Domenico Codispoti is a sophisticated and poetic pianist who gives imaginative and refined performances of Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor, the Petrarch Sonnets, and Granado’s El Amor y la Muerte. Codispoti consistently produces a beautiful singing tone, with every note carefully weighted and voiced… [T]he playing is wholly convincing throughout. Codispoti’s con-ception of the sonata is enormous and majestic; the three sonnets are more languid than impassioned, but exhibit an exquisite lyricism. The Granados ballade, perhaps a slightly odd inclusion, is given a thoroughly polished and thoughtful performance. The CD is released by the Odradek label, a non-profit endeavor that features outstanding artists who typically might not be represented by a larger label. This ambitious concept is a worthy project, particularly if the recordings that follow are as outstanding as this one. –Clavier Companion: Stephen Pierce
Domenico Codispoti is tailor-made for Odradek – a distinguished performer with a formidable technique in what appears to be his second recording. His account of Liszt’s Sonata is gripping from start to finish, measured in tempo but with a palpable understanding of the overall structure and relish of the work’s bigger moments. The benchmarks lie with Argerich, Arrau, Brendel, Pollini, Richter and, of more recent recordings, Paul Lewis. Codispoti may not surpass those, but he nestles in close behind them and his supporting programme will appeal to many. The Tre sonetti del Petrarcain their 1859 guise, S161 – not the earlier 1846 set, S158 – are beautifully rendered, as is Granados’ Lisztian El Amor y la Muerte from Goyescas, which shares Tre sonetti’s visual impetus. –International Piano Magazine: Guy Rickards,
Codispoti has an excellent technique, which is an absolute requisite in this music… [He] phrases the tunes with affection and certainly does not lack feeling. The climactic statement of the tune in Sonnet No 104… is very fine indeed, and he is nicely veiled in the Sonnet No 123… The recording quality is excellent…Codispoti is clearly an excellent pianist. –Music Web International: Paul Corfield Godfrey
