Piano Music from a Russian Dynasty
Dmitry Korostelyov (piano)
Olga Solovieva (piano - Anatoly Liadov)
rec. 2020-21, Mosfilm-Ton Studios, Moscow.
GRAND PIANO RECORDS GP858 [70:14]
The dynasty outlined in this release is that of the Liadovs. Anatoly Konstantin Liadov is really the only familiar name here and that perhaps more for his orchestral works, Baba-Yaga or the Enchanted lake, than for his piano works. His piano pieces here are supplemented by examples from his father Konstantin Nikolayevich and uncle Alexander Nikolayevich, two of the nine children of Nikolai Grigorievich Liadov, a military musician in the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment where we also find Anatoly's great-grandfather, a soldier in the same St Petersburg regiment. Konstantin Afanasievich Antipov was Anatoly's cousin – I have seen his name many times on Russian editions of the music of Blumenfeld and Liapunov but this my first opportunity to hear it. Finally there are two representatives of the Pomazansky family, Anatoly's brother-in-law Ivan Aleksandrovich, married to his older sister Valentina, and their son Eugeny Ivanovich Pomazansky, Anatoly's nephew.
Konstantin Nikolayevich Liadov worked at the Imperial Theatres as a répétiteur, conductor and composer, working at times on the productions of Glinka's operas and gaining that composers respect. He also spent nine years as chief conductor of the Imperial Russian Opera at the Mariinsky Theatre. After an interesting tarantelle, its sinuous lines interrupted by stern rhythmic interjections comes the first surprise – surely that's Beethoven's Turkish March? With the Radetzky March following hot on its heels we find that this Polka Militaire is a gleeful paraphrase on these two popular themes. The other works are unpretentious, if well written dance miniatures and a heartfelt funeral march, written for Herzog von Leuchtenberg, the president of the Imperial Academy of fine Arts. Konstantin's brother's suite Homecoming was written for the opening of a new home for the St. Petersburg Nobility Assembly and one can imagine the Russian gentry letting their hair down, politely of course, to the strains of these polished dance miniatures, Polonaise, French quadrille, Mazurka and Galop.
The music of the Pomazansky side of the family has fared less well since the four pieces recorded here are virtually all that has been traced. The younger Pomazansky's three children's pieces are very welcome, brief as they are; the Berceuse and Chanson D'Automne are quite touching. Most impressive here beyond the music of Anatoly Liadov are the pieces by his childhood companion Konstantin Antipov. It seems that although he lived until 1936 he ceased composing in the 1890s so there are only 13 opus numbers plus the Chizhyk-Pyzhyk variations, all piano except for the three Romances op.4 and an Allegro Symphonique op.7 for orchestra. The influence of Chopin, Brahms and Rachmaninov can be heard in these lyrical and occasionally passionate miniatures and I am particularly taken with the two preludes op.8. At a shade over a minute his Variations on a theme 'Chizhyk-Pyzhyk' are shorter than the entire theme of most variation sets but he still manages to fit in 4 variations on this Russian nursery rhyme; Chizhyk-Pyzhyk refers to the uniform of the students of the School of Jurisprudence, siskin coloured – Chizhyk – and with a furry hat like a young reindeer – Pyzhyk. On the strength of these pieces it would be nice to hear his full output.
All of Anatoly Liadov's piano music has been recorded and can be found on an excellent set recorded by Marco Rapetti (Brilliant Classics 94155 review). I say all but Olga Solovieva, the pianist in the Anatoly Liadov items, has found a 36 second sketch that escaped Rapetti's attention. The manuscript, located in the Russian National Library, is of a theme from his unfinished opera Zoryushka, a theme that his friend Rimsky-Korsakov used in his opera The Golden Cockerel. The other works here are amongst his most Russian and include About Olden Times which is not the faux baroque piece that the title might suggest but rather a hefty and passionate ballade with a slow opening, its folk-like melody played in imitation of the zither-like instrument, the Gusli. The grand and upbeat processional section that follows is mostly in quintuple time. For sheer exuberant virtuosity and interesting harmonic progressions there is the marvellous Novelette standing between Chopin and Rachmaninov in its writing while the sketch In the Glade has more than a hint of the east in its modal theme. Solovieva has already recorded some of Liadov's piano works for Toccata Classics (TOCC0082 review) and makes a strong impression here as does Dmitry Korostelyov in his larger selection. Both pianists have recorded the music of a later Russian, Boris Tchaikovsky, and it is to be hoped that they can be persuaded to turn their eyes back a generation to explore the lesser known music of more of Liadov's contemporaries.
Rob Challinor
Previous review: Rob Barnett
Contents
Konstantin Nikolayevich LIADOV (1820-1871)
1 Tarantelle (c.1844) [3:18]
2 Polka militaire (1852) [1:40]
3 Polka-mazurka, "La Silphide" (c.1850s) [3:34]
4 Marche funèbre (1852) [5:47]
5 Garibaldi-quadrille (c.1869) [5:42]
6 Polka russe (c.1852) [2:38]
7 Quadrille, "Mariage Russe" (1852) [5:57]
Eugeny Ivanovich POMAZANSKY (1883-1948)
8 Berceuse (c1940s) [0:47]
9 Cuckoo (?1940s) [0:27]
10 Chanson d'automne (c.1940s) [0:31]
Konstantin Afanasievich ANTIPOV (1858-1936)
Two preludes, Op 8 [5:00]
11 No 1. Allegretto [1:41]
12 No 2. Andantino [3:01]
13 Variations on a theme, "chizhyk-pyzhyk" (1892) [1:05]
14 Nocturne in A-flat major, Op 12 [3:16]
Ivan Aleksandrovich POMAZANSKY (1848-1918)
19 Polka (c1880s) [2:54]
Anatoly Konstantinovich LIADOV (1855-1914)
20 2 p'yesï (2 pieces), Op 24 No 1. Prelude in E major (1890) [3:25]
21 Novinka (novelette), Op 20 (1889) [2:57]
22 Prelude in B major, Op 42 No 2 (1898) [0:43]
23 Na luzhayke: nabrosok (in the glade: sketch), Op 23 (1890) [2:58]
24 Zoryushka (sketch fragment) (1889) [0:36]
25 Pro starinu (about olden times), Op 21 (1889) [5:08]
