Ms. Vinokur is a Doctorate candidate at the Manhattan School of Music and active performer, mainly in the New York City area. Born in Russia, her early training and first place awards there preceded a move to Israel, where she did her undergraduate work. This release should help promote her considerable talents. She has chosen a program to warm the hearts of Russian piano music lovers, framing that music with some good Liszt. This is a big-league recital that I would gladly pay to hear in any venue. By choosing this repertoire, Ms. Vinokur invites comparisons with many of top pianists of the past 75 years. She stands up very well and also manages to say something new along the way.

While her Liebesleid doesn’t have quite the finesse of Rachmaninoff’s own recording (RCA 7766, July/Aug 1990), neither does Ashkenazy’s (Decca 470291, Jan/Feb 2003). The Horowitz Op. 33:6 Etude-Tableaux (Sony 53472, Nov/Dec 1994) has a little more speed and clarity, but also a few wrong notes-and I happen to like Vinokur’s final measures better. The Etude-Tableaux Op. 39:6, according to the composer, was based on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. The accelerando in the central “chase” music is as exciting as any recording or performance I’ve heard, including the composer’s own. Her Prokofieff is enjoyable, but I was most impressed with the Scriabin group. Well-chosen and ordered, these mostly lyrical pieces show off Vinokur’s touch with a consistent beauty of sound that makes this young artist someone to watch for.

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