I have been listening to this recording many times, and always enjoyed it; until, as it often happens, I came across some of these nocturnes played by Vladimir Horowits.
It is probably in Nocturne in E minor op. 72 no. 1 Pires comes the closest to the maestro; but other pieces, especially Nocturne in F minor op. 55 no. 1, she hurries so much, and just seem to play for the collection, that they make no impression whatsoever compared to the daemon of Horowitz. In fact, the difference in expressiveness is so striking, that it is only enigmatic why would she chose such a flat interpretation in 1996, while Horowitz played decades before.
Certainly, Pires is a great pianist, a soloist of world-class, and when comparing her playing with Arrau or Pollini, she is their equal, at that or often better level. But she did not say anything new, and thus this is a very good recording to expand one's horizon only.
