The name Moszkowski is little known today although in his lifetime he was
a remarkable and celebrated musician. The documentation with this 3 CD set
is unhelpful with little or no detail about his life - you will need
Wikipedia or similar for that. He was a German-Jewish composer, pianist and
teacher.
He completed his studies in Berlin and soon became a teacher at the Berlin
Conservatory. His success began in 1873 when he made his debut as a pianist,
and soon his reputation spread. Two years later he would play his piano
concerto on two pianos with Franz Liszt. He toured Europe as pianist
and conductor and married the younger sister of Cécile Chaminade.
In the mid-1880s, Moszkowski began to suffer from a neurological problem
in his arm which more and more impeded his capacity to perform recitals.
Instead he concentrated on composing, teaching and conducting. In
London, in 1887, he had the chance to introduce many of his orchestral
pieces. He was awarded honorary membership by the Royal Philharmonic
Society. Divorced, but wealthy and famous, he settled with his daughter in
Paris. Amongst his students were Thomas Beecham, Vlado Perlemuter and Wanda
Landowska. By 1908, his health was failing and his popularity waning. He
became reclusive, gave up teaching and sold his copyrights; then invested
unwisely and was reduced to poverty. He died from stomach cancer in
1925.
I first came to know about Moritz Moszkowski from a 1957 Decca recording
made by Ataúlfo Argenta of Spanish-influenced music. This included
Moszkowski’s
Five Spanish Dances probably his most famous
composition. Indeed these dances open CD 1 in this collection. All five have
strong, catchy melodies and exotic rhythms. They are played carefully and
with due diligence but not with an abundance of élan and
joie de
vivre to make these sunny pieces really come alive
. The
Three New Spanish Dances that close CD 1, composed some fourteen
years later, are clearly more mature, more interesting and more complex.
Additionally, CD 1 has the 1879
Spanish Album in which the duo do
seem to be more at home. These four pieces all have charm especially the
Vivace assai, an essay in coruscating brilliance. The
Four
Polish Folkdances include two Mazurkas, one Polonaise and a concluding
Krakowiak which evokes horses’ rhythms and military
precision
. The first
Allegro Mazurka mixes serenity with
fieriness; the second boasts a winsome delicate melody while the
Polonaise has a heart-moving melody.
Having listened thus far I was reminded of my long-held opinion that
without imagination, some music, I feel, is far better left in original
multi-coloured orchestral dress. That said, I do appreciate that such pieces
written for performance on a single piano might encourage more performances
in salon or at home, and therefore the possibility of more revenue.
CD 2 commences with Moszkowski’s Five Waltzes Op. 8 of 1875. These are
roughly in Viennese style. The opening
Allegro moderato
has a clanging opening softened by a more lyrical second part. The
Pesante e lugubre second is a slow sad waltz. The third,
Allegro grazioso, is written in canon, one part imitating the
other; it has elegance and gentility. The charming fourth
Vivace
assai has sensuality and grace. Concluding the set, is a waltz marked
Pomposo ed energico that duly lives up to that description. The
following set of five pieces are the
Deutsche Reigen, most are
reasonably pleasing if slight. The standout item and probably of the whole
of this second CD is No. 4
Allegro animato. It is a fast-moving,
merry virtuoso tarantella with a really catchy melody. The ‘Tarantelle’ of
the
Klavierstücke Op. 33 is equally brilliant if not so memorable.
This set of four pieces includes a child-like march, a gentle ‘Humoreske’
and an evocative ‘Spinnerlied’, a charming little piece on the theme of the
work of a spinner-girl who is, perhaps, day-dreaming. The eight little
miniatures that comprise
Le maître et l’élève that close CD 2 are
quite charming. They were constructed over a five-note accompaniment. They
range from a brisk ‘Prologue’ to yet another ‘Tarantelle’ with an engaging
‘Moment musicale’, a nice lyrical ‘Mélodie’ and an affectionate
‘Berceuse’.
CD 3 opens with the
3 Stücke Op.11. The opening marked
Polonaise: Brioso ed energico is pleasantly showy and reminiscent
of Chopin. The middle piece is a lovely waltz, quite elaborate and spanning
a number of moods. The concluding item is a short vivacious
Hungarian
Dance. The nine numbers that comprise
Aus aller Herren Ländern
(From Foreign Lands) are mostly memorable and the best selections on this
third disc. A Russian
Allegretto opens with a rather doleful mood.
From Germany there is a quite lovely lyrical
Andante which may
bring Brahms to mind while Spain has a brief extrovert piece in Moszkowski’s
usual vibrant rhythms and colours. The fourth piece from Poland is marked
Allegro con fuoco is lively and in mazurka style. It is intricate
and complex but keeps the ear attentive throughout its six-minute span.
Italy has yet another colourful and jubilant tarantella while the finale,
Hungary’s piece, marked
Molto Allegro, is redolent of gypsy
festivities. The
Cortège may remind one of the style of Grieg. It
was performed in its orchestral dress by von Bülow. The partnering
Gavotte is more Viennese in idiom. Finally the third CD closes with
the seven-piece
Kaleidoskop conceived in a style reminiscent of
Schumann. The opening item is marked
Molto allegro e con fuoco and
is very emphatic and staccato. The
Presto that follows is a
somewhat dazzling Mendelssohn-like confection while the third is a
sentimental lyrical
Andante. The following
Allegro moderato e
grazioso has grace and melody, and the next
Allegro con
spirito is playful with a staccato opening that might remind one of a
Morse code message. The fifth,
Mesto, has a formal charm while the
concluding
Tempo di Valse is an amiable little gem in the Viennese
style.
A pleasant collection of charming if slight piano pieces. Sweet, but not
to be absorbed at one sitting.
Ian Lace
Contents List
CD 1 [57.17]
Five Spanish Dances, Op. 12 (1876) [13.52]
Spanish Album, Op. 21 (1879) [12.49]
Four Polish Folkdances Op. 55 (1897) [16.04]
Three New Spanish Dances Op. 65 (1900) [13.50]
CD 2 [62.37]
Five Waltzes Op. 8 (1875) [14.53]
Five German Dances Op. 25 (1880) [18.28]
Four Piano Works Op. 33 (1883) [14.21]
Le maître et l’élève Op. 96 (1920) [13.53]
CD 3 [63.56]
Three Works Op. 11 (1876) [13.17]
Aus aller Herren Ländern (From Foreign Lands) Op. 23 (1879)
[22.13]
Cortège et Gavotte Op. 43 (1887) [10.07]
Kaleidoskop Op. 74 (1904) [17.30]
