Op. 11 represents Schoenberg’s gradual move away from tonality. In the
first piece we notice reminiscences of Brahms and classical form, and
Napolitano gives a dreamy feel to the start. Soon this becomes interspersed
with more rhythmic and fiery interjections which are well and clearly
articulated.
Perhaps Claude Helffer gives a more dramatic performance on Harmonia
Mundi. It is certainly quicker and fleet of foot, with very rhythmic but
shapely playing. He plays with passion. He also takes the second movement
somewhat faster than Napolitano and this helps maintain flow and structure.
Napolitano also gives a good account and the recording is fine, though a
touch boxy at times.
Better recorded on L’empreinte digitale is Michel Maurer, who gives a very
lyrical account of the first movement but is no less dramatic than the
others. The best recorded version is from Roland Pöntinen on BIS. The
acoustic is warm and romantic, very appropriate for this music but BIS also
copes admirably with the huge dynamic range demanded by the composer.
Pöntinen plays with real lyricism where needed but the third movement is
very fiery and dramatic and recorded with great clarity.
Sechs kleine Klavierstücke Op. 19 are characterised by the
concentration of a realm of expressive possibilities in pieces of great
brevity. Napolitano pays meticulous attention to every tiny detail. Her
chosen tempi are very good and she accurately captures the mood. The final
piece, written by Schoenberg following Mahler’s funeral, is exquisitely
played. I am surprised to find the wide variety of tempi adopted by
different players in this work. Paul Jacobs on Nonesuch makes much greater
contrast with the speeds than Napolitano. His
Sehr langsam of
movement 3 really is slow, and movement 4 is crystal clear with its
virtuosic final bars glittering.
Napolitano makes the most of the lyrical aspect in the first piece of
Klavierstücke Op. 23 but she is equally effective in the more fiery
and explosive moments. The third piece, marked
Langsam, begins with
a five-note motif, like a kind of precursor of the 12-note series which
Schoenberg developed in the last movement and in Op. 25. I am struck by the
meticulous detail which Napolitano gives her realisation of this and,
indeed, all the movements. Every performance direction marked by Schoenberg
is carefully observed and she has obviously spent a long time in
preparation. There are a myriad different and subtle levels of
staccato and articulation, dynamics and tempo changes.
Roland Pöntinen plays a slower
Sehr langsam first movement than
Napolitano, but I like the warmer sound of the Odradek recording and
Napolitano gives the music more forward propulsion. In piece 4, Napolitano
gives an exciting rendition and her explosive climaxes are convincingly
approached, whilst the concluding
Waltz dances along
effectively.
The Suite Op. 25, whilst moving forward to serialism in the last movement,
refers back to the Baroque Suite. The opening
Präludium feels
improvisatory though it is meticulously organised and Napolitano brings it
to a fiery and energetic conclusion. The ensuing
Gavotte feels a
bit more dance-like and has the form and shape we would expect. The sudden
fortes and accents deny the feelings of grace and charm we would
expect in a Baroque dance movement but the
Musette is witty, even
amusing and at times delicate with lovely textures. The
Intermezzo
is the emotional centre of the work, slow, expressive and intense.
Napolitano certainly gets to the heart of this music. The
Menuett and
Trio attempts to be more capricious, but maybe its complexity is too
much for its own good. It is superbly played by Napolitano who is, as
always, meticulous in following the composer’s directions. The concluding
Gigue is a virtuosic
tour de force of virtuosity and our
pianist is well able to do justice to this movement’s great performance
difficulties. She concludes her disc with fine and exhilarating accounts of
Opp. 33a and 33b.
After having listened to most of Schoenberg’s music from time to time
throughout my life, I have certainly come to admire it greatly and it can be
a very refreshing change to hear music of this period. I have also taught
some of the piano music, as well as discussing and analysing serial works
with A level students. In spite of constantly trying, I still find it very
difficult to really like or enjoy it, let alone love it or have any real
desire to listen to it. However, I am still trying and Pina Napolitano’s
recording on Odradek may be a good place to start. The pieces are superbly
played and the disc is well-recorded.
If you are new to this music it might be a good idea to go for a recording
which also includes the Berg Sonata which is a bit more approachable,
probably because of its more romantic nature. Roland Pöntinen’s recording is
very fine and offers good value as it includes the Berg (BIS-CD-1417). Peter
Hill’s account on Naxos is very good, too, and includes not only the Berg
but also a delicate and attractive performance of Webern’s Piano Variations
Op. 27 (8.553870 –
review).
To some extent, Schoenberg remained a romantic composer in spite of his
route towards increasing atonality and serialism. In her programme note,
Pina Napolitano states that she hopes that she succeeds in conveying the
expressive and romantic force of Schoenberg’s music. I think we can say that
she has achieved her goal.
Geoffrey Molyneux
Previous review:
Paul Corfield Godfrey
