Reviews

As soon as I heard the innocence, simplicity, humanity and floating quality of the opening theme, I was confident this would be a harbinger of things to come. I was not disappointed. De Maria’s formidable technique and intelligent, cultivated musicianship are all harnessed to render a performance of spiritual depth, where his lofty vision is eminently realized.It was wi...

Elève du précédent, Guido Alberto Fano (1875-1961) connut une triple carrière de virtuose, compositeur et directeur de conservatoires. Pour le défendre, rien de moins que Pietro De Maria, à qui l'on doit une intégrale Chopin (Decca). Il est bon que les raretés ne soient pas la chasse gardée des seconds couteaux. La Sonate en mi majeur (1895-1899) donne l'occasion de quelques morceaux de bravoure, sous les doigts fulgurants du pianiste italien, mais aussi de méditations d'inspiration brahmsienne. On comprend l'admiration de Busoni pour cette oeuvre puissamment architecturée. à laquelle il manque ce supplément d'âme qui en ferait davantage qu'un ouvrage assez impressionant.

...The Géza Anda competition struck gold when they gave the first prize to De Maria in 1994. His playing shows a combination of character and integrity that always allows Bach his own voice investing it with an abiding beauty and infinite variety. These records should be in every serious music lover's collection. (Bryce Morrison, International Piano 07-08.2016)

De Maria commands a formidable technique with immaculate finish, and profound musicianship, which he places at the service of the music. These are probing accounts, all the more successful for the intelligent and well thought out choices he’s made regarding tempi, dynamics and phrasing. Everything seems convincing and works well. Far from being a sequence of dry, academic exercises, this pianist breathes new life into these richly constructed works.Hot on th...

These performances of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I are technically accomplished, assured and immaculately delivered. De Maria obviously loves this music and invests it with tonal beauty and a wealth of colour and shadings...This is top-drawer playing of the finest order and I’m now eagerly looking forward to Book II.I only discovered the Italian...

the overall result achieved by De Maria is a delightful synthesis of the rationalistic-architectonic reasons of Bach's poetics and a characteristic search for expressivenessAft...

From the beginning, the very famous piece on the C major arpeggio – the Praeludium on which Gounod will construct the Ave Maria – the sound dissolves into such irridescences as to evoke other instruments besides the concert Steinway. As we listen, the impression is confirmed: the piano sounds like an organ, a flute, an orchestra, and even a chorus.He told us thre...

In his touch, brilliant range and clear articulation we hear the echo of the study of Chopin's timbre and harmonyIn ...

...a true virtuoso, with a sparkling sound, poetic phrasing and a winged fantasy.Thi...

...in De Maria's case, what strikes us is his “integrity” from the first to the last record: monolithic in the best sense of the term, that is profound, true, passionate.  Somehow, not perfectible.It's the finishing t...