Nikos SKALKOTTAS (1904-1949)
From Berlin to Athens
Griechische Suite (1924) [7:16]
(Suite) for piano (1924) [12:56]
Sonatina (1927) [7:20]
15 Kleine Variationen für Klavier (1927) [8:25]
Suite no.2 for piano solo (1940) [8:58]
Suite no.3 for piano solo (1941) [11:59]
Suite no.4 for piano solo (1941) [7:40]
The Gnomes: Dance Suite for solo piano (c.1939) [22:06]
Lorenda Ramou (piano)
rec. 2017, Reitstadel, Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany
SACD/CD hybrid stereo/surround 5.0; reviewed as CD
BIS BIS-2364 SACD [87:43]
Greek classical music is largely a closed book to me. I have dipped my toe into some music by Iannis Xenakis which I thoroughly enjoyed, even if I did not fully understand. The only other composers that comes to mind is the neo-classical Petro Petridis (1892-1977) and conductor/composer Dimitri Mitropoulos (1896-1960). Unsurprisingly, a quick glance at the Internet reveals many more. Which brings me to the subject of this
SACD: Nikos Skalkottas.
I notice that Mark Morris has given a good introduction to Skalkottas’s life and music in his Guide to Twentieth Century Composers. As part of this study he regrets the difficulty in getting to know this composer’s music as there are relatively few recordings available. The situation has improved since Mark wrote this, with about twenty CDs devoted to Skalkottas’s music and several more featuring works as part of compilation albums. Many of these have been released by BIS.
A few words on Nikos Skalkottas may be of interest. He was born at Chalcis on the Greek island of Euboea on 21 March 1904. After early training with his father and uncle, he studied at Athens University. After graduation in 1920, he moved to Germany where he studied with Kurt Weill, Willy Hess and Phillip Jarnach. The biggest influence on the young composer was Arnold Schoenberg. Skalkottas worked with him between 1927 and 1933. Schoenberg was impressed and declared that he was one of his most talented protégés. Skalkottas had several works performed in Germany, before returning to Greece. In 1940 he married the pianist Maria Pangali. It seems that after leaving Germany much of his music disappeared: it was only after his early death in 1949 that some of his scores were resurrected by a society formed to promote his work. Stylistically, Skalkottas fuses a very open interpretation of serialism, with hints of dance music (jazz), neo-classicism and Greek folk music. This may be a simplistic evaluation, but I think that it works as a rule of thumb. Nikos Skalkottas’s large catalogue of music includes a wide range of orchestral and concerted works, several important chamber works as well as songs and piano pieces. His most ‘popular’ work is the Concertino for oboe and piano which has received seven recordings.
The theory behind this recording is a journey – from the early works written whilst Skalkottas was studying in Berlin to his last days in Greece. Lorenda Ramou has said that the programme is arranged as a triptych revealing three trajectories in the composer’s stylistic development. The first part is dedicated to all the surviving piano music from the Berlin years. This is followed by the set of Suites which were composed during the war years and reflect the composer’s mature style. The last part of the triptych is the dance suite, The Gnomes which is one of a series of ballets majoring on ‘Greek-related subjects.’
I am beholden to the excellent liner notes provided for much of my
discussion.
I began my exploration with the bouncy little (Suite) dating from 1924. The reason for the brackets around the title is the fact that the first two pages of the holograph are missing: the title cover is misplaced as well as the work’s opening bars. It was not published at that time. The music is absorbing, with its attractive melodies, sometimes rich, rather than biting, harmonies and the extrovert, jazz-inspired ‘shimmy’ which brings the work to a close. It should be in every pianist’s repertoire: it is worth the price for this little piece alone.
The earliest work from the Berlin Years is the Greek Suite. Lorenda Ramou suggests that the title probably derives from the 7/8 time-signature of the opening ‘allegretto’. This rhythm is common in traditional Greek music. Another possibility is the movement’s ‘tremolos’ which may nod towards the sound of the Middle Eastern hammered dulcimer heard in many Greek cafes. The middle ‘andantino’ is a lovely and typically gentle little song that is played ‘sans nuances.’ The finale is the first instance where Skalkottas had made use of prevailing popular dance music (jazz). It is a wild piece reflecting the exuberance of Berlin’s nightlife in the 1920s.
The Sonatina dates from the time before Skalkottas began study with Arnold Schoenberg. It has allusions to the then popular Charleston which illuminates the opening and closing movements. The middle ‘siciliano’ is gentle and relatively simple in execution with an attractive melody supported by an ostinato on the left hand. The final movement is a rondo, with the ‘Charleston’ theme being contrasted with more lyrical music. The liner notes point out the improvisatory mood of this piece, which is a feature of jazz performances. But the most interesting thing is the inconclusive close to the movement: it is as if the composer did not quite know how to end the piece -an ‘unanswered question? This cliché was to be a feature of Skalkottas’s musical style in future works.
The atonal 15 Little Variations for solo piano was composed in 1927, around the time that Artur Schnabel had given a complete recital of the 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas in Berlin. This was part of the 100th anniversary of the elder composer’s death. The liner notes explain that Skalkottas ‘paid homage’ to Beethoven by making a ‘direct reference to his 32 Variations in C minor, WoO 80, albeit seen through the eyes of atonalism. The Variations have been described as a ‘thumbnail sketch of certain stylistic features that Skalkottas was later to develop.’ (Christophe Sirodeau 2004, BIS 1364). Once again, the work finishes with an enigmatic close.
The three works from the Athenian Period are highly successful exercises in the fusion of baroque and atonal languages. This was a regular ploy used by ‘serial’ composers. The liner notes explain that these Suites present ‘a kaleidoscopic musical world, where baroque forms and phrase construction, free atonality, references to Greek music, jazz and (once more) Beethoven’s piano works co-exist with touches of Skalkottas irony and deep desolation.’
The Suite no.2 (1941) balances freely composed movements such as the ‘largo’ and the ‘rhapsody’ with more traditional dance movements such as the ‘gavotte’ and the ‘march.’ Listeners will be reminded of Alban Berg’s Piano Sonata, op.1 in its ‘expressionist’ mood. Beethoven is the inspiration behind the Suite no.3 (1941). In fact, the movement titles are very similar to the Piano Sonata op.26. Beethoven placed the ‘variations’ first, followed by the ‘scherzo’: Skalkottas reverses this. The ‘Marcia funebra’ is deeply felt and desolate. The finale is vivacious in mood, in total contrast to what has just preceded it. For the final Suite no.4 (1941) the Skalkottas turned his mind towards Mozart, at least in the short, but quite lovely ‘andantino’. Baroque is to the fore in the opening ‘toccata, whilst he uses the rhythm of the tango in the ‘polka’ which fuses an ‘old’ and a ‘new’ dance. The Suite ends with sad Serenade and another of Skalkottas’s ‘dark codas.’
The final work on the disc is the premiere recording of Skalkottas’s ‘Dance Suite’ for piano, The Gnomes. Enthusiasts may recall an orchestral version with this title on the BIS label (BISCD1364), issued in 2004. There is a difference. Around 1939 Skalkottas produced a short-score of a ‘Dance Suite’ for the Koula Pratsika dance school in Athens. This was to have accompanied her Christmas show. The intention was that he would orchestrate it for a chamber ensemble. Perhaps it was deemed too ‘difficult’ or ‘advanced.’ It was put aside and instead Skalkottas arranged several small piano pieces by Bartok, Stravinsky and some Greek folk music. It was given the title The Gnomes. In 2015 the holograph of the original (discarded version) turned up at the Skalkottas Archives in Athens and was subsequently edited by Yannis Samprovalakis. It is this that is heard here. The music divides into two parts. The first has seven sections or tableaux and second only three. Skalkottas makes use of a Greek Christmas carol as well as other elements of folk music. Much of the music has complex, often bitonal harmonies, three-part-counterpoint, powerful rhythms and surprisingly attractive melodies. Every so often, the prevailing dissonance gives way to something almost Rachmaninovian in mood. It is a fascinating piece; however, I can see why Koula Pratsika may have found it less than suitable for her Christmas Pageant. It is stunningly played here by Lorenda Ramou.
The detailed liner notes by the present pianist are excellent and deserve study. They are presented in English, German, French and Greek. Not only has Ramou selected this varied programme, but she has done considerable research into Skalkottas’s ‘aesthetics’ of piano performance. Although I have not heard this music before and therefore have nothing to compare Ramou’s recital with, I feel that she is an ideal interpreter of Skalkottas’s music. Just about every single bar seems to be an eloquent testimony to the composer’s achievement. The music as played here, is absorbing, sometimes quite beautiful, exciting and always interesting, from a technical and an aesthetic perspective. The cleverly wrought balance between Schoenbergian expressionism and ‘Mediterranean warmth’ is always an admirable characteristic of Nikos Skalkottas.
John France
