Arnold SCHOENBERG (1874-1951)
Suite for Klavier Op.25 [15:25]
BRAHMS:
7 Fantasien Op.116
interspersed with
Arnold SCHOENBERG: 6 kleinen Klavierstücken Op.19 [28:36]
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Variations and Fugue on a Theme
of Handel Op.24 [26:36]
Shai Wosner (piano)
rec. Friedberg Hall, Peabody Institute, Baltimore, USA, 12-14 January 2010.
Stereo. DDD
ONYX 4055 [70:43]
Brahms and Schoenberg have much in common, their historicism, their devotion
to the Austro-German canon, their learning, the Viennese pedigree of their
works ... but the one thing that would seem to separate them is the noise
their music makes.
Shai Wosner is evidently out to prove that contention wrong. The centrepiece
of this programme is a performance of the Brahms Op.116 Fantasias interspersed
with Schoenberg's Op.19 piano pieces. Does it work? Well, yes the musical
coherency and intrigue of the result is undeniable. Historically the distance
is less than you might think, the Brahms being very late and the Schoenberg
relatively early. More important, perhaps, is the fact that the Schoenberg
is Expressionist rather than serial, and clearly owes much to Brahms' late
works. That said, you are very unlikely to confuse the two composers, the
issue of tonality - however loose - is the clear divider. There is also a
discipline about all of Brahms' piano music that Schoenberg rarely shares.
But Wosner is clearly soliciting individual opinions about the musical relationships
between the two composers, so you'll have to decide for yourself at what level,
if any, the musical styles meet.
This Op.116/Op.19 experiment is framed by two large works, each an early but
major contribution to the repertoire. To begin, we hear the Schoenberg Op.25
Suite, and for me this is the highlight of the disc. The work is historically
significant for being the first in which Schoenberg uses his serial technique
consistently from beginning to end. As is so often the case with historical
landmarks, it is studied and discussed far more than it is heard. That's a
real shame, because it is a great piece. It is one of those 20th
century works which is obviously very difficult to play, or rather to interpret,
but is also quite demure and so does not give the pianist many chances to
show off his skills. It is structured as a baroque suite with each of the
movements in dance form, but paradoxically, the rhythmic identities of each
of these dance genres are almost completely ignored and Schoenberg instead
injects energy and propulsion with his own more sophisticated rhythmic ideas.
The success of Wosner's performance is largely down to his feeling for the
detail. He really focuses in on the relationships between successive notes
and chords, which given the detail of Schoenberg's score is surely appropriate.
You get the feeling that the dynamic and placing of every note has been painstakingly
considered. And just as importantly, the music retains its immediacy and spontaneity,
even in the face of some heavy intellectualising from both the composer and
the pianist. It is a tricky balancing act to interpret this music effectively,
but Wosner is clearly up to the task.
The final work on the disc is the Brahms Handel Variations Op.24. Like the
Schoenberg Op.25, this represents the composer's first significant mature
contribution to the piano repertoire. Wosner takes a more laid-back approach
to this music, he lets the melodies sing more and doesn't worry so much about
the internal balance of the textures. This more lyrical approach is surely
what the music requires, but it sits uneasily with the programme's aims of
comparing Brahms and Schoenberg. The Brahms Op.25, especially when played
like this, is closer to Schumann or even Schubert. But if the Brahms/Schoenberg
idea does work - and I'm still undecided - it is because of the Brahms' multi-faceted
musical persona. He was both progressive and conservative, and it is to Wosner's
credit that he demonstrates both sides, both in his programming and in his
playing.
The audio here is excellent. The piano is recorded in a fairly resonant acoustic,
but the precision of Wosner's touch, of his articulation and of his pedalling,
is such that no details are lost. Wosner has done both composers a service
with this recording, but in the long run Schoenberg is going to come off better
for his attentions. The performance of the Op.25 Suite that opens this programme
is a real revelation. The Brahms is good too, but it is the Schoenberg I’ll
be returning to soonest.
Gavin Dixon
Wosner has done both composers a service with this recording, but in the long
run Schoenberg is going to come off better for his attentions.