Some concerts are just special, and this was one of
them. Andras Schiff seems to feel completely at home in Janácek’s
very individual sound-world (witness also his recording of piano music
on ECM), and it was a pleasure and revelation to hear two of Janácek’s
major works for piano surrounded and contextualised by other chamber
music.
The Concertino of 1925 for piano, clarinet,
bassoon, horn, two violins and viola is a fascinating work in every
respect. The horn statement in the opening bars emphasised the Eastern
European flavour of proceedings: Radovan Vlatovi has a round, full tone
(almost ‘plump’), which is characteristic of horn playing in that part
of the world. It was Schiff's playing which remained the focus of the
performance, however, as he captured the spirit of Janácek’s
elusive lyricism, forever refusing to be over-langorous. The finale
presented Janácek’s high spirits by a projecting a perhaps surprising
Haydnesque wit.
The Piano Sonata in E flat minor (From the Street
I. X. 1905) was therefore set in high contrast. The piece was inspired
by events in Brno (the Moravian capital) which resulted in the death
of a young workman after clashes because of protests against the setting
up of a Czech University in that city. The first movement, Pedtucha
(‘Presentiment’) is full of foreboding. Schiff gave a powerful account,
the opening appropriately ominous, the nervous figures characterised,
the bare octaves full of shifting emotions. For the second movement,
Smrt (‘Death’) Schiff built up a monumental climax that was quite
shattering in its intensity.
As far as emotional quotient was concerned, the first
part of the concert could have finished there: however, Janácek’s
String Quartet No. 1 was still to come. This is a remarkable
piece, inspired by Tolstoy’s novella The Kreutzer Sonata. The
Czech Panocha String Quartet is no stranger to the record catalogues,
and they displayed confidence in abundance. Interestingly, they held
back slightly on the very opening, as if purposefully retaining the
expressive possibilities of that chordal progression. Although tuning
was not always entirely accurate, the musical intent was (hardly surprisingly
they seemed fully at home in this hyper-expressive world). The first
part of the concert was certainly a demanding piece of listening, but
a rewarding one.
Schiff returned to the solo limelight for a performance
of V mlhách (‘In the Mist’). This was the composer’s last
substantial piece for the piano. Schiff highlighted the autumnal qualities
of the work, its bittersweet harmonic tang. It was one of those performances
that lingers long after the last note is struck.
To conclude, the wind sextet Mladi (‘Youth’)
received a life-affirming account. Despite the virtuosity of every single
player involved, it was Janácek’s textural virtuosity that shone
through. There is jaw-droppingly impressive imagination at work here.
It was the perfect end to a wonderful concert.
Colin Clarke
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