Claude Debussy’s exciting
Piano Trio in G sparks thoughts of
rejuvenation and spring-like scenes of trickling brooks, wild flowers and
dew-sprent grass. Under the sponsorship of Madame von Meck (who also
sponsored Tchaikovsky), Debussy composed this promising and jovial piece
during the summer of 1880. Being only 17, Debussy’s voice is yet to emerge
with confidence and elements of Franck, Schumann and Brahms are apparent in
its texture, structure and intention. Nevertheless, aspects are charming and
witty, and the
Finale is bold and assertive. The
Trio
Stradivari play with warmth and tenderness, rendering this piece with a
luminous exchange of emotions. This lilting approach can be heard through
the use of pizzicato during the second movement
(
scherzo-intermezzo).
Debussy believed that it was the composer’s duty ‘to find the symphonic
formula which fits our time, one which progress, daring and modern victory
demand’, wryly adding that ‘the century of airplanes has a right to its own
music.’ With its hints of Couperin, Debussy’s
Violin Sonata -
written in the latter stages of his life - unfolds a French baroque essence
in a distinctively fresh and modern way. This piece is performed here with
acute sensitivity and unveils its expansive atmosphere, glimmers of contrast
and agility. Distressed by the stalemate and slaughter of war, and
ceaselessly suffering from illness and discomfort, Debussy began writing
this Sonata
, beginning it in 1916 and not finishing it until the
following year. When premiering this work, Debussy confessed, with
exasperation: ‘I only wrote this sonata to be rid of the thing, spurred on
by my dear publisher.’ Perhaps more insightfully, he added that ‘This sonata
will be interesting from a documentary point of view as an example of what
may be produced by a sick man in time of war’. However, the impish mood in
the
Intermède and the final build-up in the
Finale
demonstrate a determination to remain vital and not let weakness or futility
prevail. It serves as testimony to Debussy’s fighting spirit, yet beauty and
pathos permeate even the most terse passages. The Trio Stradivari perform
with understanding and intelligence. An even more punchy and enlivened
recording of this emotionally fraught piece can be found in that by Josef
Suk and Jan Panenka (Supraphon SU 3547-2 101).
Debussy wrote his
Cello Sonata in 1915. Its original title was
‘Pierrot fait fou avec la lune’, possibly inspired by the Albert Giraud poem
that was the basis for Schoenberg's
Pierrot Lunaire, written
three years earlier. Interestingly, the late 19
th and early
20
th century saw a renewed interested in Pierrot and other
figures from the commedia dell’arte. Perhaps best described as ‘A moonbeam
locked up / In a beautiful bottle of Bohemia’ (Giraud,
Bohemian
Crystal), this piece sports a myriad interrelating elements: high and
lyrical fragments suggestive of male falsetto, shifts in tempi, exaggerated
sections of rubato, juxtaposition of unrelated tonalities and a refusal to
conform to metric regularity, all within a classical form. Luigi Puxeddu’s
performance is colourful and evocative.
The remaining pieces bear out Debussy’s assertion that one should ‘search
for a discipline within freedom’ and not let oneself be governed by formulae
drawn from ‘decadent philosophies’ for they are ‘for the feeble-minded’.
These pieces, particularly
Minstrels and
Première
Arabesque with their jazzy rhythms and fluid arpeggios are performed
with vigour and clarity by these consummate players
. Coinciding
seamlessly, the three musicians interrelate with delicacy, contrast and
continuity. Romantic eagerness reverberates from Puxeddu in the
Intermezzo L27. He is captivatingly and cleverly accompanied by
Jolanda Violante. The
Scherzo L26 is a light-hearted and frivolous
jaunt.
This is a CD which delights in the eclectic variety of Debussy’s musical
personality. It offers insight into his influences and sense of humour. This
recording challenges the singular notion of Debussy as a purely
impressionist composer. In so doing the
Trio Stradivari, offer a
fuller picture of Debussy’s music; the emotions he felt and compositional
techniques he used to express his thoughts and ideas. These accomplished
musicians deliver familiar pieces such as
La fille aux cheveux de
lin and
Première Arabesque with freshness and spontaneity.
Federico Guglielmo stands out among these accomplished artists as an
innovative and enchantingly poetic interpreter.
Lucy Jeffery
