The Cuban-American pianist Jorge Bolet opens this recital with a rarely performed work - the first of Mendelssohn's Six Preludes and Fugues op. 35 - a choice that reflects his individualistic, often courageous repertoire decisions. The E minor prelude provides a concise picture of Bolet as an interpreter who both inflames and soothes the listener, alternating fascinating virtuosity with noble serenity. He applies pulsating colour to Mendelssohn's elegant, frothy Rondo capriccioso, with its sentimental introduction, yet without any affectation or technical vanity. Bolet delivers Beethoven's "Appassionata" sonata as if he were the trustee of the score, respectfully avoiding a Lisztian stamp on the several rapid sections of the piece. His Schwetzingen performance of Liszt's technically and physically demanding Réminiscences de Norma (very few virtuosos have it in their repertoire) mixes powerfully measured, dignified passages with a noble purity in the broad melodic arcs that are typical of Bellini's opera arioso style.

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Recording: 14.05.1988, Schwetzingen, Schloss, Rokokotheater