Leif Ove Andsnes, obviously one of the superior artists on the current piano scene, deserves credit for paying attention to Haydn. Every one of these sonatas is a masterpiece, and every one is played with Andsnes's typical intelligence and scrupulous detail. You could virtually take dictation from these performances, except for some missing repeats. But it's hard to feel that Andsnes identifies as strongly with this music as he does with Brahms. As fine as this playing is, it has an aura of objectivity that keeps the results from being completely satisfying. Although this disc does not lessen my admiration for the pianist, you could spend the same money for three of Jandó's Naxos CDs of Haydn and have a lot more music, played as well, if not better. --Leslie Gerber
