A veritable hurricane of a pianist! Thus one must describe the young Russian Oleg Marshev, currently recording Prokofiev’s piano music for the Danacord label.

He’s a real coup this Marshev. One is left in no doubt as to this right from the start of the 3rd Sonata in which he displays his considerable arsenal of nuance and finesse. His keyboard treatment is phenomenal, so much so that one asks oneself how it has been possible not to have encountered a talent like his before.

Just as Rubinstein claimed that only Poles could reach to the heart of Chopin, so one must concede that the same applies when a Russian of Marshev’s class turns his attention to the music of Prokofiev. Granted, Sviatoslav Richter is still among us, but when it comes to interpreting Prokofiev’s dynamic sound world, currently no-one seems to compete with Marshev.