As can be seen above,
Ginastera wrote works for piano throughout his entire composing
life. However, a good deal of it was composed during his early
nationalistic period and is replete with folksong and folk-inflection.
His early piano works show the young composer grappling with
various influences including Debussy, Ravel and Bartók, although
the latter’s influence will play a much more important part
in the mature works. So, most of the early works speak for themselves
and do not call for much comment, the more so that they are
fairly well-known through various earlier recordings including
those made several years ago by Barbara Nissman on Newport Classic.
Nevertheless, this complete recording of Ginastera’s piano output
includes a few works that have never appeared before, although
they do not add that much to his reputation. These are quite
enjoyable and certainly well worth having. Although I was aware
of the existence of a set titled Piezas infantiles
composed in 1934 but apparently withdrawn by the composer, I
was totally unaware of a second set seemingly composed in 1942.
These delightful short suites, as well as the unfinished Danzas
argentinas para los niños, do not pale
when compared to some other, better-known pieces such as the
early Danzas argentinas Op.2, the Suite
de danzas criollas Op.15 and the Rondo sobre temas
infantiles argentinas Op.19; and all these straightforward
and simple pieces are as satisfying to play as to listen to:
the mark of a true master. Of the other early works, mention
may be made of Malambo Op.7 (1940) and Pequeña
danza (1955), both from the ballet Estancia Op.8,
and of Milonga Op.3 No.1, actually based on the
song Canción para él árbol del olvido.
The 12 Preludios americanos Op.12 (1944) are the
summing-up of Ginastera’s so-called first period. Some of them
are short tributes to friends (Aaron Copland and Villa-Lobos);
others take the form of etudes. The set as a whole clearly shows
how far Ginastera has progressed over the years since his first
Argentine pieces.
After 1945 Ginastera
reached his maturity and, although his music was still imbued
with folk elements, these were now considerably more subtle
and more integrated into the composer’s thinking in a way comparable
to Bartók’s so-called ‘imaginary folklore’. This is the case
of his three piano sonatas (1952, 1981 and 1983). Both the Piano
Sonata No.1 Op.22 and the Piano Sonata No.2
Op.53 written thirty years later are amongst Ginastera’s
masterpieces. In these powerfully eloquent works the folk elements
are sublimated and serve as rhythmic and formal patterns on
which Ginastera developed tightly knit harmonic and formal structures.
The outer movements are often quite lively and full of vital
energy, whereas the slow movements undoubtedly hint at Bartók’s
‘night music’ movements, albeit with Ginastera’s entirely personal
accent. The Piano Sonata No.3 Op.55 is Ginastera’s
last completed work. It was composed for and dedicated to Barbara
Nissman. It is a short, compact piece in toccata style of great
verve, all over in the space of five minutes.
This complete recording
of Ginastera’s piano music also offers the composer’s works
for organ. These are very rarely heard, let alone recorded;
and this adds considerable extra value to this most welcome
set. Toccata, Villancico y Fuga Op.18 was completed
in 1947. In this work, the models are no longer to be found
in folk music, but rather in the Baroque, although Ginastera
firmly puts his own personal imprint on the music. The central
Villancico (a Christmas carol) is particularly beautiful.
Much later, in 1980, Ginastera composed his substantial Variazioni
e Toccata sopra “Aurora lucis
rutilat” Op.52. Compared to the earlier work,
this is a truly virtuosic work bearing all the fingerprints
of mature Ginastera. It is a demanding, but strongly gripping
piece of music that compares most favourably with some of Messiaen’s
organ works. I am in no doubt about it: it is one of his great
masterpieces but complex and demanding, which is why it is not
likely to be heard very often. I hope though that this fine
performance will fire the imagination of other organists.
This generously filled
set is a splendid achievement by both Naxos and Viani. Here we
have the complete keyboard output by one of the 20th
century’s greatest composers. As such it also provides a comprehensive
survey of Ginastera’s stylistic evolution over the years, from
short folk-inflected pieces to substantial mature works such as
the three piano sonatas and the magnificent Variazioni e
Toccata Op.52.
Hubert Culot
see also Review
by Glyn Pursglove
Fernando Viani
(piano and organa) 
