Hi-Res Downloads

96kHz/24-bit FLAC, Warner Classics 2564600909 (supplied by www.highresaudio.com)

This young Italian pianist was silver prizewinner at the 2013 Van Cliburn Competition and makes her Warner concerto debut with Pappano. They had not worked together before but in May are touring with the Tchaikovsky – which Rana had been playing for almost ten years. And 3-4m in she certainly hits her stride: arguably her first-movement cadenza is over-complicated but mostly this is as good as its gets – robust technique, a wide dynamic range and real bravura at the ends of (ii) and (iii). Pappano provides a big, even brash, accompaniment and the piano is well balanced in the big hall acoustic. Rana equally has the technique for the Prokofiev – it’s a heavier alternative to the Bavouzet/Chandos, which has more light and shade. Cover-art only with this HRA download. CB

Sound quality: 80%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

Big and brash indeed but this 96kHz digital recording captures every harmonic, not only of Rana’s piano (to about 12kHz) but also of Italy’s Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia right out to ~46kHz. PM