Alexander Nikolayevich SCRIABIN (1872-1915)
Piano Sonata No.3 in F-Sharp Minor, Op.23 [18:31]
Etude in C-Sharp Minor, Op.2, No.1 [2:50]
Prelude for left hand alone, Op.9, No.1 [2:44]
Modest Petrovich MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881)
Pictures at an Exhibition [31:17]
Night on the Bare Mountain (arr. Mussorgsky/Chernov/Bax) [10:21]
Alessio Bax (piano)
rec. Britten Studio, Snape Maltings, Saxmundham, UK, 23-27 January
2015
SIGNUM RECORDS SIGCD426 [66:16]
I may be wrong but it seems to me that in the last twenty years we have
seen the greatest number of new young pianists come along - more than in any
similar period in history. It may also be true when it comes to the violin
and other instruments. This phenomenon is something to be celebrated in this
hugely material world in which money appears to loom larger than ever.
Having written the above paragraph I then did a little research only to
discover that while his name is new to me Alessio Bax is 37 and winner of
the first prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2000 among
others. Note to self: research first before writing. However, he is a
pianist that has come to be known, even if not by me, in the past two
decades. Bax was born in Bari, Italy though the booklet notes give his
antecedents as Dutch, German, Belgian and British, including Sir Arnold Bax
- some pedigree.
"No composer has had more scorn heaped on him or greater love
bestowed", said the Great Soviet Encyclopaedia of Scriabin. Leo
Tolstoy described his music as "a sincere expression of
genius." However, his biographer Faubian Bowers wrote
that "No one was more famous during their lifetime, and few were
more quickly ignored after death." There was a time not so long ago
when it would have been almost impossible to have run to earth any records
of his music and it is only in the past 40 or so years that Scriabin's music
has been rediscovered. This year marks a hundred years since his death aged
only 44 and so it is timely to reassess his music and to recognise its
unique place in music history. He may well have been influenced by Chopin -
and pianistically who since has not been. Nevertheless, Scriabin ploughed
his own very individual furrow and created a whole new sound-world. It is
fascinating, while listening to his Etude in C-Sharp Minor, Op.2,
No.1, to remember that he was only 14 when he wrote it but his ideas
are clearly already taking tangible shape. No-one who didn't know would
guess that the 17 year old's prelude op.9 no.1 was written for left hand
alone since it is so sonically rich. Bax's playing is brilliantly
illuminative. In the Scriabin, which I think is even more impressive than
the Mussorgsky, his interpretation is very fine indeed and matches any other
I can recall, especially in the big-boned third sonata. There is so much
drama in Scriabin and so much feeling that close attention to detail is an
imperative. Bax brings out every nuance and every change in mood which often
occurs with little warning.
Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition is probably his best known
work, especially in its highly popular orchestration by Ravel. It is always
a treat to hear it in its original piano version and I find it best to enjoy
each version as a completely different work. There are so many highlights in
Bax's interpretation but I especially enjoyed the Ballet des poussins
dans leurs coques which really captured the essence of the tiny
unhatched chicks frolicking in their egg-shells. Equally the hustle and
bustle of Limoges market-place is superbly brought to teeming life. Bax's
treatment of the gentle passages is so magical, sometimes with fingers
barely caressing the keys, creating real contrast as when the ending of
Cum mortuis in lingua mortua segues into the beginning of La
cabane sur des pattes de poule, 'Baba-Yaga'. Bax says in his
introduction that he "... decided to thicken it up in places, to give it a
richer, wider and perhaps more dramatic palette". He certainly succeeds in
making it a truly memorable listen.
Mussorgsky's Night on the Bare Mountain is a transcription by
Konstantin Chernov of the original orchestral version that the composer
wrote between 1866-67 and about which he said it was "Russian and original,
... hot and chaotic" which it certainly is. With further tweaking from Bax
we have something just as monumentally terrifying as any orchestral version
delivers. Bax is on fire here with frantic rushing up and down the keyboard,
each hand seemingly in hot pursuit of the other. It leaves one feeling
totally out of breath until relief comes when things calm down at around
seven minutes in and we move towards a relaxed end.
This is a massively enjoyable 66 minute disc and I shall be looking out
for the Brahms and Beethoven discs shown in the brochure.
Steve Arloff
Previous review:
Dan Morgan (Recording of the Month)
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