Visions fugitives: Anna Gourari

Prokofiev's Visions fugitives, 20 miniatures with markings such as Ridicolosamente, Pittoresco (Arpa), and Lento irrealmente, were written between 1915 and 1917 and last around 25 minutes.

These “little squibs” (Prokofiev’s description) sound best to me when they’re played in an off-the-cuff manner.

Russian pianist Anna Guorari (known to filmgoers from Werner Herzog's Invincible) spurns the casual, spur-of-the-moment feel in favour of a more overtly considered approach.

This makes the transition to Nikolai Medtner's mostly meditative Fairy Tale, Op 26 No. 3, almost seamless.

And Medtner provides a neat bridge back to Chopin’s Sonata in B minor, where Gourari remains in thoughtful, sometimes cautious mode until she takes flight in the finale.

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