Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
Piano Concerto no.1 in F sharp minor op.1 (1891 rev- 1917) [28:44]
Piano Concerto no.4 in G minor op.40 (1926 rev. 1941) [27:04]
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini op. 43 (1934) [24:48]
Noriko Ogawa (piano)
Malmö Symphony Orchestra/Owain Arwel Hughes
rec. June 1998 (op.40), November 1998 (op.43), June 2001 (op.1), Malmö
Concert Hall, Sweden
BIS-CD-975 [81:44]
Ogawa’s playing is effortlessly fluent, limpidly clear in its delineation
of Rachmaninov’s multi-tiered textures, bold and forceful where necessary
while leaving an abiding impression of gentle poetry, naturally musical and
free-flowing in her control of tempi and rubato.
I could leave it that. It all depends on what you expect from these concertos.
If you believe that Rachmaninov is a “perfect” composer whose
work, like Mozart’s or Beethoven’s, is best represented by the
most accurate and stylistic realization of the score as possible, then this
is what you get. You might feel, though, that Rachmaninov’s concertos
are more in the line of Anton Rubinstein’s, D’Albert’s,
Scharwenka’s et al, pianist-composers’ vehicles for their own
artistry, empty vessels requiring the performer’s personal input to
bring them to life. Maybe the supreme examples of their kind, but of their
kind nonetheless. In that case you will miss something you will find in Rachmaninov
himself, Moiseiwitsch in the Rhapsody and, signally and uniquely, Michelangeli
in Concerto 4. This latter provides, without distortion of the musical line,
an intense (self-)dramatization of every moment, once-heard never forgotten
and hard to live without. The solo flourish leading to the final grand statement
of the big theme at the end of the finale, and the peroration itself, are
the sort of events that are likely to seem unduly plain-sailing in Ogawa’s
agreeable hands. The reverse side of the coin is that, if you find Rachmaninov’s
neuroses, his doleful introspection and his hysterical climaxes objectionable,
Ogawa may provide a Rachmaninov you can relate to. Her 18th variation
in the Rhapsody is typically not a Hollywood blockbuster, though there is
genuine warmth of feeling behind it. But I think Moiseiwitsch was better at
showing how to strip it of vulgarity while preserving the grease-paint.
Ogawa has been hailed by many - including myself, repeatedly on MusicWeb International
- as one of today’s foremost Debussy interpreters. I also thought she
got all there was to get out of Tcherepnin’s concertos. Rachmaninov
seems to require something she cannot completely supply. But here’s
a conundrum. Does this disc, released in 2012, represent the height of Ogawa’s
achievement today? Look at the dates. Shortly on the heels of her 1997 coupling
of Rachmaninov’s 2nd And 3rd concertos, warmly
but not gushingly received, she completed the cycle and there it’s been
sitting, dormant, for over a decade. Her Debussy cycle, too, was completed
by a 5th volume actually recorded before the 1st. In
this case BIS explained that, since volume 5 contained Debussy’s early
works, it had been decided to hold it while she recorded the major cycles
of Preludes, Images etc. In the present case, I just don’t see what
they are playing at. If there were doubts about this disc 11 years ago, why
has it surfaced now? Why not give us her latest thoughts on the concertos,
which for all I know may answer my reservations expressed above? It is difficult
not to wonder if something has not gone badly wrong and Ogawa today for some
reason could not match, let alone surpass, these performances, and knows it.
Yet her career continues and her Debussy cycle was released in a box containing
a newly recorded performance of the Fantaisie that hardly suggests declining
powers. All very puzzling. One begins to wonder how many more unreleased Ogawa
performances lie in the BIS vaults. Maybe she has already re-recorded the
works here, for release around 2030.
Recording is excellent and orchestral support is reliable, but this disc raises
questions that will only be answered by new recordings from the artist.
Christopher Howell
This disc raises questions that will only be answered by new recordings from
the artist.
Robert von Bahr replies
Already with CD-900 (Rach PC 2+3) we had to twist some arms and call in a
few favours to get it released, since it was the world's first CD in excess
of 80 mins.
With 975 (Rach PC the rest) we had the problem that it wasn't technically
possible to release it as a single CD, the playing time being 81'44. I, however,
counted on the hope that this would eventually be possible, and it was - eventually.
When it was made possible, we put it back some time as to not coincide with
other recordings of the same repertoire with other artists, until we felt
we could wait no more. Hence the difference between recording and release
dates. Thankfully we are talking about "evergreen" music and our
recording technique was advanced enough already then to be able to - proudly
at that - present the result now, both as a CD and as a high-res download
at eclassical.com.
So, there is no "conspiration theory" behind this, just a way to
serve to the Public the most possible music on one single disc and not having
to pay double copyrights for nothing (as would have been the case, even had
we offered it up as a twofer) and littering the world with even more plastic.
There are no "hidden recordings" in our archives - at least not
by Ms Ogawa. On the contrary, November will see a release of the 3 most famous
Mozart Sonatas, recorded last year, in Hybrid SACD format. She is in top form
as a pianist and a musician, and we expect her to spread her light for a long
time more, why, she isn't even near 50 yet.
......................................................................................
Christopher Howell
I'm delighted that all is well with Ms. Ogawa, whose Debussy I have praised
on many occasions, and in view of her very recent Debussy Fantaisie I did
not really doubt it, but my query is one that might occur to anyone purchasing
the CD, so I think it all to the good to have the point raised and then answered.
But still, ten years in the career of a developing artist can be a long time
and I can't help wondering how Ms. Ogawa plays these works today - as I also
wonder how she now plays the Debussy works on volume 1 which also dates back
a decade. In the meantime I look forward to her Mozart.
Masterwork Index: Rachmaninov
Piano concertos & Paganini variations