…Vassily Primakov… shows a special sense of a Slavic melancholy and gaiety at the heart of what is surely Chopin's most deeply confessional diary. Hyper-sensitive to mood-swings, his poetic insight is backed by deft and immaculate pianism. …Primakov surely reserves his ultimate triumph for the end. His op 17 No 4 in A minor is worth the price of the disc alone, memorably refined in sound, colour and nuance.

A refined equilibrium that blends momentum with tasteful rhythmic freedom. This is wonderfully multifaceted Chopin-playing, with the music’s joys and shadows sensitively voiced...His limpid touch is allied to a singing tone and lyrical line, with accents discreetly pointed up to give the music buoyancy, and a refined equilibrium that blends momentum with tasteful rhythmic freedom. This is wonderfully multifaceted Chopin-playing, with the music’s joys and shadows sensitively voiced.