Florent SCHMITT (1870-1958)
Three Rhapsodies (Française; Polonaise; Viennoise), Op.53 (1903-04)
[21:06]
Alexander ARUTYUNIAN (b.1920) and Arno BABADJANIAN
(1921-1983)
Armenian Rhapsody (1950) [5:57]
Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
Russian Rhapsody (1891) [9:45]
George GERSHWIN (1898-1937)
Rhapsody in Blue (1924) [17:21]
Franz (Ferenc) LISZT (1811-1886)
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 (arr. Kleinmichel, cadenza by Yuval Admony) (1851)
[10:28]
Tami Kanazawa, Yuval Admony (piano)
rec. 2001(Schmitt)-2003, Rolston Recital Hall, Banff Centre for the Arts,
Canada
ROMÉO RECORDS 7276 [64:37]
There is some excellent playing here, but it took me some time to warm to
this disc. This was mostly due to the music that opens the program, and takes
about one third of its length: three Rhapsodies by Florent Schmitt.
Schmitt’s music has experienced somewhat of a revival in the last few years,
and his name has started appearing in release lists. I happen to know some
of his music, and much of it is good. The composer seems to have fallen in
the pit between the pillars of Debussy and Les Six, but if judged solely on
the evidence of the three works presented here, I’d say he had better stay
forgotten in this pit.
The three Rhapsodies are subtitled Française, Polonaise and
Viennoise, but they have neither enough diversity nor national character
to earn these labels. More or less, these are three bourgeois Waltzes, with
some salon melancholy and salon comfort, and a lot of circus pomp and bravura.
Don’t follow the square tunes: there is little to follow there. If you want
to spend your time better, listen to the music that surrounds the tune: some
of the accompanying touches are quite intricate and stimulating. There are
episodes with soft, caressing harmonies, and with glittering quicksilver runs;
there are overblown Romantic climaxes and hushed, elegiac moments. However
the main musical content is plain, and the melodies usually just rise up –
and go down, up – and down. Schmitt certainly gave a lot of work to the pianists,
and I am sure this can be great music to watch – especially when performed
with such poise and assurance.
Armenian folk music is very melodic, and some of its characteristic twists
and turns can be already familiar to you from Khachaturian’s works. Two of
his younger compatriots – Arutyunian and Babadjanian – collaborated on the
Armenian Rhapsody. The beginning is slower and darker – like a ballad.
The music goes higher and louder, and the tension grows. After a short climax
the music calms down, and we move into the brisk and lively second part. It
brings to mind the main theme of the first movement of Khachaturian’s violin
concerto – with the same lightness and fervor, insistent rhythmic pressure,
and a similar nervous “saw-teeth” melody. The music is memorable and, compared
to other works on this disc, seems too short. It comes, it rolls past you
– and is gone, like a swift dance.
The Russian Rhapsody of Rachmaninov was written when the composer was
just 18. It is essentially a set of variations of increasing density. The
theme is very Russian, and it seems as if we have already heard it in some
of Tchaikovsky’s music. It is simple, but does not sound square, and provides
a rich base for variations. The strong influence of Tchaikovsky is clearly
felt, but there already is a lot of Rachmaninov’s forming self, with its characteristic
chanting and shimmer. The slow variation is very beautiful. Kanazawa and Admony
give an excellent performance, worthy of the Russian piano school. Different
performers usually emphasize different traits in this music: Kanazawa and
Admony highlight its sunny, playful side.
Can one still enjoy Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue without Grofé’s sparkling
orchestration? Surprisingly, yes: the main meat of this music, Gershwin’s
rhythmic and melodic invention, is still there. The composer said about this
composition: “I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America, of
our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan
madness”. It’s all present in the two-piano arrangement – though it is hard
to be without the famous opening clarinet glissando, or without all the wild
orchestral tutti that we have become accustomed to. The playing is
brilliant, though at the same time it seems a bit over-cautious. Maybe a more
unbuttoned performance would better suit this brave new music. The “love theme”
is wide and expressive, but outside it there is much hard staccato.
Still, I was left with an overwhelming cinematographic feeling, just as after
a good performance of the orchestral version. It’s the longest work on the
disk, but it just flies by effortlessly.
The pianists show excellent synchronization in Liszt’s famous Hungarian
Rhapsody No.2. In its ever-changing tempos they navigate as one living
organism. The performance has all the necessary bravura and is technically
very impressive. It is grand and childish exactly where needed. The cimbalom
effects are well done. Again, it sounds too staccato to my taste, as
if the pianists played it with mallets, not fingers. Also, here, as in other
works, they are a little let down by the rather shallow and uninteresting
piano sound.
I do not know who wrote the liner-note, but it is informative and engaging.
It mostly speaks about the works present on the disk, on a rather accessible
level. The recording quality is good and clear, but lacks some depth. As a
whole, this is an interesting collection – though at some point I started
skipping over the Schmitt pieces; I just can’t take the whole 20 minutes of
golden oompah. The performance tends to be percussive, which is good for some
works, less so for others.
Oleg Ledeniov
There is some excellent playing here, but it took me some time to warm to
this disc.