INTERNATIONAL RECORD REVIEW:
Since winning the Barcelona Competition in 1978, the blind French pianist Bernard d’Ascoli has had an active career, performing throughout Europe, the US, Canada, Japan and Australia, and with such leading conductors as Järvi, Litton, Sanderling and Svetlanov, His recordings have been regrettably few, however, though they have included impressive accounts of the Liszt Sonata, Schumann’s Carnaval and Chopin’s four Ballades. Recently he has added Schumann’s Piano Quintet and the present Chopin disc; and a complete set of Chopin’s Nocturnes will follow.

He obviously has a strong affinity for Chopin’s music and much of the playing on this disc – especially of the Scherzos – reminded me of Rubinstein’s and Ax’s. He shares their directness of approach, firm rhythm, tonal refinement and judicious use of rubato. Textures are clear, melodies are shaped with a singer’s sense of line, and inner voices are handled with subtlety. The expressive qualities of the music speak more spontaneously than in Pollini’s very polished but, to me, overly cool accounts.

D’Ascoli’s well-rounded technique meets every demand of the Scherzos, from the spiky brilliance of No.1 to the bravura octaves of No.3 and the light filigree of No.4. Although he provides plenty of drive and drama when needed (especially in Nos.2 and 3) I find that he makes a lasting impression in the more lyrical moments. The breadth and colour he brings to those passages in Nos.3 and 4 is exceptional, and it’s done with dignity and inner strength, with no hint of sentimentality or fussiness. He also has a fine sense of structure, pacing the transition passages notably well, especially those that lead into the codas. The Impromptus round out this impressive disc with an ideal combination of flexibility and elegance, the variety of sound and mood in No.2 being especially notable. I eagerly await this pianist’s account of the Nocturnes.
Charles Timbrell

MUSICAL OPINION:
Not so long ago Bernard d’Ascoli lived in London and I relished hearing him, particularly enjoying his highly personal interpretations of Chopin’s major works. He now lives in France and I am delighted to say is recording on the Athene label. The four Scherzi, so immediately enjoyable in their own right, offer a wholly different experience when heard as a continuous set. Chopin’s choice for titles for his works, often criticised as arbitrary, show how practical his imagination could be in communicating to both players and listeners when the families are brought together by a sensitive and technically assured musician. On this well presented CD the eight tracks can be picked at random and thoroughly enjoyed individually as full blooded Chopin gems, packed with excitement and gorgeous lyricism. On the other hand, play the four Scherzi or the four Impromptus consecutively and d’Ascoli brings you as close to Chopin’s intentions as could be possible. Not that either set becomes a four movement single structure; rather do these accounts prove that each belongs to the other three and so, when heard together, bring a unique extra ingredient to the whole.

Nevertheless, do play them as individuals as well as sets. Soak in Bernard d’Ascoli’s delight in flinging his deft fingers into dramatic bouts of virtuosity, yet never losing the overall shape and purpose of the musical architecture. By the way, I am reliably informed that we will soon have a double CD of the complete Nocturnes from the d’Ascoli stable. These I must hear!
Denby Richards

GRAMOPHONE:
(Comparative review with CDs by Eugene Mursky and Artur Pizarro)

[first describes the Mursky disc] … By contrast, Bernard d’Ascoli’s Impromptus are warmer, rounder in tone, and flow more easily within the Chopin interpretive mainsteam. As do his Scherzos, with their suavely dispatched outer sections and imaginatively parsed lyrical moments (no. 1’s trio, no.2’s second theme and no. 4;s gorgeously shaded trills, for instance). Granted, d;Ascoli doesn’t convey the febrile impression characterised by Yundi Li’s sharper rhythms, more scintillating passagework, and wider dynamic range, nor match Sviatoslav Richter’s mercurial lightness. That takes nothing away from his solid, stylish and communicative mastery, notwithstanding Athene’s slightly distant microphone placement.
Jed Distler

THE INDEPENDENT:
Putting on a new CD of Chopin Scherzi and Impromptus, I wonder how it will measure up to others on the market. Very well, actually, with the notes seeming to glow. But its biography omits the fact that the pianist Bernard d'Ascoli has seen nothing since the age of three. I once looked over his shoulder as he played: whereas most pianists' hands seem to do their owner's bidding, his moved with a curious watchfulnes, as though they saw as well as felt. He told me that he had no memory of sight - "The idea to me is entirely abstract" - and that he grew up with no sense of being handicapped. He didn't go to blind school, and did precociously well in the normal system, becoming famous as a recitalist in his native Marseille at 20. The word "handicap" is not in his vocabluary; "frustration" is what he speaks of, and, as a teacher, he is adept at dealing with the frustrations of the sighted pupils who flock to his home. Blindness, he says, "has led me to develop my inner ear, and therefore theirs as well".
Michael Church

AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE:
Another recording of the Impromptus. Comparisons become inevitable. This French-born pianist is a little more straightforward that Hewitt in these pieces, and will appeal most to listeners who feel it is enough to just play the notes without fussing over interpretive niceties. This works best in Impromptu 2 in F sharp, which moves along with better flow than Hewitt’s somewhat self-indulgent playing. D’Ascoli gives a fine reading of the Fantasy Impromptu but simply lacks Hewitt’s imaginative flashes of inspiration.

The four Scherzos run into competition with dozens of highly competent pianists. D’Ascoli gives us a gentler approach that usual, but can be aggressive and plays with rhythms when its suits his purpose. Scherzo 1 is light and frisky and similar to the performance by Valerie Tryon. Some might say it is under-characterised, but it is perfectly in step with the nature of these pieces. There is plenty of fire in the ever popular Scherzo 2 in B flat, and few would be disappointed with this traditional reading. In the last (and longest) scherzo if we are to believe the printed timing of well under eight minutes it would be the fastest performance ever. This is an error, and the actual timing is well over 11 minutes. The élan d’Ascoli brought to Scherzo 1 is missing here.

With impressive sound, fine technique, and unfailing musical values, the pianist achieves performances easily on a par with any but the top level.
Becker