The Chronicle Review Corner

Kawamura plays beautifully on this collection of tunes, although it is perhaps a little too well mannered; it’s either for relaxing or zoning out to, not least because it’s often quiet. It’s not po-faced though; there is a fun version of “Peer Gynt’s” “Hall of the Mountain King”, which starts off with an air of playfulness before ending in a speed that is comically ridiculous, the piano equivalent of a rock guitarist shredding.

The album opens with the nostalgic and reflective “October”, Op. 37a No. 10, from Tchaikovsky’s cycle “The Seasons”, a downbeat start. Sibelius’s “Etude”, Op. 76 No. 2, and Brahms’s “Hungarian Dance” are both livelier, the former very crisply played and pleasurable to listen to, the latter louder and more muscular.

Six preludes from Chopin follow, offering a range of styles from dramatic to gentle. What might be side two includes one of Kawamura’s own pieces, “Variations”, one of the gentler pieces.

The highlights are side two: “Clair du Lune”, the aforementioned “Mountain King” and a romantic take on “Ave Maria”.

—Jem Condliffe