A lovely #holiday #gift from the #American #Record #Guide - a #review of my latest #album by Paraty: Baczewska, Director of the Music Performance Program at Columbia University, is a versatile pianist and harpsichordist. Her excellent interpretive knowledge of Bach and the Baroque period appears in her clean lines and balanced, lyrical Szymanowski and Chopin. I was not familiar with the Szymanowski Preludes, but she performs them with richness and grace. The dense textures of Prelude 5 are finely woven under her fingers. The gradual changes in dynamics show her sensitivity. Chopin’s Ballade 3 has an airy quality to the opening, with a slight improvisational touch. Small tempo changes and adjustments are subtly done—this Chopin is not rigid, though I wanted more color. The mazurkas have a comfort and ease of execution, but the high point here is the Andante Spianato, with its rich lyricism. The top registers shimmer with color, and her range of sound is solid. She shapes the second theme delicately and securely with slight rubato and sensitive phrasing. The polonaise rhythm is crisp, and the improvisatory lightness she brings to Ballade 3 is communicated here as well. - KANG