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Jonathan Woolf MusicWeb Founder Len Mullenger
Spanish Piano Enrique GRANADOS (1867–1916)
Allegro di Concierto (1904) [8:44]
Oriental (Danzas espagñolas) (1890) [4:55]
Andaluza (Danzas espagñolas) (1890) [4:24] Isaac ALBENIZ (1860–1909)
Rumoresde la caleta (Malagueña) (recuerdos de viaje no.6)
(1887) [4:07]
Asturias (Leyenda) (Suite espagñola no.5) (1886) [6:55]
El Puerto (Iberia, Volume 1 no.2) (1906/1908) [4:39] Federico MOMPOU (1893–1987)
Canción y Danza V (1942) [4:41]
Canción y Danza VII (1942) [3:31] Xavier MONTSALVATGE (1912–2002)
Sonatine pour Yvette (1960) [10:45] Manuel de FALLA (1876–1946)
Danza del molinero (El sombrero de tres picos) (1917/1919)
[3:00]
Danza ritual del fuego (El amore brujo) (1915) [4:54]
Yoko Suzuki
(piano)
rec. 1 September 2007. DDD COLUMNA MÚSICA 1CM0189 [66:00]
What
a splendid, varied and musical recital this is! In general
the programming is very good, with plenty of variety, and
the performances are lively and colourful.
Yoko
Suzuki was born in Tokyo, but now lives in Barcelona. She
started playing the piano at the age of 3, and when 18
she entered the Musashino University of Music in her home
town. She moved to Spain in 2001 and entered the Marshall
Academy, studying with Alicia de Larrocha and Carlota Garriga.
She has a fine technique, understands the music she is
playing and never overplays even in the most ridiculously
virtuosic pieces (I am thinking here of the arrangement
of Danza ritual del fuego). As well as demonstrating
a magnificent understanding of timbre she employs a very
wide range of tone colour. Her use of rubato is a sheer
joy.
Just
listen to her performance of Albeniz’s Granada.
The right hand strums the keyboard, à la
guitarra, as the left hand plays a tune of the utmost
simplicity. Suzuki employs the most telling rubato, allowing
the tune to breathe and imbuing the music with a special
warmth. When the opening music reappears it is meltingly
beautiful. This is a very subtle and thoughtful account.
It’s followed by a most playful performance of El
Puerto, Suzuki appears to be almost nonchalant
in her approach to this piece but she never loses sight
of the dance–like quality of the work.
The two Mompou pieces are rather more serious;
delicate and thoughtful, with, perhaps, more heart than
one sometimes credits Mompou, but then again, perhaps
this is because of Suzuki’s wonderful playing.
I have never been impressed with Montsalvatge’s
music and this Sonatine is pleasant but it sits
poorly in the company of the rest of the programme. It’s
given a consummate performance but even this pianist
cannot convince me that the piece is really worthy of
its inclusion.
The disk opens with three fabulous Granados pieces – the
first a not particularly Spanish piece but a real bravura
race up and down the keyboard, in true romantic-heroic
pianist style - think of Liszt in a warm climate! Oriental is
winsome and full of nostalgia, while Andaluza dances
away with its grace-note-accented accompaniment. The
recital ends with a marvellously poker-faced Miller’s
Dance and a wildfire Ritual Fire Dance.
Throughout, Suzuki plays brilliantly, giving herself to the
music and making me salivate at the prospect of hearing
her play a complete Danzas españolas, Suite
española, Iberia and Canción y Danza. I’m not asking for too
much, am I?
The recording
is crisp and clear, and the performer’s own notes are good.
Suzuki is the real thing – a pianist of brilliance and
insight and this really
is the great quality of her playing. I now want more.
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