There is no better guide to Russia's most mysterious composer than this pianist...These Sonatas and exquisite trifles are played with poise and grace.

Melnikov is [a] poised, unruffled, almost withdrawn performer. His playing is soft, ethereal; his pauses can be as intense as the loudest chords. Hearing Melnikov’s Messe noire is a little bit like standing next to a bomb you know will explode, but the clock keeps ticking and the bomb keeps not exploding.

Melnikov creates a scary world of angst and despair … the menacing trills and jagged chords sound like a madman let loose. It is Melnikov’s triumph that he can create this impression without fighting the instrument, and even in the most heavily pedalled passages, he manages to bring out a sonorous sound from the somewhat brightly tuned piano … idiomatically spot on.