Variations on Prokofiev's Toccata, Op. 11 by Donal Fox<br />Donal Fox, piano<br />Interpretations series<br />Merkin Concert Hall, New York<br />November 16, 2000<br />Leonellis Music (BMI)<br />www.leonellismusic.com<br />New World Records<br />www.newworldrecords.org<br /><br />Reviews:<br /><br />"After intermission came three takes on existing classical works. In his Prokofiev transformation, Donal departed from the original as early as the fifth bar. Prokofiev starts with four measures of pounding 16th-note Ds, alternating between the pianist's hands. At bar 5, the right hand starts playing C and E for two measures, but Donal kept it going twice as long. But then the whole beginning is pianissimo in Prokofiev, and a lot louder as Donal asserts it, so of course he's not playing the piece as it's written. Instead, he uses parts of it as a point of departure for what I take to be improvisation. . . his version brought the concert to an exuberant and thundering conclusion. <br /><br />-- Greg Sandow<br />© 2001 NewMusicBox
