the intensity doesn’t let up, but neither does the quality of the playing...Indebted to Bach and to Liszt, the Fantasia Contrappuntistica can be an impenetrable work. Levit’s approach is lucid and unsentimental, at its best when guiding us through the contrapuntal forest, as Busoni pushes the possibilities of Bach’s fugue into uncharted territory. It’s a mighty achievement, and a demanding listen.

the idea behind it is characteristically erudite, exploring the nature of the fantasia, its blend of freedom and rigour...Levit gives a far-ranging performance of [the Busoni], imaginative in tone colours and grandly envisioned in its ascent to the summit.

Clear-eyed precision is the watchword in the Liszt, particularly in the stormier sections of the outer movements: even the densest, most virtuosic music here sounds airborne and agile..The transition from Liszt to Berg might sound like a sharp one on paper, but one of the lovely things about this album is its impression of seamlessness: both the programming itself and Levit’s ever-thoughtful approach to the material points up all manner of connections between the four featured composers.

His performance of Alban Berg’s Sonata...is absolutely transformative, bringing expressive subtleties galore to a score that in some pianists’ hands can sound indigestibly dry.

This is playing of rigorous, solemn control and, at the same time, endless seduction. Levit is always persuasive, giving even the most standard repertory the spark of revelation, and his poetic phrasing and touch convey both mysteries and immense satisfactions.