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From Italy to Russia Domenico SCARLATTI (1685-1757)
Sonata in E major K.380 [5:35]
Sonata in G minor K.546 [5:51]
Sonata in E major K.531 [3:30] Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Italian Concerto BWV 971 (1735) [13:19] Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881) Pictures from [sic] an Exhibition (1874)
[32:20] From Memories of Childhood: Nanny and I (1865) [1:43] Meditation: Album Leaf (1880) [2:40] Hopak (1880) [1:43]
CD includes a conversation between Daniel Beliavsky and Professor
Ulysses Kidgi
Daniel Beliavsky
(piano - Steinway)
rec. 8-9June 2003, Fine Arts Recital Hall, University of Wisconsin,
Milwaukee. DDD SONATABOP.COM
SB002 [73:46]
This CD opens with my all-time favourite Scarlatti Sonata (K.380)
so I was off to a great start. In fact it is one I can play … after
a fashion. And strangely the recital ends with another short
piece that is just about in my gift – the Hopak (Gopak)
by Mussorgsky. Yet that is where the pianistic connection
between Daniel Beliavsky and me ends: at least from the technical
point of view!
The CD programme notes explain that the pianist regards this
recital as a journey – both musically and geographically. He
writes that the Scarlatti can be seen as the exposition of the
recital,
the Bach as the development and Pictures as the encore!
The problem facing any enthusiast of Scarlatti is immense – the
sheer volume of Sonatas makes it exceedingly difficult
to get to know them well. There are more than 550 of them
in
the catalogue – virtually all composed for the Portuguese
Princess Maria Barbara. Beliavsky has chosen three Sonatas that
allow the listener fully to appreciate the considerable emotional
range and diversity of style that the composer brings to
his music. Although sometimes looking ‘easy’ in the score,
every single note of Scarlatti is a challenge to the pianist.
The wide span of mood requires a considerable virtuosity
and technique. Interestingly some scholars believe that
the arbitrary numbering system of these Sonatas – from
1 to 551 belies their true nature. It is possible that Scarlatti
played these works in pairs as opposed to independent pieces;
this would have followed the contemporary practice of other
Italian composers. It is hardly surprising then that when three are
played together, the effect is compelling. Those that Beliavsky
has chosen for this disc make up what could almost be regarded
as a ‘sonata in three movements’! The choice balances mood,
key and pace. The playing is superb and to my ear, the opening Sonata -
my favourite! - is as satisfying as the recording by Horowitz!
The second and third are no less well played. And that is
certainly saying something
The Bach Italian Suite is one of the greatest works
of keyboard literature. It was originally entitled a Concerto in
the Italian Manner and was first published in 1735. It
was composed for harpsichord with two keyboards and was conceived
in the three movement form that prevailed in Italy at that
time. Whether this is an arrangement of an ‘orchestral’ concerto
or is something “existing entirely in the composer’s mind’,
the work succeeds in contrasting the roles of the different ‘groups’ of
instruments. Of course this is relatively easy when using
the two manual harpsichord. However it calls for great sensitivity
when played on a Steinway Concert Grand. The opening movement
contrasts the strong orchestral tuttis with a more contrapuntal
working out on the keyboard. The ‘andante’ is truly romantic – in
spite of its Baroque dates! There is a fine balance of drama
and poetry here; melody is to the fore in what is a truly
moving piece. The last movement once again exploits the relationship
between the ‘orchestra’ and the ‘soloist’. The work ends
confidently.
This is perhaps one of the most difficult of the ‘well known’ Bach
master-works to bring off successfully – yet there is no
doubt that Beliavsky is totally successful. Every bar and
every note convinces me that he is master of this work and
is not mastered by it!
Modest Mussorgsky was the last of the Great Russian Five
composers; Balakirev, Borodin, Cui and Rimsky-Korsakov being
the other
four. He is best known for three works – the orchestral Night
on the Bare Mountain, the opera Boris Godunov and
of course Pictures at an Exhibition – or as Beliavsky
insists ‘from an Exhibition.’ This latter work is perhaps
best known in its stunning orchestral arrangement by Maurice
Ravel. Equally impressive is the rock realisation by the
great E.L.P. (Emerson, Lake & Palmer). However the original
version for piano solo is totally convincing and deserving
of our attention. It is the composer’s only serious piano
work, yet he manages to write music that is the equal of
Liszt and Robert Schumann. The work was written as a tribute
to Mussorgsky’s friend Victor Hartmann who was a well known
artist and architect. At this artist’s retrospective exhibition,
the composer was strolling around the art gallery admiring
the paintings and was struck by the notion of writing a number
of short pieces describing them. There are ten musical portraits,
but the clever bit is the interlude, the Promenade that
joins the works together. This supposedly represented the
composer himself “roving right and left, now desultorily,
now briskly, in order to get near to the pictures that caught
his attention”. A number of the paintings no longer survive
and those that do are hardly regarded as masterpieces. Yet
it seems sufficient that they have inspired one of the world’s
favourite pieces of classical music!
I have heard the piano version of ‘Pictures’ a number of times. Conventional
wisdom states that it is not a particularly pianistic work – hence
its suitability for Ravel’s transcription. I have some sympathy
with that view preferring, if I am honest, the arrangements
by Leopold Stokowski. Yet listening to Daniel Beliavsky play
this music has made me start to re-evaluate this judgment.
The jury is out at the moment but I can safely say that the
performance given here is impressive, stunning, revelatory
and downright powerful.
The CD concludes with the gorgeous - even if a little sentimental
- Nanny and I from Memories of Childhood. There
is also the little performed Album Leaf which although
pleasant is hardly great music.
Finally Beliavsky plays the Hopak or as my music edition gives
it, Gopak. It is a wonderful piece – well suited to
an encore. It moves with gusto and even a slight bit of ‘swing’.
It might just make me sit down at the piano and have another
go!
Interestingly the CD ends with the renowned Professor Ulysses
Kidgi and the pianist discussing the historical background
of Pictures.
This is well worth listening to – even if some of the views
expressed are somewhat ‘novel’. Kidgi was just about to
go to his book signing: a 3500 page tome about …! He has
a few moments to debate serious musical issues. Enjoyable
and informative in a weird kind of way!
A great CD that explores a wide variety of music. It is a long journey
from the subtlety of Scarlatti to the powerful sweep of Mussorgsky
via the technically complex Bachian masterpiece. Beliavsky
approaches each work with great technical skill, scholarship
and sensitivity.
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