Khatia Buniatishvili
Barbican, 1st April 2019
The cover of Khatia Buniatishvili’s new CD of Schubert features the Georgian pianist in Pre-Raphaelite pose as John Millais’ Ophelia, draped in white, clutching a sprig of hogweed, immersed in the water. I’m not sure quite what marketing message this is meant to convey about her approach to Schubert’s final piano sonata – the great B flat major, D960 – but in her Barbican recital last night, it wasn’t Ophelia who was drowning. Alas, it was poor Franz who was engulfed, tangled in weeds, submerged beneath a perverse interpretation.
Khatia Buniatishvili
© Gavin Evans | Sony Classical
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