Although Arcadi Volodos began playing the piano in early childhood, it was not until the age of sixteen that he decided to devote himself seriously to this instrument. The slow, steady development of his career – far removed from the pressures of competition – allowed him to achieve a dazzling level of technical mastery. In terms of technique, bravura and brilliance, he is often compared to Vladimir Horowitz. He performs the most demanding works in the piano repertoire with ease and, in the spirit of nineteenth-century salon composers, creates his own arrangements, pushing the boundaries of what seems technically possible. Volodos is a rare visitor to the recording studio, making each new album one of the year’s most significant recording events. Yet these recordings show that there is more to his artistry than extraordinary technical accomplishment. His most recent recordings of music by Johannes Brahms and Franz Schubert also reveal his lyrical side, earning him critical acclaim for his sense of tempo and phrasing, and for an extraordinary range of piano dynamics, likened to whispers and velvet.
Bartłomiej Gembicki