Tamara Stefanovich’s intimate knowledge of Pierre Boulez’s Sonata No. 2 radiates from the opening notes—no surprise, as she studied directly with the composer. This early Boulez work, which he termed “explosive, disintegrating, and fragmented,” forms the centerpiece of her album aptly titled “Organised Delirium,” borrowing Boulez’s own description of his compositional beginnings. Stefanovich navigates the first movement’s technical labyrinth with stunning precision, while bringing equal attention to the whispered pianissimos that follow. Her remarkable ability to balance intricate counterpoint with overall musical coherence breathes new life into modernist repertoire. The pianist approaches Bartók’s Sonata (BB88) with similar insight, transcending the composer’s characteristic vitality. Her treatment of the first movement’s persistent bass ostinatos and soaring melodic peaks transforms the piano into something approaching a full orchestra. The program, which includes works by contemporaries Eisler and Shostakovich, concludes with Scarlatti’s Sonata in B minor K87—a serene cool-down after the preceding 20th-century exhilarating journey.
Organised Delirium
Works by Boulez, Eisler, Bartók, and others.
Tamara Stefanovich, piano
Pentatone PTC5187358 1h22′
This review was first published in Pianist Magazine 2025-2. See https://pianistmagazine.nl for more reviews.