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Anton RUBINSTEIN (1829-1894)
Music for Piano Four Hands - Volume 2
Bal Costumé, Op.103 – Suite de morceaux caractéristiques pour piano à quatre mains
Duo Pianistico di Firenze
rec. August 2018, Accademia Bartolomeo Cristofori, Florence, Italy
First recording
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 95965 [2 CDs: 128:08]

I bought volume 1 of this series some years ago and had actually begun to wonder if there would ever be a volume 2. Luckily, Brilliant Classics have decided to continue the series with the first complete recording of Rubinstein’s enormous suite for piano duet, Bal Costumé. The work itself consists of twenty dances and is a musical representation of the sort of masked balls which took place in the fashionable cities of Europe at the time. Each of these twenty sections is based on a dancing couple and is a depiction of music from a different time period, so we have eighteenth dances from the 12^th to the 18^th centuries represented, not in any particular sequence, plus an introductory part and an extensive final dance sequence.

To start with, the opening number is an introduction and is not associated with any particular time period. It bounces along very powerfully – something which is a common feature across both discs and the whole suite. This is also the longest piece on the first disc and contains a significant number of difficulties for both pianists. Then follows a short 16^th century piece which starts innocuously enough with some oddly sinister writing in the bass before cheering up with some very insistent rhythms which keep appearing in different guises across both keyboards. The work has a strange dislocated quality and is very odd. The third part of the work is an 18^th century dance which is far more regular and is really rather charming, and contains some interesting Scottish-sounding drone effects and some very difficult sounding music for the pianists. The tune, which is concentrated in the bass, seems to gradually destabilise as the work continues before a more settled last half minute or so and a very cleverly put together ending. This is a very pretty little part of this work and is rather lovely. A dance entitled “Marquis and Marquise – 18^th century” follows, this seems like a nice evocation of a stately dance from that period with each partner represented and grows in complexity with some lovely accompaniment providing nice counterpoint to the main tune. Around two-and-a-half minutes in, the mood changes to reflect the Marquise rather than the Marquis before returning to the statelier opening material. Overall, it’s rather sparkly and fun and nicely put together. The fifth in the set is a rapid Italian style dance which starts off sounding Tarantella-like, although it’s not strictly described as much. This opening is certainly very jolly and the slightly askew rhythmic interplay between the pianists is handled extremely well. On headphones, you can hear which pianist is playing which part – especially in the development section which seems to ping the tune from one soloist to the other; it’s all rather fun! The middle part is much more restrained and rather sentimental before giving way to more boisterous, but much less Italianate music to conclude the piece. Piece no.6 has the subtitle of “Chevalier et Chatelaine, 17^th century” and is another more extended piece lasting 7’13’’. This begins in a celebratory fashion with plenty of mock fanfares from one of the pianists, presumably representing the Chevalier and his Knightly attributes. His counterpart is much more relaxed and contains much of interest and some very delicate and beautiful playing from the duo, with the odd hint of something more powerful harking back to the Chevalier. This abruptly ceases with some very virtuosic writing about three and a half minutes in, which sounds as if it could represent a battle (according to the notes). After that brief interlude, the Knight returns to end the piece in a suitably heroic fashion. The seventh piece of the set has a very distinctly Spanish edge to it and is subtitled “Toreador et Andalouse”. The opening is quite sedate before the middle part which whirls past very rapidly – there is some very high-spirited music here before the more restrained material from the opening returns only to be interrupted by jollity from the Andalusian music to complete this little gem. There is some lovely playing here and the atmosphere is spot on. Next follows a sedate section (Pèlerin et Fantaisie) which initially plods along in quite a four-square way but this stops and there is a rather beautiful arpeggiated section which segues nicely into the march again. This happens a lot of times in this short work although it develops into something more fantastic towards the end of the piece. The following “Polonais et Polonaise” (in the 17^th century style) is rather fun – full of the familiar rhythm found in the Polish dance. I really like this part of the work – it has a sunny outlook and even the minor key section in the middle isn’t especially tragic. The tune itself is memorable and will stick in your head. There is a lot of work for both pianists here and both of them cope magnificently with the demands the composer puts on them. The next section of the work is rather strange – it’s titled “Bojard et Bojarde” (XVI century) and begins with some rather austere music which then transmutes into a well-known 16^th century folk song which is far cheerier and brings a much-needed happy conclusion. The 11^th part of this massive work and the last piece on disc 1 is another more extended piece lasting just over seven and a half minutes, representing a Cossack and a little Russian. As you might expect, it is built up of some very Russian sounding music and proceeds melancholically for the first minute or so before changing tack completely and becoming more cheerful. This happier theme continues with some rather interesting variations, each separated by a short cadenza-like section before the introduction of some very bouncy, happy and quite mad music about half way thorough. This continues, becoming increasingly frenzied and reintroducing themes from earlier in the piece until suddenly the whole lot is wound up into a crazy whirlwind of notes to conclude the work. There is some very memorable and fun music in the first disc of this set and some will really stick in your head.

Disc 2 begins with another 18^th century dance, called “Pacha et Aimée”. This piece has a strange eastern flavour to it and puts me in mind of some of Saint-Saëns’ African-inspired works. It’s a very strange piece with unexpected key changes and some rather interesting harmonies. Having said that, the middle part is more conventional and more relaxed in nature. Here, the accompaniment is really rather charming and the tune is very memorable. A more Arabic-sounding tune with numerous repeated notes returns to lead to a further repeat of the opening material to form the end of the piece. It’s a rather marvellous little work with plenty of material to hold the interest and it is superbly played throughout. The next part is the longest piece in the suite (aside from the final “Danses”) and lasts for over ten minutes. This is inspired by music from the Court of Henry III but does not specifically mention whether it refers to the King of France or the King of England - both of whom went by the same name of Henry III. Anyway, that is of no matter, as this piece is unique in the set in that it includes three people in the dance. The opening is quite serious and does sound very baroque in style before this gives way to a more relaxed sounding section which has a hint of a Handel’s Sarabande from Almira (as memorably arranged by Liszt, S.181). The music then picks up the pace and becomes rather energetic and bouncing. This sunny mood continues for some moments before settling down again with a gently flowing section with some charming playing by the pianists. This is finally interrupted with some more knightly sounding music interspersed with my jumping about which leads to the end of this section. This piece moves effortlessly through various differing moods and keys and requires several listenings to get used to. There is a lot of material here and, despite its rather complicated structure, the whole section works really well. This is helped by the superb playing of the pianists who make you want to sit and listen out for what is coming next. Part 13 is entitled “Sauvage et Indienne 15^th Century” and, like the earlier “Pache et Aimée”, contains some crazy piano writing, full of fanfares, jollity and some quite Lisztian writing for the piano. It’s another earworm-filled piece and is brilliantly played. After the madness of the proceeding piece, the “Patricien allemande et Damoiselle” begins far more sedately and far more germanically. There is more lovely writing here with some very pretty figurations for the pianists to content with. This atmosphere remains for the first two minutes or so before the pace picks up and a small interlude containing more energetic music intrudes, only to be replaced with some utterly beguiling music which is bedecked in arpeggios and is gorgeous. This abruptly stops and the plodding Patrician’s music returns from the opening which transforms into more amiable music and ends peacefully. If it were possible to describe a “once upon a time” tune, the opening of the following work sounds to me as if it would do a super job. This is another shorter part lasting about five minutes and is another 18^th century dance about a knight and his partner. This is, overall, a light hearted piece full of complex piano writing with more flirtatious music relating to the Soubrette. It’s a really satisfying little dance and works really well. The two pianists really spark off one another here and it works splendidly. The following work (Corsaire et femme grecque, 17^th century) is much more of a romp – a hunt with a more peaceful interlude which doesn’t stop the merriment. As the notes say, the tonality of this central section is more settled which brings more of a sense of peace and she dances along before the huntsman blunders in again only to be interrupted by a very beautiful section before, he again intrudes. Some of the music here is actually rather funny and will put a smile on your face as you listen. Part 17 of the suite is full of strange off-beat playing and has a Neapolitan flavour as well as some mock serious, pompous, march-like music in the trio which all adds nicely to the mix. Overall, this is a rather cheerful, interesting piece which. It’s all superbly laid out for the two pianists who do a great job of holding the elements together. You might find yourself smiling while listening to this as the energy is infectious. The ending is especially mad – full of bouncing configurations and a burst of frenzied activity. The penultimate dance is entitled “Troubadour et Dame souveraine, 13^th century” and is initially cleverly built from answering phrases, as tunes are bounced from one pianist to the other. The atmosphere changes about two minutes in to something more restrained and this section contains some lovely music. Once this has run its course and the next section presents itself, there are more Lisztian hints here in the changes in key. The undemonstrative opening music returns again and acts as an interlude prior to the last few minutes which are beautiful and peaceful in nature as the work slowly winds down to its conclusion. Rubinstein’s concluding “Danses” section is the longest and most complex of the entire suite and requires some very challenging virtuosity from both the pianists. It opens with a grand-sounding waltz before it morphs into a Polka and finally a mad Galop. The opening Waltz is really rather fun, full of happy writing and good cheer. The central part of it sounds like an extension to a waltz which would not sound out of place in a Tchaikovsky ballet before a strange transitional passage full of virtuosic descending motifs occurs. This doesn’t last too long before the merry waltz theme returns before coming to an abrupt halt with some very daft sounding figuration. This slightly crazy motif winds itself up into an opening theme and at 6’49’’ the Polka starts. It’s a blatantly cheerful work that will make you smile - it’s utterly charming and wonderful. Even the central section contains moments of amusement and adds to the overall sense of fun. The ending is strange as it just transmogrifies directly into the concluding Galop. This is again jovial and happy and the slower central section, despite sounding calmer still has the capability to make you smile. The bonkers Galop theme returns to round things off in a whirl of virtuoso piano writing for both pianists who will have had a quite a work out playing this.

As the notes say, due to its length and the difficulty of the piano writing, the work has never become popular in any way and, like much of Rubinstein’s other works, hasn’t been performed in public regularly for decades. Maybe one of the reasons for this is that sometimes Rubinstein has an unfortunate habit of over-repeating himself so that an initially brilliant and witty idea is rather done to death and can become too over familiar – although this is not the case with this work. It’s not maybe a disc to listen to in one go and is better absorbed over many listenings. That said, there is much excellent and interesting music here, all rather buoyantly played by the Duo Pianistico di Firenze who clearly work superbly together. I would also urge listeners to investigate volume 1 (reviewed here) as well as it contains the masterpiece that is the Op.89 Sonata for piano duet, again played by the same duo and with similar joie di vivre. I am hoping it won’t be too long before we have a volume 3 as there is plenty of unrecorded music for these forces by this obscure composer left to record.

Jonathan Welsh

Performers: Sara Bartolucci and Rodolfo Alessandrini