Celebration of the New CD

“Here is a disc of new music that’s almost too much fun to be classical, and curiously, each piece—though modern in concept and structure—is inspired by something from the past. The disc begins with an endearingly quirky piece, Joseph Fennimore’s “An Old Soft Shoe” for Piano, meant to evoke the feeling of being in a cabaret without forcing you to actually enter one… Baytelman plays this with absolutely delicious suggestiveness and an appropriately “teasing” sense of rhythm.”

“Few pianists have recorded the exquisite music of Iberia as persuasively and with such finesse… In her hands, every bit the equal to De Larrocha’s, music jumps to life so vividly as to convey the essence of Spanish culture.”

“…Sound, resourceful performer with a good technical command… Best performances were of Chopin…. rubato crept into the playing; by subtle transition it went from knotted and tensely exact to luxuriant and suspenseful… It was intelligent, multifaceted playing.”

“[Albéniz’s] Iberia reste un des sommets de virtuosité et de poésie de la littérature pianistique espagnole … Baytelman réussit admirablement à exprimer l’intensité des émotions du recueil.”

“The Jews and music: Centuries of impact in Pola Baytelman’s varied and energetic performance”

“Her program spanned centuries and genres, from classical and baroque to early 1900s jazz, and variations on Chasidic standards…the time flew from the moment the music began. Pola Baytelman gave a show that lived up to her pedigree, playing with virtuosity and feeling, never letting up on the energy….’I didn’t think that piano had that much music in it’ [said one concert-goer]. ‘Such a virtuoso’ [said another] who has seen Baytelman perform many times and had a copy of her latest album in his hand. I love her music. Every program is a great performance’”

“Indeed her taste, sensitivity and intelligence – focused by her faultless concentration – made it a joy to hear everything she played in this diverse program … It is difficult to single out one work as an outstanding highlight. Yet I was especially impressed by Baytelman’s treatment of Arnold Schoenberg’s “Klavierstucke [Op. 33]” … Baytelman brought its emotional complexity fully and unforgettably to life.”

“Pola Baytelman…posee un rico temperamento musical y vigoroso sonido.…la entrega de la monumental sonata [Sonata Op. 53 de Beethoven] con una visión certera en lo formal y de admirable musicalidad en su conjunto. La Sonata en Do menor, póstuma de Franz Schubert cerró con brillo el concierto en el cual Pola Baytelman demostró ser un nuevo valor pianístico de su generación.”

From Chile to Cuba CD

“Pola Baytelman’s pianistic prowess and interpretive mastery are in full bloom here. She not only harbors a natural stylistic affinity for the works that make up this Latin-American piano music survey, but also shapes them with passionate dynamism.”

Humoreske Op. 20

“Her playing of this piece [Humoreske Op. 20] demonstrates her instinct for the melancholy strains in Schumann, and for his occasional whimsy. Her Humoreske is a pleasure throughout.”

“Una ejecutante dotada de una comprensión cabal del material con que laboran sus dedos para conseguir la transmisión de una obra que muestra unidad conceptual…De este modo apoyada en un touché diáfano, ofreció un estado musical, todo frescura, amabilidad y encanto, es decir un Mozart servido por una ejecución matizada admirablemente.”

Song as Drama

“…And a collaborator like Baytelman (who seems to be one of the area best kept secrets) makes for an evening in which mere professionalism is overshadowed by creative excitement.”

“…Baytelman took – and communicated obvious delight in Schumann’s [Carnaval] droll little characterizations. This was an enchanting performance, one that brought all the music’s wit and warmth to life. From the sly sparkle of “Arlequin” and “Coquette” to the sensuous caresses of “Chopin” to the grandeur of “Valse Noble” it was music making to gladden the heart.”

“Miss Baytelman, who has impressive credentials, gave [Liszt’s E-flat Piano Concerto] it an authoritative and virtuoso performance. Her octaves were noteworthy for their accuracy and exceptional speed. Her conception was very romantic with a liberal use of rubato and an obvious understanding of the Liszt rhetoric.”

“Baytelman has the kind of talent that stamps a personality upon any concert she plays… A formidable pianist, quite the equal of performances by keyboard wizards who go by last name only: Horowitz, Pollini, Ashkenazy.”

Iberia CD

“…In some ways, Ms. Baytelman puts me in mind of Elizabeth Schwarzkopf; not only for the unimpeachable technique, but for an interpretive savoir-faire the principal capital of which is its grasp, on the minutest level, of inflection. For this pianist, every compositional event is a change of climate, an occasion to be explored and illuminated from innumerable perspectives.”

“[Albéniz’s] Iberia reste un des sommets de virtuosité et de poésie de la littérature pianistique espagnole … Baytelman réussit admirablement à exprimer l’intensité des émotions du recueil.”