Album: Bach/Buson/Beethoven, Now Would all Freudians...(Signum)

The title of James Rhodes' second piano recital comes from Glenn Gould – a "total nut-job" in Rhodes' words and patron saint of this idiosyncratic, honest, sometimes startling performance.

An unpleasantly warped fortissimo sound is a minor blemish on an intelligently articulated selection of greats: Bach arranged by Busoni, Marcello arranged by Bach, Chopin miniatures and Beethoven's Opus 109. On the second disc, Rhodes talks about his repertoire persuasively. For the classically-cautious, this is a good place to start.

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