 35 years of suffering from dystonia, a crippling neurological order that affected his right hand, pianist Leon Fleisher has received treatments that have allowed him to return to performing two-hand repertoire. Not all two-hand repertoire, mind you: the daredevil virtuoso repertoire of Fleisher's early Columbia recordings is still out of his reach. But now, finally, Fleisher is able to play easier two-hand repertoire: choral preludes by Bach, a sonata by Scarlatti, a mazurka and a nocturne by Chopin, a piece de occasion by Debussy, and, wonder of wonders, Schubert's last piano sonata. But while it is difficult to disentangle one's appreciation of his titanic struggle and one's admiration for his indomitable will when listening to his performances, the sheer strength and sensitivity of Fleisher's performances make one disregard his story and sit back and listen to his magnificent performances.
And they are magnificent performances. His Bach choral preludes have the simplicity and the sanctity of hymns. His Scarlatti Sonata has the effervescence and the evanescence of sunlight on leaves. His Chopin dances darkly on moonlight waters and his Debussy is luminous moonlight itself. And Fleisher's Schubert Sonata is a heartfelt farewell to life made all the more moving by the depth of the love and the degree of acceptance Fleisher expresses in his playing. While there are other performances of these pieces one should hear, especially Lipatti's of the Bach and Richter's of the Schubert, anyone who loves great piano playing will love this disc. Vanguard's sound is intimate yet reverberant.