Mephistopheles in attendence The playing of Marina Milic-Apostolovic - enjoyed by ROBERT ANDERSON '... sensitive pianism ...'

I shall take refuge in the Pickwick Papers: 'Don't worrit your poor mother' about the title of this CD. I could use all my space in search of definitions and forget to mention how enjoyable the disc is. I leave that to the musicologists. Nor does it matter whether the pieces chosen make an effective recital when each is individually so pleasurable. Strangely the odd man out is Liszt in his transcription of the Bach organ Prelude and Fugue in A minor BWV 543. Expectation is for thunderous pyrotechnics, for which I could have thought up numerous occasions. Instead all is sober fidelity to Bach's spirit and also to his letter. No village organist could have shown himself more in awe of this masterpiece, and this admirable Serbian artist demonstrates with her sensitive pianism how rewarding it can be to interpret a mighty virtuoso when off duty and the Faustian Liszt has temporarily despatched his Mephistopheles elsewhere.

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