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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Daniil Trifonov, Piano

March 1, 2020
220 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60604, USA

Technique and sound matter, of course, but sometimes it’s the thought that counts. Here, Russia’s youthful grand master of the keyboard turns his kaleidoscope on Johann Sebastian Bach. From selections filtered through the sensibilities of Brahms, Rachmaninov, and Liszt, Daniil Trifonov proceeds on his own recognizance to the unfinished Art of Fugue. Bach never specified the instrumentation for these, his final thoughts on an intricate form he had cultivated throughout his life. So, Trifonov has only his own research, musicianship, and intuition to guide him. (Only?) —M.G.