BIS have done Sibelius proud with their monumental
Sibelius Edition, but even so I hope the 150th anniversary of the composer’s
birth focuses attention on works that aren’t so well known. The
symphonies and tone poems are concert and recording staples –
relatively speaking, that is – so it’s really encouraging
to see releases such as this. These piano pieces, which deserve to be
more widely heard, have the distinction of being played on the Steinway
grand (No. 171 261) presented to Sibelius on the occasion of his 50th
birthday in 1915.
The pianist on this recording is Folke Gräsbeck, who is closely associated
with the music of this composer. Not only is he artistic director of
the Sibelius in Korpo festival he also holds the Order of the Lion of
Finland and the Sibelius Medal of the Sibelius Society of Finland. I
first encountered this most engaging artist playing the piano and harmonium
parts in a recent set of Sibelius’s works for mixed choir (
review).
He also features in several instalments of the Sibelius Edition, notably
Vol.
4 and
Vol.
10.
Minutes into this generous collection and several things are clear.
First, Gräsbeck plays with an ease and affection that’s utterly
right for these pieces. Second, this ageing instrument is in very good
shape. And third, Take5’s producer and sound engineer Jens Braun
has conjured up the most tactile and truthful piano sound imaginable.
Every nuance and timbre is faithfully rendered; this is all the more
remarkable as the recording was made in a lakeside villa, not a modern
studio or concert space. Indeed, this is every bit as impressive as
Hans Kipfer’s recent BIS recording of Sonja Fräki playing the
piano works of Kalevi Aho (
review).
Now for the music. The opening
Andantino,
Allegretto
and
Largo – the latter a world premiere recording of
the Kesälahti version – are delivered with a winning blend of
clarity and character. The piano’s pedal action may seem a tad
abrupt at times, but otherwise Gräsbeck sustains a steady, seamless
flow of pleasing melodies and firm but gentle rhythms. With its many
moods the
Largo really is one of those pieces that encapsulates
the world in miniature. As for the two excerpts from the
Six Impromptus
they show Sibelius at his vital and virtuosic best – No. 2 especially
so – and the recurring Ondine-like cascades of No. 5 are a soft
drench of delight.
The insistent figures of
Caprice – No. 3 of the
Ten
Pieces – find the composer in more forthright, declamatory
garb; they also underline the low-register robustness and otherwise
lively nature of this instrument. All too often such pianos are apt
to sound their age, with a distracting clang and loss of body, yet there’s
very little evidence of that here. One just has to hear Sibelius’s
mighty
Finlandia – in the composer’s transcription
– to realise that age cannot crab the wonderful sound of a vintage
Steinway. Gräsbeck gives a nicely articulated, sonorous account of this
signature piece that alternately shimmers and towers in the mind’s
eye. Speaking of eyes, yours may not be dry after this heartfelt performance.
There’s something a little spooky about hearing
Finlandia on Sibelius’s own piano. It’s not unlike listening to Mahler’s Welte-Mignon Rolls, where one is transported – as if by a sudden wormhole – into the composer’s presence. The fact that Gräsbeck is one of those natural, self-effacing talents – nothing added, nothing taken away – contributes to the sheer joy of these performances. The Schubertian burble of
Musette, part of the music Sibelius wrote for Adolf Paul’s play
King Christian II, is a case in point; it’s delectably shaped and the rhythms are beautifully sprung.
Sibelius’s transcription of the wistful
Valse triste,
from music he penned for Arvid Järnefelt’s play
Kuolema
(Death), is no less accomplished; really, this is playing of the highest
order, and the recording is simply gorgeous. Indeed, I surreptitiously
pressed Repeat a few times, such is the lustre of this little gem. Meanwhile
Pan and Echo, another of the composer’s transcriptions,
has a power and sense of purpose that Gräsbeck preserves without recourse
to exaggerated dynamics or other pianistic prods. The ensuing
Rondino
in G sharp minor and
Granen (The Spruce) show no slackening
of inspiration or execution; the inner quietude of the latter is particularly
well conveyed.
The five excerpts from the
Thirteen Pieces offer a kaleidoscope
of moods and talents. Gräsbeck has a fine sense of touch in
Étude
and displays astonishing dexterity in
Arabesque,
Capriccietto
and
Harlequinade; he also creates a pensive loveliness in
Elegiaco.
The five flower sketches of Op. 85 are a bouquet of vibrant colours
and quivering detail, to which Gräsbeck responds with playing of delicacy
and charm. Is there no end to this man’s keyboard wizardry? Fortunately
not. The
Two Pieces for Oscar Parviainen may be brief but there’s
no denying the condensed affection and healing energy they contain.
The Op. 99
Souvenir and
Moment de valse are works
whose economy of utterance actually conceals a wealth of expxressive
detail. Gräsbeck shades the dynamics of the former with great sensitivity,
and he brings point and sparkle to the latter. As for
Scène romantique
it gets a generous, even genial outing here; indeed, the heart of this
piece beats with quiet contentment, and it’s no surprise that
the always intuitive Gräsbeck captures that sense of equilibrium so
well. Even the more solemn chords of
The Village Church –
as hewn, as implacably
here as any of Sibelius’s great
landscapes – emerge with grace and grandeur. It’s a mark
of Gräsbeck’s interpretive skills that he’s even able to
divine a human countenance behind the anonymously titled
Landscape
II.
After a preliminary listen I tweeted that this was a very special release
indeed. I seldom do that, but I really wanted listeners to know of the
manifold pleasures that await them. This confluence of exceptional pianism,
masterly miniatures and an exemplary recording has produced a wonderfully
nourishing recital. Without a doubt this will be one of my picks of
the year.
Musical and sonic nirvana, this; prepare to be overwhelmed.
Dan Morgan
twitter.com/mahlerei
Track-listing
Andantino in B major, JS 44 (1888) [1:26]
Allegretto in B flat minor, JS 18 (1888) [0:59]
Largo in A major, JS 117 (1888) [4:18]
from
Six Impromptus, Op. 5 (1893)
No. 2 in G minor [1:54]
No. 5 in B minor [3:34]
from
Ten Pieces, Op. 24
No. 3 Caprice (1898) [3:17]
No. 9 Romance in D flat major (1901) [3:49]
Finlandia, Op. 26 (1899, rev. 1900) [9:06]
Musette, Op. 27 No. 3 (1898) [2:18]
[Polka] Aino in C minor (1902–1905) [0:27]
Valse triste, Op. 44 No. 1 (1903, rev. 1904) [4:44]
Pan and Echo, Op. 53 (1906) [3:51]
Rondino in G sharp minor, Op. 68 No. 1 (1912) [3:18]
Granen (The Spruce), Op. 75 No. 5 (1914, rev. 1919) [3:04]
from
Thirteen Pieces, Op. 76
No. 2. Étude (1911) [1:19]
No. 9. Arabesque (1914) [1:00]
No. 10. Elegiaco (1916) [2:18]
No. 12. Capriccietto (1914) [0:45]
No. 13. Harlequinade (1916) [1:07]
Five Pieces (The Flowers), Op. 85
No. 1. Bellis (The Daisy) (1917) [1:19]
No. 2. OEillet (The Carnation) (1916) [1:43]
No. 3. Iris (The Iris) (1916) [3:11]
No. 4. Aquileja (The Columbine) (1917) [2:13]
No. 5. Campanula (The Campanula) (1917) [2:15]
Two Pieces for Oscar Parviainen (1919)
Andantino, JS 201 [1:11]
Con passione, JS 53 [1:07]
from
Eight Short Pieces, Op. 99 (1922)
No. 3. Souvenir [2:20]
No. 7. Moment de valse [1:11]
Scène romantique, Op. 101 No. 5 (1923-1924) [3:38]
The Village Church, Op. 103 No. 1 (1923-1924) [3:33]
Landscape II (1928-1929) [2:58]
