His son Daniele isn’t the pianist his father was, something that’s all too apparent from his performance of Moments musicaux, but that’s not really the point. He might lack the grace and effortless sensitivity that Pollini senior exudes with every note, every space between his notes, but the transformation when you reach the Fantasia is little short of miraculous. The four-handed performance achieves a level of communication on a musical level that far exceeds his capabilities as a solo player. The expressive range that the father and son pairing conjure from the single instrument is as musically impressive as it is engaging. As an example of music enriching lives and relationships it is genuinely remarkable. You need the Moments musicaux to really appreciate just how remarkable it is.
This disc is a beautiful document to close out a stellar career. It avoids mawkish sentimentality and instead celebrates a great musician and technician as well as an enduring legacy. It reveals Pollini the musician as well as Pollini the man. Few of us get to write our own epitaph, but those seeking to encapsulate what made Maurizio Pollini so special will struggle to better his own parting shot.
