André Bohren has been playing classical piano for many years. Since I have a love for classical music, whenever Spencer Bohren (André’s father, who passed away in 2019) visited me at the OffBeat offices, he would always update me on André’s progress, letting me know, for instance, that “André has advanced to playing Beethoven.” Spencer was very proud, and I must admit I didn’t think André would reach a level that puts him in league with other classical pianists. His new release tells me I was wrong.

Bohren starts the program by tackling Schubert’s difficult “A Flat Major Impromptu, Op. 90.” All the great pianists including Rubinstein, Kissin and Cziffra, to name a few, have recorded this work. The “Op. 90” set includes four pieces of which the A-flat major is the last in the series. The piece opens with cascading arpeggios followed by chordal responses which are repeated and developed. The tempo is marked allegretto, and as Bohren points out in the liner notes, “gets my fingers moving and nicely warmed up.”

Of the 11 tracks, seven are by Chopin, including four of his “Op. 28 Preludes,” his “Op. 20 Scherzo, No. 1” and his “Op. 39 Scherzo, No. 3,” as well as the “Nocturne in E Flat Major.” The Chopin “Nocturne” follows Schubert’s “Impromptu,” which was a great placement decision by Bohren, since the piece is very well known and after the rush of notes in Schubert, allows the non-classical listener to hear something familiar. The beguiling melody of the “Nocturne” haunts from start to finish, and in Bohren’s hands an effective tonal balance is achieved between the notes and the chords. Although this piece sounds easy, it is very difficult to play because it requires effective phrasing. Bohren’s phasing is expressive and beautifully shaped without too much rubato, which refers to the speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo. It is used to expressively shape the music but can be overdone. Bohren’s interpretation of the “Nocturne” is the one of the slowest I’ve heard (compared to Arthur Rubinstein’s reading, it is nearly a minute longer) and it does seem to bog down especially at the B section.

Bohren’s four pieces from Chopin’s 24 Preludes, Op. 28, are rich in sonority and atmospheric. Bohren pulled this listener in with the dreamy, much-peddled approach, which never lost the individual contrasting character of each piece. The four selections almost seem to melt into one another, ending Bohren’s set with the popular “Raindrop Prelude.” Unlike the slower tempo in the “Nocturne,” Bohren’s tempos are just right.

Regarding tempos, Bohren’s reading of Debussy’s “Prelude from Book One, Number 8 ‘La fille aux cheveux de lin,’” is slower than most; however, Bohren communicates the emotions that Debussy carefully composed of the girl with flaxen-colored hair, portraying innocence and naïveté with simple harmonies.

Since I’m a classical music buff, I was very happy with how detailed the selections were noted on the back sleeve of the CD, properly noting the opus numbers, key signatures and even in the case of Debussy’s “La fille aux cheveux de lin,” included the book and volume number. Unfortunately, the last cut, Schumann’s “Träumerei,” lacks that information, which I believe is very important to understand and convey the piece. Schumann’s “Träumerei” is part of a larger piece called Scenes from Childhood. It contains 13 pieces, “Träumerei” or in English, “Dreaming,” is the seventh movement. Knowing that these pieces are reflections of childhood, “Träumerei” becomes more than just a beautiful melody; it captures a child’s dreams of the future, displaying rare musical honesty with the music feeling like it’s reminiscing.

“Träumerei” is one of Schumann’s best-known pieces and is very difficult to play, mostly because it’s very challenging to convey the feeling of a childhood dream. Variations in timing and the dynamics are two primary means to make the music expressive and communicative. Bohren does an outstanding job, and for me, it was the most impressive selection on the album. His tempos are slow, but Bohren does convey the big emotional phrases effectively. As a tempo comparison, check out the well-known concert in Moscow (April 1986) where Vladimir Horowitz played “Träumerei” as an encore. Horowitz plays the piece nearly a minute faster, but it does not feel rushed. Bohren’s says of the piece: “The simple tune is deceptively intricate, changing keys four times, varying the melody slightly with each new phrase.”

Bohren’s selections and their placement on the CD work very well, including another popular piece, Rachmaninoff’s “Prelude in G sharp minor,” resulting in an enjoyable program. Bohren’s most impressive aspect of his playing is the range and diversity of the colors he elicits from the piano.