The new series of
Russian Piano Music from Divine Art begins auspiciously
with a volume devoted to
Shostakovich and Comrades, a single disc, which
includes some exceptional examples of twentieth-century works for piano. At the
core of this recording are the two piano sonatas of Shostakovich, which receive
a fine reading by Murray McLachlan and also benefit from the context created
in this CD through related works. The selections fit well together and offer
an opportunity to hear some works that are otherwise difficult to find.
Shostakovich’s First Piano Sonata (1926) is often regarded as an angry
piece, and the edgy, aggressive qualities of this one-movement essay emerge readily
in McLachlan’s interpretation. He captures its spirit in the performance,
and never flags in bringing out its intensity. McLachlan nicely evokes the rebellious
tone that the young composer expressed in this early work. This performance has
a percussive quality, which supports the style of the piece appropriately.
In contrast to the First Piano Sonata, the Second (1942) is more reflective in
tone and adopts a conventional approach to form with its three movements. Unlike
the shifting tempos of the various sections that comprise the First, Shostakovich
opens with an
Allegretto, which makes use of sonata form. McLachlan brings
out the structure nicely, and he complements this approach with a meditative
approach to the
Largo that follows. The third movement (
Moderato)
is a set of variations (9), which are subtly artful in the way the ideas are
manipulated. McLachlan makes the form emerge with clarity, and his playing is
both authoritative and comfortable.
The other works in this recording are by composers whose names are familiar.
Kabalevsky may be known better to modern audiences for his orchestral music,
but the Third Piano Sonata (1946), the piece with which the CD opens, is a fine
example of the composer’s style for this medium. McLachlan offers a facile
reading, in which Kabalevsky evinces some affinities with Prokofiev. The motoric
rhythm of the first movement emerges nicely in this performance; yet the second
movement could benefit from a slightly slower tempo. The Finale itself is effective
for the impetuous quality McLachlan brings to the music. At times the speed seems
impossible to maintain, and McLachlan succeeds not only in doing so, but also
in bringing the piece to a satisfying conclusion.
Nikolai Miaskovsky, a slightly older contemporary of Kabalevsky, is known for
his nine sonatas. He is represented in this recording with the two-movement
Song
and Rhapsody, Op. 58 (1942). The first movement has a nicely angular lyricism,
which McLachlan exploits well. Yet in the Rhapsody, Myaskovsky explores textures
and sonorities reminiscent of Impressionism. While those sounds initially suggest
earlier times, Myaskovsky establishes his own style as the piece develops. In
a similar way, the British composer Ronald Stevenson offers a further perspective
on the lyrical piano piece in his Recitative and Air (DSCH), a piece which dates
from 1974 and pays homage to Shostakovich with the
sogetto cavato theme
based on the composer’s name (D, S [Es=E-flat]), C, H (German pitch name
for B-natural). This set of variations is simultaneously a tribute to Shostakovich
and a highly evocative work on its own merits. In a recording focused on Shostakovich
and his comrades, Stevenson’s piece is a highly effective addition to the
already innovative program.
The recording concludes with a virtuoso piece by the contemporary composer Rodion
Shchedrin (b. 1932), in
Tashastuschki, his 1999 transcription for solo
piano of an orchestral work from 1963. The single-movement work is a multi-textured
piece which works well for solo piano. While the final section seems to push
the limits of solo piano music, it remains effective in conveying the effects
that exist in the orchestral score. McLachlan is good to explore the various
colors of the piano in this virtuosic piece. It rounds out the recording with
the appropriate tone.
Through the selections he chose for this recording McLachlan contributes some
fine perspectives on twentieth century piano music from Russia. It is by no means
a complete picture, but provides a fine introduction to the repertoire, which
bears rehearing, particularly in the hands of such a fine interpreter.
Jim Zychowicz
Russian Piano Music series from Divine Art
All but Vol. 1, by Anthony Goldstone:
Vol. 1 (Shostakovich and Comrades) DDA25080
Vol 2 (Rebikov) DDA25081
Vol. 3 (Glière) DDA25083
Vol. 4 (Lyapunov) & Vol. 5 (Arensky) coming soon
Murray McLachlan (piano) 
