Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909)
Iberia (1905-1909)
Nelson Goerner (piano)
rec. live, July 2021, Flagey, Brussels, Belgium
ALPHA CLASSICS 829 [83]
Albéniz’s last work, Iberia, is one of the masterpieces of twentieth century piano music. It consists of twelve pieces, divided into four books of three works each, and lasts for an hour and twenty minutes. The individual pieces are evocations of various regions of Spain. Albéniz draws on traditional Spanish dances and contrasts these with a copla, the melody to which verses are sung. However, these pieces are not superficial Spanishry but are superbly composed short tone poems for the piano. They are also extremely, fantastically, difficult to play, and the mere sight of the printed page may make a pianist gasp and sigh. However, the virtuosity required does not depend so much on strength and stamina as on extreme nimbleness and flexibility of the fingers. Albéniz drew from Liszt but also from Debussy and Ravel, and was fond of requiring the interlacing of fingers, exchanging a melody between the hands and surrounding it with intricate ornament both above and below. Add to that that he had big hands and could comfortably stretch tenths, and you can see that the work presents a considerable challenge.
For many years, the acknowledged supreme exponent of this work was the Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha, who recorded it three times. Her first recording, originally for Hispavox, then on EMI, is perhaps the more fiery, her two later ones, for Decca, arguably more subtle, but all are superb, and all those who care for the work should have at least one of these. I shall therefore treat her as hors concours and consider Nelson Goerner’s new version as a possible alternative view, without comparing him to her.
He brings to these works not only the immaculate technique that is needed merely to negotiate the notes but also a fine poetic sensibility and commendable care in voicing, in pedalling and in phrasing. He is fairly free with rubato and relaxed about polyrhythms when they occur, so that they may not be mathematically precise and he sometimes even slightly desynchronizes his hands. All this is quite probably what Albéniz expected and intended. The faster pieces also require a good deal of rhythmic vitality, with sudden irregular accents and crisp staccatos and these he can provide also.
On the individual pieces, in the first book Evocación gets us off to a dreamy start, with careful observance of dynamics – much of this piece is marked pianissimo. In El Puerto it takes Goerner a moment or two to get into his stride, but the three component themes are nicely contrasted. With El Corpus en Sevilla we get the first really big climax, which has to be notated on three staves and which rings out splendidly. After its second appearance there is a fantastically intricate passage with interlaced hands and I noted that he slowed slightly (I believe Rubinstein used to omit some notes here).
In the second book Rondeña is characterized by the constant alternation of 6/8 and 3/4 rhythms (think Holst’s Mercury), which is neatly despatched. Almería is a gentle piece, and I think that these pieces suit Goerner best, though this, like the others, has its complexities and its big climax. Triana is skittish and sounds suitably lighthearted.
El Albaicin opens the third book with a guitar imitation – Albéniz actually never wrote for the guitar, though many of his pieces have been arranged for it. The contrasting copla is melancholy and haunting. El Polo is obsessive and rhythmic, with some very intricate writing with interlaced and crossed hands in remote keys. Lavapiés features a habañera and is exuberant with bravura Lisztian writing.
Málaga, which begins the final book, has a long and winding theme set over the rhythms of a malagueña, and I particularly admired the way Goerner shaped this. Even finer was his account of Jérez, one of the gentler pieces. This I thought outstanding. The final Eritaña is cheerful, and Goerner nicely varies the repeated returns of the main theme.
I became increasingly taken with Goerner’s interpretation of Iberia as I progressed through the work. There is no one right way to play a work such as this, and even Alicia de Larrocha should not have a monopoly on it. I thought Goerner’s account was a very viable alternative. No problems with the recording. The fact that it has been accommodated on one disc – most recordings run over to two – is a bonus.
Stephen Barber
