Unlike some of today’s prodigies, Rusian pianist Daniil Trifonov (b. 1992) shows every sign of artistic maturity in this live recital, given at New York’s Carnegie Hall in February 2013, where he made his American debut in 2009, aged 18. Two years ago he recorded a Chopin disc for Decca, but this live recital truly puts him on the world stage and signifies a distinguished career ahead.

Trifonov’s program comprises the Liszt B Minor Sonata, Scriabin’s Second Piano Sonata, Chopin’s 24 Preludes Op 28 and a short piece by Medtner. The contents of that program suggest his great Soviet predecessor, Sviatoslav Richter. Trifonov does not approach Richter in sheer power and concentration – who ever could? – yet he has more to offer than merely spectacular technique. Subtle and affecting at the soft end of the dynamic spectrum, Trifonov also understands “the demonic element” (as his champion Martha Argerich put it). 

His Liszt Sonata is truly grounded. Last year I was impressed by Khatia Buniatshvili’s recording, which fizzed with edgy energy, but Trifonov’s less volatile but no less expressive approach properly anchors the work. His lyrical gift is evident in the way he coaxes the chorale theme out of the depths of the piano, and I also like his cheekily offhand statement of the fugal theme.

Scriabin’s Second Piano Sonata is an early work, conceived at a time when the Russian composer was in the thrall of Chopin –well before complex tonality and mystical symbolism reshaped his musical thinking. Nevertheless, half a century separates Scriabin from Chopin, and in my view this sonata responds to greater intensity that it gets here. Trifonov’s rendition, while thoughtful and detailed, feels emotionally reticent. The other Russian in the program, Nikolai Medtner, wrote a large number of short works called Skazki or Fairy Tales, after characters in local folk tales. Op 26, No 2 is one of the lightest: a scherzo with echoes of Mussorgsky, tossed off with grace and style as a fleeting encore.  

Chopin is at the artistic centre of the recital and here Trifonov finds his true pianistic soulmate. Each of the 24 preludes is presented as a polished gem. The well-known Preludes in A Major and D Flat Major (“Raindrop”) are played with tender simplicity, and never milked for more than they are worth. Elsewhere, when Chopin’s decorative passages get really busy, the young pianist is invariably more concerned with colour than mere exhibitionism. In short, this is a highly impressive recital.