Igor Strawinsky: »Pétrouchka« / Serge Prokofieff: Sonate Nr. 7 Op. 83

This recording captures two pillars of the twentieth-century piano repertoire, performed by the celebrated Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini. Originally recorded in 1971, these performances were released by Deutsche Grammophon and have long been considered definitive interpretations of Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrushka and Prokofiev’s Seventh Sonata. The disc was reissued in 2015 as part of the label’s ongoing efforts to maintain the accessibility of its legendary catalog.

The 1971 recording session occurred during a period when Pollini was solidifying his reputation as a master of modernism, following his win at the 1960 International Chopin Piano Competition. Stravinsky’s Petrushka transcription, written specifically for Arthur Rubinstein, demands an orchestral level of color and rhythmic precision, while the Prokofiev Seventh is noted for its percussive intensity and complex emotional layering. Pollini’s technical clarity and intellectual approach to these scores have been lauded by critics for decades, cementing this release as an essential reference for students and aficionados of contemporary piano literature.