Claude Debussy famously called one of Grieg's pieces "a pink bonbon that could be filled with snow," but there may have been some anxiety of influence at work there; Grieg influenced Debussy a good deal. A fine performance like this one brings out the ways. This 2024 release reached classical best-seller lists, and one track from Book Three of the Lyric Pieces ("Erotikon," naturally enough) achieved a measure of virality on streaming media. Given his Russian-school origins, one might not expect pianist Andrey Gugnin to deliver the precise, restrained readings heard here, but his big Ballade, Op. 24, has every note in place, with even the climactic variations toward the end somewhat reined in. Gugnin plays the original piano version of the Holberg Suite, Op. 40, and in his hands, the neoclassical movement in music seems almost foreordained. His Lyric Pieces are perfectly detailed little pictures without a bit of sentiment. Gugnin plays a Bechstein piano, an inspired choice for his small, subtle readings, with no wash of Steinway sound. This is a terrific collection of familiar Grieg works that runs counter to many and shows what is best in his music. ~ James Manheim