International Piano NO.46 NOV/DEC 2017 £5.50 www.international-piano.com

AFTER THE DELUGE INSIDE Russia’s Revolution SHEET MUSIC and its musical PIANO TOPOGRAPHY repercussions BY EUAN MOSELEY SEE PAGE 55

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017NOVEMBER/DECEMBER PLUS WINNER FREE 2018 TAKES ALL? COMPETITIONS WALLPLANNER Piano competitions and their drawbacks PERSONAL TOUCH Ivan Ilić rediscovers the music of Reicha PLUS How to fi x your broken chords Kissin refl ects on success Gould’s Goldbergs LOUIS revisited www.international-piano.com

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IPND17.indd 2 13/10/2017 09:25:54 CONTENTS ELIAS PHOTOGRAPHY IRINA POPA 18 36 CLIVE BARDA CARL HYDE 61 82

Contents 5 EDITORIAL 39 WIN SOME, LOSE SOME 69 BACH CATALOGUE 27 AFTER THE DELUGE Embodied performers Stephen Wigler examines Revisiting Glenn Gould’s IP examines the musical the pros and cons of Goldberg Variations repercussions of Russia’s 6 LETTERS piano competitions 1917 Revolution Your thoughts and 71-79 NEW RELEASES comments 45 COMPETITIONS DIARY CDs, books & sheet music 32 NORTHERN STATES IP’s pick of the key Is there such a thing as a 9 NEWS & EVENTS competitions in 2018 80 TAKE FIVE ‘Nordic style’ of piano Injured Lang Lang Unconventional jazz playing? We find out from ‘borrows’ spare hand | 49 KEY NOTES master Mike Nock two Scandinavian masters Steinway Family turns 25 | Broken chords and why Andreas Haefliger signs they deserve practice 82 MUSIC OF MY LIFE 36 PERSONAL TOUCH with BIS Records | Leon McCawley recalls Ivan Ilić rediscovers the and more… 53 SHEET MUSIC his favourite recordings music of Antoine Reicha Piano Topographs by Euan from childhood 12 ONE TO WATCH Moseley GIVE THE GIFT OF A Pianist and composer MAGAZINE THIS CHRISTMAS! Yuanfan Yang 58 FESTIVAL FOCUS SPECIAL FEATURES 35% OFF! Víkingur Ólafsson’s 14 COMMENT stimulating Swedish 18 NOTES FROM A Can musical talent make Vinterfest GOLDEN AGE us mentally unbalanced? Louis Lortie waxes lyrical 61 LIVE REVIEWS about great pianists of the 16 ILL-TEMPERED CLAVIER Coverage from London, past while continuing to Cautionary tales of Lothian, Aix-en-Provence, experiment with SEE PAGE 38 pianists who pull faces Verbier and Gozo repertoire, old and new

November/December 2017 International Piano 3

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IPND17.indd 4 12/10/2017 12:26:06 EDITOR’ S NOTE Welcome he London Piano Festival offers a rare opportunity Managing Editors Ashutosh Khandekar, to hear multiple pianists performing in a range Owen Mortimer of combinations over the concentrated time-span Editor Owen Mortimer Tof a weekend. This year’s event at Kings Place built on Head of Design & Production / Designer Beck Ward Murphy the success of last year’s inaugural LPF with a Two-Piano Production Controller Gordon Wallis Marathon that brought together six temperamentally Advertising Sales Edward Croome diverse artists in repertoire ranging from Mozart’s brilliant [email protected] Sonata for Two Pianos to the world premiere of Elena Marketing Manager Alfred Jahn Director of Finance and Operations Tony Soave Langer’s colourful and energetic RedMare. Publisher Derek B Smith Seeing so many performers together, I was struck by the Printed by HALSTAN UK, 2-10 Plantation Road, huge differences in their stage personas. During a typical Amersham, Buckinghamshire HP6 6HJ solo recital, the performer’s physical presence is not likely Distributed by Comag Specialist Division to be the focus of attention (and indeed, should not be the Tel: +44 (0)1895 433800 focus of attention) unless they are given to histrionics. On this occasion, smaller differences Advertising became much more evident as the artists came and went in quick succession. Tel: +44 (0)20 7333 1733 Fax: +44 (0)20 7333 1736 Regular readers of our ‘Ill-Tempered Clavier’ column may be amused by Charivari’s Production comments on this subject (page 16). As expected, he lambasts those who put themselves Tel: +44 (0)20 7333 1751 before the music, turning their performances into a circus act. Such displays might impress Fax: +44 (0)20 7333 1768 a newcomer, but not a seasoned old curmudgeon like Charivari… Editorial Yet there is a serious issue here, too. Fidelity to the score and the composer is all very well, Tel: +44 (0)7824 884 882 but artists also need to display showmanship: an inert, poker-faced performer, however [email protected] www.rhinegold.co.uk | www.international-piano.com wonderfully they play, will not connect with the audience in the same way as someone Twitter: @IP_mag who physically embodies the music. Moreover, if recent scientific research is correct, our Subscriptions Tel: +44(0)1293 312233 response to visual cues from people around us is neurologically hard-wired into our brains. [email protected] The neuroscientist, author and broadcaster V S Ramachandran looks at the role of so- International Piano, Intermedia, Unit 6, The Enterprise Centre, Manor Royal, Crawley, West called ‘mirror neurons’ in his 2011 book The Tell-Tale Brain. He describes these specialised Sussex, RH10 9PE No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval brain cells as ‘The Neurons That Shaped Civilization’ due to the capacity they grant us system or transmitted in any form or any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior for empathy. When one person sees another performing any action, says Ramachandran, permission of Rhinegold Publishing Ltd. The views expressed here are those of the authors and not of the publisher, editor, Rhinegold we not only observe them passively, but our own brain circuits fire as if we ourselves were Publishing Ltd or its employees. We welcome letters but reserve the right to edit for reasons of grammar, length and legality. No doing the same thing. responsibility is accepted for returning photographs or manuscripts. This compelling evidence from modern brain imaging provides a key to why we love We cannot acknowledge or return unsolicited material. International Piano, 977204207700507, is published bi-monthly by seeing live music and not only listening to recordings. It also explains the powerful hold Rhinegold Publishing, 20 Rugby Street, London, WC1N 3QZ, UK. The US annual subscription price is US$83.00. Airfreight and mailing that the best conductors have over orchestral musicians: I have heard it said, for example, in the USA by agent named Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid that if a conductor purses their lips when cueing a brass player, the musician in question is at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to International Piano, more likely to split a note. The same goes for pianists and their effect on audiences, which Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA is why stage demeanour is so crucial to the success of any live performance. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent. Editorial and image research services for International Piano are provided by C Sharp LLP OWEN MORTIMER EDITOR

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International Piano is proud to be a media partner of the International IP is available as an interactive International Piano NO.46 NOV/DEC 2017 £5.50 www.international-piano.com Piano Series at Southbank Centre digital magazine from AFTER THE DELUGE INSIDE Russia’s Revolution SHEET MUSIC and its musical PIANO TOPOGRAPHY repercussions BY EUAN MOSELEY SEE PAGE 55

pocketmags.com, iTunes and 2017NOVEMBER/DECEMBER PLUS WINNER FREE 2018 TAKES ALL? COMPETITIONS WALLPLANNER Piano competitions and their drawbacks PERSONAL TOUCH Ivan Ilić rediscovers the music of Reicha PLUS GooglePlay – read on your How to fi x your broken chords Kissin refl ects on success Gould’s Goldbergs iPad, iPhone, Android device, LOUIS revisited

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IPND17_005_Editorial1010OM.indd 5 12/10/2017 14:04 LETTERS LETTERS Write to International Piano, 20 Rugby Street, London, WC1N 3QZ, email [email protected] or tweet @IP_mag. Star letters will receive S P O N S O R E D BY a free CD from Hyperion’s best-selling Romantic Piano Concerto series HYPERION RECORDS I attended the London Piano Festival at informative backdrop to all the superb will come later. For people who want a fuller, Kings Place in October and I could not music-making that I heard during the more dedicated service, there are now sites disagree more with your correspondent LPF. All in all, an excellent and thought- like Primephonic and Qobuz Classical Only Alan Lomas (IP Sept/Oct, Letters, page 3) provoking issue of International Piano. which not only curate their content but also in his assertion that the event’s Russian Anthony Townsend, via email provide very good hi-definition sound quality. theme was in any way ‘celebrating’ the rise Amélie Conte, Paris, France of Communism. One of the problems with Is your columnist Charivari 106 years old? classical music is that people like to put His column in the Sept/Oct issue (‘The Ill Thank you Jonathan Brown for your robust it on a pedestal, sitting in its own bubble Tempered Clavier’, page 16) is full of fuddy- response to Igor Levitt’s untenable outburst and removed from the real world. The LPF duddy nonsense about digital streaming on Facebook (‘Beyond Words, IP Sept/Oct, set out to show us, with its exploration of classical music. It’s true that generic page 14). Music may not be able to provide of Russia at the turn of the century, that sites such as Spotify can be frustrating for a practical response in the aftermath of music and its creation is intrinsically the classical music cognoscenti, since they terrible events, but its immeasurable ability linked with political events and great social don’t organise their searches to suit the to remind us of our humanity in the face of upheavals. If classical music is to have a classical medium; but they do offer a great the abyss is absolutely proven. Great music future, we need to have more events that variety of superb recordings available at a is more than an escape – it confronts us, put things into context, showing us that price that most people can afford. For my heart and soul, with the challenges that life composers and musicians don’t spend their teenage children, who like to dip their toes throws at us, and provides the spirit and time in ivory towers ignoring the historic into all sorts of music, streaming is a way of motivation to drag us out of the darkest cataclysms that shape the world around accessing and inwardly digesting classical psychological and emotional depths. Of them. Incidentally, I thought Benjamin music without the pressure of having to all people, and as a great artist, Mr Levitt Ivry’s survey of Revolutionary pianists in commit to a whole opera or an entire should know this. the same issue provided me with a very collection of concertos – with any luck, that Sarah Robertson, via email

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IPND17.indd 7 12/10/2017 12:26:07 18944 Steinway Int. Piano (Wang) Nov.qxp_Layout 1 11/10/2017 16:45 Page 1

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IPND17.indd 8 12/10/2017 12:26:07 NEWS & NOTES news notes INJURED LANG LANG ‘BORROWS’ LEFT HAND HINESE PIANIST LANG LANG The Lang Lang International Music to win prizes at several competitions, Chas found an unusual way of coping Foundation was established in 2008 ‘to including the gold medal at this year’s with injury, enlisting a protégé to fill in educate, inspire and motivate the next Berliner International Music Competition. for his left hand during a performance at generation of music lovers and performers’. Carnegie Hall in New York on 4 October. Maxim Lando became a student of the www.langlangfoundation.org Lang Lang was joined by the 14-year- Foundation in 2013 and has gone on www.langlang.com old American pianist Maxim Lando, an alumnus of the Lang Lang International Many hands make light work: Lang Lang peforms with Maxim Lando Music Foundation, who played most of the left hand notes in Rhapsody in Blue. The duo was joined by jazz legend Chick Corea for an unusual ‘five-handed’ version of Gershwin’s masterpiece for two pianos, with the Philadelphia Orchestra under maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin. David Patrick Stearns, writing in the Philadelphia Inquirer, described the event as ‘a concert that could well achieve infamy’. He says the unique performance was full of ‘fun, games, and self-indulgence’ and prompted a mixed response from the audience: ‘Most of the extremely well- heeled audience stood and cheered. Those who did not stand looked appalled.’ Lang Lang is currently recovering from an inflammation of his left arm that forced him to cancel several months CHRIS LEE of concerts. He is eventually expected to make a full recovery.

ANDREAS HAEFLIGER SIGNS WITH BIS RECORDS MARCO BORGGREVE IS RECORDS HAS ANNOUNCED A an Exhibition. Haefliger’s performance of Bnew collaboration with the Swiss this programme at the 2017 Edinburgh pianist Andreas Haefliger. His first disc International Festival was described as with the label, Perspectives 7, will be ‘inspiringly commanding, thoughtful, released in spring 2018. lucid and sheerly beautiful’ by the The album is the latest instalment of Glasgow Herald. Haefliger’s series of programmes that each Haefliger’s future recording plans with BIS takes a Beethoven sonata as their point include the continuation of the Perspectives of departure and development. The first series, solo recital discs of other repertoire, six volumes in the Perspectives series were and concerto recordings with major released by Avie Records. international conductors and orchestras. Perspectives 7 features Berg’s Piano Sonata Op 1, Liszt’s Légende No 1 ‘St www.andreashaefliger.com François d’Assise: La prédication aux oiseaux’, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in A major Op 101 and Musorgsky’s Pictures at Andreas Haefliger

November/December 2017 International Piano 9

IPND17_009-010_R_News1010OM.indd 9 10/10/2017 12:52 NEWS & NOTES

STEINWAY FAMILY TURNS 25 PORTLAND PIANO LAUNCHES 40TH TEINWAY & SONS IS Boston GP-178 Performance Edition ANNIVERSARY SEASON Scelebrating 25 years of the ‘Steinway II 25th Anniversary Limited Edition, ORTLAND PIANO Family’ – its trio of brands comprising featuring chrome fittings, pedals and PInternational in Oregon, US is Steinway & Sons, Boston and Essex. casters, as well as a silver iron plate celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Boston and Essex lines have been instead of gold and black felt throughout. its SOLO Series with seven pianists developed over the past 25 years, each Boston is also introducing the Rainbow performing 11 different programmes in featuring characteristics and a selection Collection, which gives customers a choice 2017/18. This will also be the fifth and of patents and designs of Steinway & of more than 170 colours to adorn the final season curated by outgoing artistic Sons. Anyone who purchases a Boston or inside of the piano’s lid. director Arnaldo Cohen. Essex piano becomes part of the Steinway Highlights of the season include recitals Family: the Steinway Promise means that www.steinway.com by this year’s Van Cliburn Competition customers can trade in their Boston or winner, Yekwon Sunwoo, the Portland Essex piano at any time within ten years Steinway & Sons’ Boston debut of the duo Christina and Michelle 25th Anniversary Edition to receive a trade-in credit equal to the Naughton and a Czech-influenced original purchase price. programme by Lukáš Vondráček. London- Boston caters for the intermediate based Sunwook Kim, winner of the 2016 level, while Essex is considered the Leeds Competition, Hungarian virtuoso best entry-level piano of Steinway & Dénes Várjon and Beijing-born Yuja Wang Sons. Their designs have been overseen complete the distinguished line-up. by the company’s senior mechanical ‘We’re thrilled to bring this high quality engineer, Susan Kenagy. Both lines feature of artistic excellence to our audiences,’ said numerous original Steinway patents, executive director Ellen Bergstone Wasil. premium materials and Steinway’s ‘Our founder, Harold Gray, created a cultural technological expertise. gem for Oregon during his 35-year tenure as Two special editions are being artistic director and the last five seasons have launched to mark the anniversary: the built on that tradition. Our vision for the future is exciting and planning for the next 40 years is already underway!’ CREMONA MUSIC FAIR OFFERS A FEAST FOR PIANOPHILES Portland Piano International has HERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE with stand after stand of violin, viola, presented performances by 230 pianists Tthe noise that greets you on entering cello and double bass makers, dozens of over the past four decades. In addition the huge Cremona Exhibition Centre on guitar and mandolin specialists, others to its flagship SOLO Series, PPI presents the opening day of Cremona Musica. Over selling the blocks of wood and templates free recitals by talented young artists and 50 pianos of all makes, shapes and sizes are from which to make the instruments. offers education and training programmes being played simultaneously producing Sheet music and music publishers are not for students of all ages. PPI launched its a unique cacophony. Some of those forgotten. Even journalists are included. first ever Piano Day on 29 March 2017, sampling the new instruments on display The newly-formed Media Lounge, and is currently running a programme to are seriously good pianists (rising through convened by its guiding light, pianist and commission 12 new works for piano. the din are the Liszt Sonata, Mephisto entrepreneur Roberto Prosseda, is allotted Waltz No 1 and Chopin’s Ballade in G a space at the back of the pavilion (an www.portlandpiano.org minor); some are wannabe rock pianists unenclosed area unfortunately located showing off to their girlfriends; others are next to an electric guitar exhibitor… but Christina and Michelle Naughton children experiencing their first touch of a we persevered). keyboard, bashing away under the eyes of 17,000 visitors took advantage of a proud parents. musical menu consisting of an astonishing Cremona Musica started 15 years ago 180 events within 72 hours. Among these and is now pretty extensive: this year there was the rare opportunity of hearing a raft were 300 exhibitors from 30 countries. of concert pianists giving 45-minute recitals Walk through the first (piano) pavilion, – reviews to follow in IP Jan/Feb 2018. turn left, and there are the woodwind and Next year’s Cremona Musica will run brass exhibitors. Pass the outdoor acoustic from 28-30 September 2018. stage and enter the second, even larger Jeremy Nicholas pavilion. Here are housed the luthiers (this is Cremona, after all, home of Stradivari) www.cremonamusica.com

10 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_009-010_R_News1010OM.indd 10 10/10/2017 12:52 NEWS & NOTES

The European Piano Teachers’ Association (UK) celebrated the success of its 2017 competition with a London concert featuring four of its prize-winners: pictured from left to right are 24-year-old RNCM student Adam Davies, overall winner of the competition; 9-year-old Patrick Townsend, winner of the advanced category; Tomos Boyles, winner of the 15 and under category; and 15-year-old Rose McLachlan, who was awarded the Yamaha Prize. The competition attracted over 100 entries from across the UK. Adjudicators for the final were Pamela Lidiard, Noriko Ogawa and Graham Scott. Previous winners include Benjamin Grosvenor, Laura Melder and Yuanfan Yang.

www.epta-uk.org

LETTER FROM MANCHESTER HETHAM’S SUMMER SCHOOL aged under 23 and in 2017 it attracted 68 Threlfall also conducted the Cfor Pianists has been staged annually entries from 22 countries. A screening jury Manchester Camerata in the finals of the since 2001, but this year’s event felt like chose 20 pianists to perform in the semi- Concerto Competition in Stoller Hall. a new undertaking. Each week of the finals, which were scheduled as part of the An extended jury of 15 Summer School course attracted over 240 participants, Summer School programme faculty members enjoyed remarkable supported by 65 leading pianist-teachers The brand new 500-seat Stoller Hall, performances from the six finalists. First from across the globe. The Manchester opened in April 2017, added a tremendous prize was awarded to 19-year-old Alim International Concerto Competition for new dimension to the evening concerts, Beisembayev from Kazakhstan, a student Young Pianists, returning after a four- which included a feast of solo piano music: of Tessa Nicolson at the Royal Academy year hiatus, also proved memorable and Craig Sheppard performed Shostakovich’s in London. He gave a memorable, exciting. The Competition is for pianists 24 Preludes and Fugues, Peter Donohoe commanding and exciting performance gave the first six Mozart of Tchaikovsky’s First Concerto, which Sonatas (plus Liszt’s Don Juan also secured the orchestral prize. Second Fantasy as an extended encore), prize went to 14-year-old Zixi Chen and there were memorable from China for an artistically probing, recitals from Leslie Howard, sensitive rendering of Beethoven’s Jonathan Plowright, Michael Second Concerto. Eleven-year-old Lewin, Sandro Russo and Zhexiang Li, also from China, came Vladimir Tropp. Four late- third with her barnstorming and heroic night concerts by course performance of Kabalevsky’s Third founder and artistic director (‘Youth) Concerto. The other finalists Murray McLachlan featured were Tianglang Zhou, 17 from the UK the complete piano works of (Chopin Concerto No 1), Caroline Hsu, composer-in-residence John 13 from USA (Beethoven Concerto No McLeod. Symphonically 1) and Wyn Chan, 21 also from the UK the course was well served (Liszt Concerto No 2). by the Stockport Symphony All participants benefited from Orchestra under Stephen watching the many hours of teaching in Threlfall, who accompanied all the Summer School, as well attending five Beethoven Concertos and lectures, workshops, student concerts Choral Fantasy with soloists and – for a few – participating in the Leon McCawley, Noriko annual cabaret! With over 115 practice Ogawa, Dmitri Alexeev, Peter pianos and seven concert venues as well Frankl, Leslie Howard and as full board within the campus grounds Murray McLachlan. itself, Chetham’s Summer School offers unparalleled opportunities for pianophiles of all levels and ages. Bookings for the 2018 course open in January. Alim Beisembayev performs Alexander Thompson Tchaikovsky’s First Concerto with maestro Stephen Threlfall www.pianosummerschool.com

November/December 2017 International Piano 11

IPND17_009-010_R_News1010OM.indd 11 10/10/2017 12:52 ONE TO WATCH Double edged A powerful and unexpected attraction to the piano at the age of six led Yuanfan Yang to embark on a prodigiously successful career as a pianist and composer, blending two cultural traditions. Claire Jackson meets an understated young man who is hungry to learn

UANFAN YANG SIPS A LURID, UNIDENTIFIABLE His host’s mother was impressed and called Yang’s parents to ask smoothie. He’s not sure exactly what’s in it, but he’s not about his piano teacher. Yang’s mother was surprised – but pleased concerned. The 20-year-old is polite, quietly spoken – to hear about her son’s talent and he began taking music lessons. andY fiercely intelligent. We meet in a deli-cum-juice-bar on Two years later he passed Grade 8 with distinction and achieved Marylebone High Street, a stone’s throw from London’s Royal a DipABRSM when he was 10. ‘Apparently that was quite quick Academy of Music, where Yang recently completed his second progress,’ Yang says quietly, with genuine modestly. year. The conservatoire allows him to blend his piano studies with Born in Edinburgh to Chinese parents, Yang was living in Leeds compositional work, an unusual arrangement that works well for when he was accepted to study at Chetham’s School of Music. the pianist-composer. The family then moved to Manchester to be with Yang, their only ‘I’m on an enhanced second-study composition programme, which child. ‘My parents have never been pushy,’ he says; his mother is means I get fortnightly lessons in composition as well as taking part in attendance throughout the interview and her contribution is in many of the performance opportunities,’ says Yang, who has been encouraging, not domineering. Neither parent is musical and composing since he first started playing the piano aged six. ‘I was at Yang’s gift was something of a shock. ‘I think it was a big learning a friend’s birthday party and everyone was outside playing football. I process for all of us,’ confirms Yang. ‘I had very supportive teachers remember being really captivated by the upright piano in the room and they were always advising us. Common sense and a firm and I just climbed on to it,’ he recalls. ‘I slowly started to press the keys grounding can get you far. Music should be something to enjoy, and realised they had a relationship with each other. I understood something to be searched out and unravelled.’ them in a certain way, and I knew already the notes in simple nursery Yang has just recorded his debut album, Watercolour, for Orchid rhymes, like Mary Had a Little Lamb and things like that.’ Classics, an independent artist-led label that the pianist was

Yuanfan Yang: ‘Music should be something to enjoy, something to be searched out and unravelled.’ TIMOTHY ELLIS

12 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_012-013_R_OnetoWatch 2709KC.indd 12 10/10/2017 18:53 ONE TO WATCH

able to approach thanks to some charitable funding. The disc couple. He was also keyboard category winner and a finalist of the includes works by Schubert, Chopin and Liszt, as well as Peter BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition in 2012, which he Maxwell-Davies, Philip Cashian and Jianzhong Wong. There’s ‘remembers like it was yesterday’. also Three Aquarelles written by Yang himself. ‘I wanted an eclectic Yang’s extraordinary capacity for learning manifests in an mix because sometimes audiences might not be so familiar openness to a wide variety of musical styles. He’s interested in with classical music, and this lets them step into this amazing historical pianists (particularly Rubinstein and Horowitz) and world. These are shorter pieces to create a more varied mix of contemporary composers (James MacMillan and John Adams). ‘I programme. I wanted to make a tribute to the great late Peter think it’s good to be open and not only to play lots of different Maxwell-Davies, and also include a Chinese folk song because I types of piano music but also orchestral, ballet, opera and even have Chinese roots.’ musicals,’ he says, ‘I like to take in as much as possible: you never Yang’s dual heritage is a key influence in his own compositional know when you might take something into your music and into work, and can be heard in his piano concerto, The Wilderness, which your life as an artist. I like Bernstein’s famous quote, “To achieve has been performed internationally. ‘It was premiered in Qianjiang great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough [in China] and performed in Manchester, Paris and London,’ he time.” That really helps me to push forward and learn things.’ says. The work will soon be toured further, thanks to a Chinese e national grant, of which Yang was the youngest recipient. He will Yuanfan Yang’s Watercolour is also tour China as a soloist next year, ‘meeting the next generation now available from Orchid Classics of pianists’ and giving masterclasses, as part of his prize from the (ORC100073). www.orchidclassics. Cleveland International Piano Competition. com/releases/watercolour The pianist-composer is no stranger to accolades: in addition to Cleveland, Yang took first prize at the International Franz Liszt www.yuanfanyang.com Piano Competition (2014) – among a handful of other prizes at the same event – and first prize in the 2010 RNCM James Mottram International Piano Competition (under 19), to name but a

9th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition Weimar-Bayreuth

30 October – 10 November 2018

Bayreuth 31. 10. - 03.11. 1st Round Weimar 05.11. - 06.11. 2nd Round 07. 11. Semifinal 09.11. Final concert Bayreuth 10.11. Prize Winner‘s Concert

Apply Application Deadline for the Preselection: now! 15 March 2018 TIMOTHY ELLIS

Hochschule für Musik www.hfm-weimar.de/liszt FRANZ LISZT Weimar

G_InternPiano17.indd 1 28.09.17 08:33 November/December 2017 International Piano 13

IPND17_012-013_R_OnetoWatch 2709KC.indd 13 10/10/2017 18:53 COMMENT Genius at a price Hofmann was fond of saying that still, amazingly, able to play from memory Jeremy Nicholas the problem with a wunderkind is that many of the great works he had learnt as the ‘wunder’ stops at about the same a child. Like many a wunderkind, by the explores the complex time as the ‘kind’. Child prodigies seem time he emerged from the chrysalis stage, particularly susceptible to mental health he was already damaged goods: a butterfly relationship between problems. One thinks of Ervin Nyiregyházi without wings. (1903-87), perhaps the most astonishing A study entitled Can Music Make You musical creativity piano wunderkind in history. He made his Sick? revealed that while 19 per cent of debut at six and we find him playing Liszt’s people in the UK aged 16 or older admitted and mental health Second Concerto under Nikisch with the feelings of anxiety or depression, 68.5 Berlin Philharmonic at the age of 15, per cent of musicians believed they had then deputising for Rachmaninov in the experienced depression, while 71.1 per cent thought they had experienced HERE IS A BELIEF THAT THERE anxiety and panic attacks. can be ‘no great genius without The list of rock musicians some touch of madness’. The who overdosed or whose drug Thistory of the creative arts teems with the addiction destroyed their career names of emotionally disturbed artists, is familiar and depressingly writers, poets and composers. Various long – far longer than the list studies suggest an increased rate of of classical musicians who TULLY POTTER COLLECTION POTTER TULLY schizophrenia, depressive conditions and succumbed. Anecdotal evidence addiction problems in creative individuals. suggests that pianists more I have just been listening to volume nine than any other group of solo of Marston’s complete recordings of Josef instrumentalists are, for some Hofmann, a godlike figure in the pianistic reason, disproportionately world during his long and illustrious likely to be the subject of career. A child prodigy, Hofmann gave mental health issues. One his first concert in 1881 at the age of five, thinks particularly of Vladimir and his last in 1947. Complementing the Horowitz (depression, nervous wax cylinder transfers, unissued takes and breakdowns, prescription pills), radio broadcast performances, both discs Van Cliburn (amphetamines) feature a series of interviews with some and John Ogdon (bipolar of those who knew and heard him. Some disorder). A number have taken Fragile genius: Josef Hoffman (1876-1957) talk of Hofmann the pianist and the effect their own lives: Noel Mewton- his playing had on them (Charles Rosen, Wood (cyanide), Denis Matthews for instance, and Jorge Bolet); others Tchaikovsky B-flat minor concerto in Oslo. (hanging), Terence Judd (jumping) and concentrate on Hofmann the man. He travels to America at 17, is fêted, and a Leff Pouishnoff (barbiturates). As music lovers, we often manufacture glittering career beckons. Five years later Alcohol effectively finished Josef an image of our pianistic idols that rarely he is sleeping on the subway in New York, Hofmann’s career and for the last 10 years of takes into account any faults or personality penniless. A lack of worldliness, inability to his life he lived as a virtual recluse working defects. Understandably so, for it is not cope on his own and a resolutely stubborn on his various engineering and scientific always a good idea to get too close to streak all contributed. Incredibly, he could projects. One anecdote from the interviews our heroes and heroines. It was not news not do up his own shoelaces or knot a tie; on the Marston discs says it all. The pianist that Hofmann had a drink problem or he did not even know how to use a knife ‘Ted’ Sadlowski remembered the occasion was at times a serial adulterer. What was and fork (his mother had his food cut up when he and a friend were walking down a movingly and distressingly revealed for him). He proved to be a difficult client street in New York when he spotted a man in these interviews was the extent to to handle and, after two months, with he thought was Josef Hofmann. ‘My friend which alcohol affected his playing. What intransigence outweighing profitability, said “No, it can’t be. He has egg on his lapel.” caused him to succumb to the bottle is his agent cut him adrift. There were some We followed him into the bar of the Great not discussed. However, Hofmann’s is comebacks but, by and large, his career was Northern Hotel. My friend sat down next to yet another name to add to the long list over. Married nine times, he eventually him. “Pardon me, sir,” he asked. “Aren’t you of musicians who, for whatever reason, ended up in downtown San Francisco, Josef Hofmann?” He said, “I was.” It broke battled mental illness. addicted to alcohol and prostitutes, but our hearts.’ e 14 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_014_R_Comment 2709KC.indd 14 10/10/2017 17:34 IPND17.indd 15 12/10/2017 12:26:08 THE ILL-TEMPERED CLAVIER

Do exaggerated facial expressions on the part of a performer enhance or detract from the audience’s engagement with the music? Charivari turns the spotlight from pianists’ fingers to their faces

HARIVARI IS A KEEN his musicality. They do, however, distract be distorted, his eyeballs roll as in an student of stage demeanour. Does from the music, adding an intrusive extra agony, and he gives in so much to what he a pianist enter looking pleased to element, a surplus dynamic. is doing that he doth not look like the same beC there (Hamelin, Tiempo, Rubinstein); Lang Lang is by no means the first to be man.’ The same could be said of Franz there to do a job (Sokolov, Pires); utterly accused of making exaggerated gestures. Liszt a century and a half later, the very miserable (Richter) or contemptuous When the 17th-century violinist Arcangelo opposite to his rival Sigismond Thalberg (Michelangeli)? See how they bow and Corelli played, ‘his countenance,’ who, Moscheles tells us, smoked a Turkish address the keyboard. Observe their body according to a contemporary report, ‘will pipe while practising, ‘the length of the movement (or lack of it). Watch their facial expressions. Lang Lang: Accurately reflecting the mood of the music With regard to the latter, the elephant in or displaying a lack of proper self-control? the room (let us be frank) is Lang Lang. He has elevated the art of face-pulling at the piano to an entirely new level. As probably the most successful pianist currently in the public eye – and among the most influential in history – there is already a whole generation of (mainly Asian) pianists who look to Lang Lang as their role model. Not that pulling faces while playing ipso facto means ‘bad pianist’. In fact, Lang Lang’s face almost always accurately reflects the mood and phrasing of the music he is playing and, in the main, is transferred from his fingers via the keyboard to the audience. By contrast, there are many pianists whose facial PHILIP GLASER expressions are a substitute for what their fingers should be doing but are not. Lang Lang’s heavenward looks of joy, surprise or gazing wistfully into space do not impair

16 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_016-017_R_ITClavier 2709BWM KC.indd 16 13/10/2017 09:19 THE ILL-TEMPERED CLAVIER

tube so calculated as to keep him erect Concerto at the BBC Proms was movingly the nodding of the head, the exaggerated and motionless’. Is this reserved, military enhanced by his physical response to motion of the arms, and all grotesque bearing at the keyboard – long taught as the music). actions in general while playing the the preferred deportment – any more or The question is, does music become piano, so frequently exhibited not only less natural than the other? more powerful/moving/spiritual/exciting by amateurs but by concert players too?’ Nor is Lang Lang the only extravagant when the pianist wants to tell you via his Hofmann’s opinion was very clear: ‘All keyboard gurner. I give you Alfred or her face that the music you are listening such actions as you describe reveal a lack Brendel, who always seemed to be about to is powerful/moving/spiritual/exciting? of the player’s proper self-control when to regurgitate something in the back of his In other words, do physical gestures both they are unconsciously indulged in. When throat; Mitsuko Uchida, for whom playing echo and induce emotion? Or are these they are consciously committed, which Mozart seems to equate with touching a emotions more fully realised by not is not infrequently the case, they betray red hot poker; and Rudolf Serkin, whose signalling them to the audience? Do you, the pianist’s effort to deflect the auditors’ jaw seemed to be perpetually on the move by playing the slow movement of K467 attention from the composition to himself, like a goldfish. (The vocal contributions without rubato, romantic inflections and feeling probably unable to satisfy his of Glenn Gould are a story in themselves.) facial expressions, make it more effective auditors with the result of his playing and, For whatever reason, no critic conflates than if you use all the expressive techniques therefore, resorting to illustration by more the facial contortions of these artists with at your disposal? or less exaggerated gesture. General well- criticism of their performances as they do From 1901 to 1914, the Ladies’ Home manneredness, or its absence, has a good with Lang Lang. Other less well-known Journal had a column in which the great deal to do with the matter.’ face-pullers currently before the public Josef Hofmann [also the subject of this In general, I side with Hofmann. I can are Alessandro Deljavan, Dong Hyek month’s Comment, page 14] would answer make up my own mind about the character Lim, David Fay and Alexander Gavrylyuk readers’ questions on various aspects of and mood of the music I am hearing, (though the latter’s recent stunning piano playing. ‘Is there any justification,’ thank you, without it being signalled performance of Rachmaninov’s Third asked one, ‘for the swaying of the body, facially from the concert platform. e

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November/December 2017 International Piano 17

IPND17_016-017_R_ITClavier 2709BWM KC.indd 17 13/10/2017 09:19 COVER STORY NOTES FROM A GOLDENAGE Jessica Duchen meets the French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie, who has just launched a new festival on Lake Como in Italy. She discovers a musician who, despite being rooted in an illustrious tradition of great pianism, is full of the spirit of adventure and still experimenting with repertoire, old and new

T’S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT See his discography and gasp: it runs to by Lake Como, but Louis Lortie is more than 50 recordings, the vast majority wide awake. He has just flown in with the same company – Chandos. ‘I and is buzzing with adrenaline in know, it’s incredible,’ Lortie smiles. ‘It anticipation of his task: planning started with Brian Couzens, whom I

Ithe next Lake Como International Music admired and adored. Chandos is one of Festival and Academy, of which he is co- few organisations in the arts where there ⌂ artistic director with the Italian conductor Paolo Bressan. ‘LacMus’ is new this year, but seems set to become an enticing new fixture in this heavenly location. ‘The Tremezzina area is full of interesting historical villas which are handy for concerts,’ Lortie remarks. ‘People here are very happy about the festival, because we haven’t had much going on in the way of live music.’ This was, he says, a ‘modest’ first festival, but with plenty of enthusiasm from some vital people, notably the mayor and a crucial sponsor or two, the second is beginning to look splendidly ambitious. Born in Montreal, Lortie catapulted to fame in 1984 having won both the Busoni Competition and a prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition. He still has a distinctive French-Canadian accent, but Europe has long been his home. Currently he divides his time between Berlin, Lake Como, Canada and a teaching post, begun a year ago, at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Brussels’ most elite (in the best sense) music college. For recording, however, his base is Suffolk.

18 International Piano November/De- cember 2017

IPND17_018-024_F_CvrStory_1010OM.indd 18 10/10/2017 07:48 COVER STORY

‘I don’t like to do the usual “salad” programmes, with a little bit of this and that composer. It’s not AGE how I look at things.’ ELIAS PHOTOGRAPHY

November/December 2017 International Piano 19

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IPND17.indd 20 12/10/2017 12:26:08 COVER STORY ELIAS PHOTOGRAPHY ⌂ is a continuation in the same family. Ralph is so different from Brian, but also keen to explore the new world in which we live. He’s understood where this world is going, so he has a lot of success in a field that’s not supposed to be a success: making classical CDs!’ The recording team, he says, is also ‘like a family – they are always incredible to work with’. Moreover, Chandos has occasionally coaxed him into intriguing new directions. ‘Music is full of surprises,’ he remarks. ‘Sometimes repertoire you hadn’t considered turns out to be more interesting than you expected. Ralph had for years the idea that I should do all the Saint-Saëns concertos and at first I wasn’t keen. I’d played only one and didn’t think I necessarily wanted to do the others. Gradually I learned another and began to think it was something I could do…’ The result pairs Lortie with a conductor with whom he has already worked to fine effect in Lutosławski, Szymanowski and Poulenc: Edward Gardner, the British chief conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic. ‘Orchestral projects can be difficult because of limited time and space – and you have to find the right conductor, so it can involve a lot of anguish,’ Lortie says. ‘But the last recordings I did with Ed Gardner had such a wonderful atmosphere that now I feel very confident about it. He is a very concentrated, serious musician – at least, that’s the first impression. But when you get to know him, he also has a boyish, “spirituoso” side, so maybe in the Saint-Saëns I’m pushing this aspect!’ ‘Music is full of surprises’ Spirited Saint-Saëns certainly is – but he can also be surprisingly elusive. Even the ever-popular Piano Concerto No 2 is who did so much to command, with the make each recording resemble a recital riddled with self-contradictions: as the same kind of ease that Saint-Saëns had. He programme with its own internal logic. pianist Sigismund Stojowski notoriously once said, “I produce music like an apple Perhaps that is in part a justification remarked, it ‘begins like Bach and ends tree produces apples”. He had such facility! for recording Chopin in a fearsomely like Offenbach’. ‘It’s true,’ Lortie agrees. ‘It And he was a scientist as well, he spoke overcrowded market: ‘It’s completely has both a light aspect and a very deep side many languages, he knew Latin extremely daunting and sometimes you wonder why simultaneously, a contradiction very often well, he was incredibly well-read – he was you do another one!’ he laughs. ‘But it’s present in French Romantic music.’ a fascinating individual. Fauré’s generation just for the love of the music. Of course That can be also true of French 19th- greatly respected him and learned a lot it has been played before by absolutely century art, he adds – and part of the from him.’ wonderful people, but I’m in it, it’s going answer can be found in the artists’ sheer The Saint-Saëns concertos are queuing on and I’m doing it whatever.’ professionalism. ‘When you see the behind several other releases in Lortie’s paintings of the mid-19th century at the lavish pipeline. Not least, he has gradually

Louvre, so much seems pompous. But been traversing Chopin’s complete works HE RECITAL APPROACH MIRRORS when you take time to understand, there’s for solo piano. Rather than tackling This preferred concert programming: ⌂ a lot of value behind it. These were painters the usual genre groupings, he aims to ‘It is true that an all-Chopin programme

November/December 2017 International Piano 21

IPND17_018-024_F_CvrStory_1010OM.indd 21 10/10/2017 07:48 Bertrand Chamayou, piano (artistic director) Leif Ove Andsnes, piano | Yulianna Avdeeva, piano | Seong-Jin Cho, piano Francesco Piemontesi, piano | Ah Ruem Ahn, piano | Vilde Frang, violin Marianne Beate Kielland, mezzo | Engegard Quartet Oslo Camerata | Maximilian Schnaus, organ Dates: July 9 - July 15 2018 www.lofotenfestival.com

IPND17.indd 22 12/10/2017 12:26:09 COVER STORY

⌂ is convenient when you’re touring – it’s I like very much Manuel Rosenthal – a very about wrong notes, they’re there to give always possible to present a popular special Chopin player. Ignaz Friedman was something and they see the big picture. composer like Chopin,’ he reflects. ‘But a wonderful interpreter, with an incredible Often they have incredible education and I don’t feel I’m prostituting myself, as I sense of rubato. And when I was young I an incredible outlook on life and the world might with other types of music. I don’t went to a lot of concerts by someone who in general. That certainly comes through like to do the usual “salad” programmes, is almost forgotten now, but was very good when you hear them.’ with a little bit of this and that composer. with those dances: Witold Malcuzynski. Lortie’s connection with ‘golden age’ It’s not how I look at things.’ Maybe he He was one of the first pianists I heard live, style goes back to his own teachers, who prefers a one-pot musical dinner? ‘I like to when I was eight years old.’ besides Leon Fleisher and Dieter Weber also have a thread in the programme and often Malcuzynski, Lortie recalls, had been included Yvonne Hubert, a one-time pupil of that thread is one composer or one period.’ a pupil of Paderewski. ‘He was extremely Alfred Cortot. ‘She studied with him when His fifth Chopin disc mainly focuses on theatrical when he walked onto the stage. she was quite young, and she lived very long, mazurkas and polonaises – which he has He had very long hair and the ladies liked so I was extremely lucky,’ he smiles. ‘She left until relatively late in the series, for him, as with Paderewski. The piano was had played for Fauré and Albéniz, so for PLUSHMUSIC

‘I like to play Chopin with as little pedal as possible’

a good reason. ‘This is the most difficult put on an oblique, so you could see his hair her contemporary music was music written part for me: the Polish side of Chopin. very well and there was a spotlight on it! in 1910-15, because that’s when she did her Because when you want to play particular But his manner of playing was very poised exams at the Paris Conservatoire.’ national dance forms, it’s much more of a and very refined, aristocratic. It was not While Hubert was studying with Cortot, challenge, from outside, to understand the showy at all, as you’d see nowadays – he across the Channel Ralph Vaughan rhythms and the spirit. I thought I had to didn’t move much. His presence was very Williams was rising to fame. Lortie’s let it simmer for longer time.’ much of the world of before the war. recording career has taken a possibly Chief influences for him in Chopin are ‘I had the sense that these people – like unexpected turn into British music, ‘golden age’ artists whose recordings he Malcuzynski, like Rubinstein whom I also notably Vaughan Williams’s little-known loves, and a few of whom he was lucky heard when he was very elderly – walked Piano Concerto, with Sir Andrew Davis enough to hear live in concert (Lortie on stage as if they were in their living- conducting. ‘That was an absolute joy – is now 58). ‘Now that we have access to room. There aren’t many pianists now who I’ve been with Chandos all these years, yet everything, it’s so interesting to hear all the have this total confidence – though Daniel never recorded any British music before,’

old, great, Polish pianists since the 1900s!’ Barenboim comes to mind. I think these he grins. ‘I’d heard about this concerto, but he enthuses. ‘I’ve learned a lot from them. artists are not nervous, they don’t care I didn’t know it – and I fell in love with ⌂

November/December 2017 International Piano 23

IPND17_018-024_F_CvrStory_1010OM.indd 23 10/10/2017 16:29 COVER STORY

is much more difficult. The two months before a recording just kill me! Of course, sometimes I’ll do two completely different versions of the same piece, then choose between them later. Also it can depend on ELIAS PHOTOGRAPHY the succession of pieces and how you go from one to another. I try to order pieces so that they are linked perhaps key-wise or stylistically – people can feel they are listening to the recording rather as they would listen to a concert. ‘I always try to use the best piano available for the repertoire I’m doing in the city or country where I am,’ he adds. ‘So it’s always complicated to choose – and the instruments have to be available! I make my recordings mostly in Suffolk and there are not many pianos at your disposal, so you must bring them from London… ‘For the Chopin we’ve used mostly Faziolis. I like to play this music with as little pedal as possible, and this instrument has a nice curve in the upper register for projecting long melodies. Also, I want an instrument that has a soothing action and doesn’t tire me out. Faziolis I find generally have easy, friendly keyboards – the action is crucial, especially in virtuoso repertoire. I think we can hear it, too, unconsciously; we can feel, when we listen, that there is an easy flow about the way the keyboard responds.’ There is an easy flow, too, about Lortie’s Going with the flow: Louis Lortie infectious energy and enthusiasm. He’s both an ideas man and a performer whose ⌂ it. And nobody plays it!’ The work also answer for: ‘Instead of a loud ending, we sheer love for music enlivens his responses, exists in a version for two pianos; Lortie have this divine, meditative writing, which and those of his audience. This winter is tackling both. ‘I’ve already done the for me is absolutely wonderful.’ brings plenty of treats: a Wigmore Hall two-piano version [with Hélène Mercier] Hopefully this will not be Lortie’s only recital with his Music Chapel colleague, and now I’m going to do the original, solo foray into British repertoire: ‘I dream of violinist Augustin Dumay, then a plethora version, written in the early 1930s.’ making an all-British disc of contemporary of concertos: Ravel in San Diego, Vaughan The work’s neglect could be down to music,’ he hints. ‘I’ve played a lot of Thomas Williams in Toronto, Tchaikovsky in the sheer difficulty of the solo part, he Adès and George Benjamin and I would Switzerland. Meanwhile in summer, what suggests, which would also be why the really like to record it. These are some of excuse to visit Lake Como could be better composer rearranged it for two pianists. the most famous composers worldwide than his new festival? We all might just ‘But this solo version works very well. The and I think there is a public for them.’ have to go there and check it out. man knew what he was doing; he definitely e did not make a mistake by writing it for Volume 5 in Louis solo piano. It’s just very, very difficult! OT ONLY LORTIE’S REPERTOIRE Lortie’s Chopin Some passages are tricky and intricate, Ntastes, but also his recording series is now with a lot of contrapuntal writing.’ It had methods have evolved with the years. available from high-profile fans in its day: ‘Bartók was at ‘I’m finding that the older I get, the fewer Chandos Records the premiere and wrote a letter to Vaughan takes I do,’ he says. ‘I used to repeat and (CHAN 10943). Williams saying he admired it.’ And in a repeat; these days I’m more focused and www.chandos.net world expecting noisy conclusions, its I know better where I’m going – but that ethereal close may also have something to means that the preparation beforehand www.louislortie.com

24 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_018-024_F_CvrStory_1010OM.indd 24 10/10/2017 16:29 IPND17.indd 25 12/10/2017 12:26:09 advert:Layout 1 09/10/2017 16:27 Page 1

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IPND17.indd 26 12/10/2017 12:26:10 RUSSIA 1917

Konstantin Lifschitz, Evgeny Kissin, Daniil Trifonov and Boris Berezovsky. REVOLUTIONARY In these conservatories, generations of pianists were told that Soviet dogma never penetrated the hallowed halls of instruction. The Russian concert pianist Rustem Hayroudinoff, who graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, wrote REPERCUSSIONS in Gramophone before a London recital in 2013: ‘When the Bolsheviks came to Benjamin Ivry concludes his survey of pianism power in 1917 they were very keen to demolish the established order of things in early 20th-century Russia by exploring the in Russia, but luckily the one field they didn’t touch was the education system for consequences of the October Revolution of ballet and music.’ Moscow Conservatory teachers and 1917, when the dialectic of Marxism pupils believed this to be true, but the reality appears to be different. Andrew permeated every aspect of Soviet culture Wachtel’s Intersections and Transpositions: Russian Music, Literature, and Society (Northwestern, 1998) details strenuous official attempts to achieve a Marxist Part II: After the Deluge approach in piano pedagogy. Amy Nelson’s Music for the Revolution: Musicians and Power in Early Soviet Russia (PSU Press, OLLOWING THE OCTOBER Petersburg, Kiev, Novosibirsk and Tbilisi, 2004) recounts purges of piano students Revolution in Russia a century ago, with government agencies determining who were not considered Revolutionary- Soviet thinking reduced pianism curriculum and admission criteria. minded enough, followed by firings of

Fto a category of labour. Pianists were Moscow’s two conservatories included disfavored instructors for the ostensible workers who needed to be analysed and the Gnessin State Musical College, whose cause that there were fewer students left ⌂ controlled in every aspect of training celebrated alumni would later include to teach. and productivity. Nikolai Aleksandrovich Bernstein’s Neurophysiological Study of Piano Touch was published in 1929 as part Uncompromising piano pedagogue Alexander Kirilovich Borovsky was of a journal whose full title translates Alexander Borisovich Goldenweiser described by Goldenweiser as an ‘animal’ as The Physiology of Labour: Journal for Human Physiology in Labour and Sports. Bernstein coined the term biomechanics, studying movements by manual labourers, including pianists, in order to optimise productivity. The State Institute for Musicology, formed in 1921, included this type of research on its agenda to achieve what was termed ‘scientific organisation of musical labour’. Did this mechanised view of music result in dehumanisation of piano training and composition? Opinions

still differ. Collectivisation eliminated TULLY POTTER COLLECTION TULLY POTTER COLLECTION Russian society’s upper and middle classes by murder or exile, decimating the main source of pianists. To replace the missing pianists, a system of free or low-cost

schools was established. Education in children’s music schools was followed by ⌂ training in music colleges in Moscow, St

November/December 2017 International Piano 27

IPND17_027-031_F_Russia_1010OMv2.indd 27 10/10/2017 17:44 RUSSIA 1917

thanks to clever advertisement, Rachmaninov exited Russia permanently. fills the Big Hall of the Moscow Other composers were unable or unwilling Conservatory completely. I saw to follow his example. The Piano Sonata many bare ugly mugs glowering No 2 (1928) by Vsevolod Petrovich [which] I have never seen at any Zaderatsky (1891–1953) evokes the stunned concerts. Herd of idiots! Medtner, a wandering of a dazed Wozzeck-like true genius, played in a half-empty protagonist, unsurprisingly, given the TULLY POTTER COLLECTION POTTER TULLY hall. I cursed badly and ran home composer’s harrowing experience of shell like a scared maniac.’ shock in the First World War, followed by (trans: I Kofman) imprisonments on political charges. After his first arrest in 1926, all Zaderatsky’s Highly opinionated about keyboard artistry previous compositions were destroyed by (and veal cutlets), Goldenweiser ignored the authorities. changing fashions in the new Soviet era. Unsurprisingly, many piano works Instead, he emphasised tradition. Obsessed from this time are dirge-like, such as the Gavriil Nikolayevich Popov was condemned with technique, Goldenweiser insisted that Sonata No 3 for Piano, Op 6 (1930) by as a formalist by the Soviet regime his pupils play through Carl Czerny’s Art of Sergei Vladimirovich Protopopov (1893- Finger Dexterity. 1954). Although dedicated to the memory ⌂ Eminent piano pedagogues were of Leonardo da Vinci, Protopopov’s work spared, since celebrity intimidated conveys the dark reality of the pianistic Soviet bureaucrats. Some of those fired HILE TIME-HONOURED avant-garde in his homeland. Vladimir from the Moscow Conservatory in an procedures sometimes Mikhaylovich Deshevov (1889–1955) excess of Communist zeal were later remained in place for teaching, produced hymns to mechanisation as rehired. According to Nelson, the only pianoW composers dodged ever-shifting favoured by Soviet commissars, such as ‘truly contentious case’ at the Leningrad aesthetic criteria formulated by official Rails, Op 16. More self-revealing was his Conservatory involved Marina Barinova musical boards. Some refused to do zesty Meditations (1920-22). Not yielding (1878-1956), a student of Josef Hoffman, so. The pianist and composer Serge to despair, however justified, became a who ‘by all accounts was a gifted, highly Rachmaninov would explain in Oskar von byword of artistic strength. Similarly, respected piano professor and openly anti- Riesemann’s Rachmaninoff’s Recollections there is convincing blitheness in Gavriil Soviet in her politics.’ Plans to discharge (1934, reprinted by Routledge, 2015): Nikolayevich Popov’s Grosse Suite für Barinova, author of Memories of J Hofmann Klavier, Op 6 (1927) although the composer

and F Busoni (Muzyka, 1964), were stymied ‘Almost from the very beginning (1904-1972) would be banned a scant few when colleagues protested. of the revolution I realised that it years later. ⌂ These included famed piano pedagogues was mishandled… Many optimists such as Alexander Borisovich Goldenweiser looked upon the Bolshevists’ A capacity for transcendence: Dmitri seizure of the reins as an (1875–1961) whose personal artistic beliefs Shostakovich (1906-1975) were unchanged by war or revolution. The unpleasant but short-lived interlude pianist Irena Kofman noted in her 2001 of the ‘Great Revolution,’ and doctoral dissertation submitted to the hoped that each new day would, University of Miami that Goldenweiser’s at last, bring them the promised exigent pianistic standards were unaltered heaven on earth. I am not one of by historical trends. Goldenweiser wrote those people who blind themselves in his diary for 1927 about a recital by the to reality and indulge in vague popular virtuoso Alexander Kirilovich Utopian illusions. As soon as I had Borovsky (1889-1968), who had studied at made a closer study of the men the St Petersburg Conservatory and taught who handled the fate of our people in Moscow just after the Revolution: and the whole country, I saw with terrible clearness that here was ‘Borovsky made me furious. He the beginning of the end – an end TULLY POTTER COLLECTION played the Bach-Busoni Toccata in full of horrors, the occurrence of C major and Beethoven Sonata No which was merely a matter of time. 30, Op 109. He is not an artist, he The anarchy around me, the brutal is a veal cutlet. The sophisticated, uprooting of all the foundations of talented [pianist Heinrich] Neuhaus art, the senseless destruction of all cannot afford to rent Mozart’s hall means for its encouragement, left for 350 people, but this “animal”, no hope of a normal life in Russia.’

28 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_027-031_F_Russia_1010OMv2.indd 28 10/10/2017 17:44 Khatia Buniatishvili plays Rachmaninov 29 October 2017 Alice Sara Ott plays Liszt 26 November 2017 Cédric Tiberghien plays Debussy 25 January 2018

with the LSO at the Barbican Hall

lso.co.uk 020 7638 8891

Víkingur Paul Lewis Ólafsson Tue 23 Jan 2018 Wed 15 Nov 2017 Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms Bach, Chopin, Brahms Martin Helmchen Wed 7 Feb 2018 Mitsuko Uchida Schumann, Beethoven Tue 28 Nov & Fri 1 Dec 2017 Boris Giltburg Schubert Wed 28 Feb 2018 Liszt, Rachmaninov

southbankcentre.co.uk 020 3879 9555

IPND17.indd 29 12/10/2017 17:35:05 RUSSIA 1917

⌂ One composer and pianist still in The mood swings audible in such dichotomies was Samuil Yevgenyevich his teens faithfully reflected this credo. works, from despair to manic bravado, Feinberg (1890-1962). The pianist Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was aggravated by the schizophrenic Christophe Sirodeau, who has recorded (1906-1975) was 16 when he wrote Three Soviet governmental message about music. Feinberg’s Piano Sonata No 6, Op 13 Fantastic Dances, Op 5, a work containing Two organisations founded by Lenin had (1923), described it: ‘The composer seems the essential mystery at the heart of great diametrically opposed aims: the forward- to find himself on the tip of an apocalyptic music. It is more about Schumann than looking Association for Contemporary sword ... and the listener remains Soviet history, showing a capacity for Music and simplistic Russian Association imprisoned by the spirit of confusion transcendence that would mark many of of Proletarian Music. and even of irreparable tragedy that Shostakovich’s works. Another youthful One Russian pianist and composer of dominates this work.’ This is one of the effort, the Piano Trio No 1 in C minor, Op talent who grappled with these official few of Feinberg’s works to which a poetic 8, shows a preternatural understanding of the mutually supportive role of chamber musicians. It is about music, not a national Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky (1881-1950) or historical agenda, reminding us that major composers stand apart from their eras as much as they epitomise them. On a humbler rung of the creative ladder was Alexander Vasilyevich Mosolov (1900-1973), notorious for his migrainous orchestral work Factory: machine-music, Op 19 (1926), a model of the Soviet homage in music to industrial productivity. Mosolov’s triumphantly titled Tractor’s Arrival at the Kolkhoz (1926/1927) is another embarrassment in retrospect. Too much of Mosolov’s piano music is dreary, ominous, or stretching for macho effect, although at least the keyboard provided the composer with a degree of abstraction, independent of literal depictions of industrial or agricultural five-year plans. Mosolov’s Second and Fourth Piano Sonatas (1923- 4 and 1925, respectively) radiate the most warmth and humanity of any of his compositions.

ESPITE INSTRUMENTALISATION epigraph was appended. At first, Feinberg of music for political propaganda, ‘As soon as I had planned to cite Oswald Spengler’s Decline piano music played a role in made a closer study of the West, or The Downfall of the Occident Drevealing states of mind, sometimes (1918-1923), which likely would have unintentionally. The ultra-facile mediocrity of the men who pleased Soviet authorities; but eventually Tikhon Nikolayevich Khrennikov (1913- he settled upon lines by the 19th-century 2007), who studied piano with Heinrich handled the fate of author Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev from Neuhaus, became a leading inquisitor the poem Insomnia about the ‘monotonous of pianists and piano composers more our people and the stroke of the clock, the night’s wearying talented than he as Secretary of the Union tale’. By declining to broadcast the fall of of Soviet Composers, a post he held whole country, I saw Western civilisation through an epigraph, until 1991. Khrennikov’s Piano Concerto Feinberg may have been echoing his own No 1 in F major, Op 1 (1932-33), while a with terrible clearness hyper-energetic activities as composer, student work, already established him as that here was the pianist, and teacher of music, embracing a musician who would always choose the Western inspiration. easy way out, including advancing his own beginning of the end’ A skilled sight-reader, passionate about career by wreaking havoc upon others contemporary music, Feinberg was a through denunciations and sanctions. SERGEI RACHMANINOV mainstay of a salon at the Moscow home

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of the musicologist Pavel Aleksandrovich [work], and his performance Lamm (1882-1951), where young emerges as distinctive but SUGGESTED LISTENING musicians flocked to hear new works persuasive.’ Zaderatsky Sonata No 2 (trans: I Kofman) Protopopov Piano Sonata No 3, Op 6 played in arrangements for four or Anthology of Piano Music by eight hands. Feinberg led performances Russian and Soviet Composers. Part 1 Disc 3 (1917-1991) of Rachmaninov’s Third Symphony Myaskovsky’s mention of ‘foreign Feodor Amirov (piano) (1935-1936) and Shostakovich’s Fourth elements’ might have been a slightly Melodiya MELCD1001965 Symphony (rehearsed in 1936 but antisemitic reference to the fact Popov Grosse Klaviersuite, Op 6 withdrawn before its premiere). In January that Feinberg was of Jewish origin. Yury Favorin (piano) 1923, the composer Nikolai Yakovlevich Nevertheless, in 1927 Feinberg premiered Melodiya MELCD1002459 Myaskovsky (1881-1950) wrote to his friend Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto Shostakovich Fantastic Dances, Op 5 Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev: Shostakovich Plays Shostakovich as well as Myaskovsky’s own works. Dmitri Shostakovich (piano) Feinberg also championed Prokofiev’s Warner Classics 2564615501 ‘There is an outstanding Concerto No 5, along with several other Shostakovich Fantastic Dances, Op 5 pianist here who can play your key piano compositions by his fellow Glenn Gould (piano) compositions superbly – Feinberg. composer. Yet two decades on, even VAI CD VAIA1198 Of course, you would object to the dauntless Feinberg would be forced Shostakovich Piano Trio No 1 some things in his interpretation. by the Soviet regime to stop composing in C minor, Op 8 Smetana Trio He brings what may be foreign and concertising due to charges of Jitka Čechová (piano), Jiří Vodička elements in his performances, ‘formalism’. Thus would even the (violin), Jan Páleníček (cello) Supraphon SU41452 emphasising refinement and most gifted and courageous of Russian nervousness. However, his pianists and piano composers come Mosolov Piano Sonata No 2 in B minor, Op 4 enthusiasm, temperament and to grief under the regime after the Olga Andryushchenko (piano) superior technique do their own October Revolution. Grand Piano GP703-04 e

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November/December 2017 International Piano 31

IPND17_027-031_F_Russia_1010OMv2.indd 31 13/10/2017 09:20 NORDIC FOCUS NORTHERN STATES The wild landscapes, the unique light and the vast, empty silences of the regions that cluster around the Arctic Circle have inspired a very particular cultural and psychological identity. Andrew Mellor explores the idea of ‘The North’ and its wide-ranging influence on today’s music scene

N 1967, GLENN GOULD ACTED ON North’ that has been on a steady crescendo end, avoid’ – was that of his native Canada. an idea that had been hammering ever since. Like much talk from the north, But our European idea of the north comes away in his mind for some years, Gould’s radio piece was notable as much from our very own territories of Iceland, and embarked upon an expedition for what it did not say as for what it said: Finland, Scandinavia and perhaps even the deep into northern landscapes. there were no concrete definitions for tip of Scotland: lands that hold a similar IGould’s journey wasn’t so much physical, the area discussed; nor were there any fascination and for many of the same however, as psychological. His radio watertight answers as to why it holds such reasons. But unlike Gould’s harsh, ugly documentary The Idea of North, one third fascination. The subject only became more and inhospitable north, these European of the landmark Solitude Trilogy made for intriguing as a result. lands seem to both untamed and at the the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Gould’s north – ‘a convenient place to same time highly civilised. All manner helped establish a mythology around ‘The dream about, spin tales about and, in the of paradoxes are wrapped up in Nordic

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at the Barbican Centre in London Unlike many of his respected colleagues while across town, the Nordic Music from Norway and indeed Scandinavia, Days festival was being held outside its Andsnes never studied abroad. ‘In that home region for only the second time in sense, Leif Ove has been an extraordinarily its history. influential figure for Nordic piano playing Meanwhile, from Birmingham to – I’m not sure he realises himself how Berlin, we are becoming more and more influential’, says Víkingur Ólafsson. ‘Here acquainted with Nordic instrumentalists. was this Nordic guy who came from the This autumn the pianists Víkingur middle of nowhere and really broke out, Ólafsson and Leif Ove Andsnes, Icelandic and was playing at Carnegie Hall before and Norwegian respectively, will visit he’d turned 30. Obviously it’s about extreme London to give recitals as part of the talent and an extraordinary work ethic, but Southbank Centre’s International Piano to have someone that has actually trodden Series. The concerts also tie in with the that path means there is a figure whom complex’s yearlong focus on northern pianists in the north can look up to.’ creativity, Nordic Matters. The very fact that Andsnes was unusual in staying at home speaks volumes about the way Scandinavian pianists are trained, LL THIS ACTIVITY PROMPTS AN and the international currents that flow Aobvious question: what are Nordic through the pedagogical life of the region artists offering us that is apparently so as a result. ‘The Nordic countries are very alluring? Of course, the first answer is much influenced from outside; they have exceptional technique and talent, for always been drawn in different directions’, which we can thank the education and says Andsnes, whose teacher in Bergen, Jiří infrastructure that provide opportunities Hlinka, was born and educated in what is for conductors and instrumentalists to now the Czech Republic. ‘There is Russia hone their craft (there are 23 professional to the east and of course Germany to the orchestras in Finland alone, which has a south. The Nordic countries are small, so it little over half the population of London). was a given that you would go somewhere Is there anything else at play? Ability, else to study even though I was unusual in after all, only gets you so far. A consistent that regard.’ theme in Gould’s documentary is that of As a result, Andsnes dismisses any ideas space and silence, and the reflectiveness of a Nordic ‘school’ of pianism that might both are capable of incubating. Andsnes be aligned to certain clear, cool-headed grew up on an island off the west coast of Scandinavian traits noted in other fields Norway, almost as far as it’s possible to get of musical interpretation (orchestral and within Europe, logistically speaking, from choral in particular). Then again, Andsnes anything that could be considered a hub doesn’t really recognise national schools at of piano playing or pedagogy. Away from all: ‘I am altogether quite sceptical when it the hothouse atmosphere of conservatories comes to such things, especially regarding in Oslo or Copenhagen – let alone London different nations’, he says. ‘I think it all or Vienna – did Andsnes feel more able to comes down to certain personalities.’ develop a musical personality naturally, in Ólafsson’s training, however, presents his own time? ‘I always thought of myself an irresistibly bipartisan picture – not as someone who needs time, and that least considering the position of his native culture, and an explosion of artistic therefore a small conservatory [in Bergen] Iceland midway between Europe to the activity from northern climes has allowed where there was no competition was a east and America to the west. ‘Jerome us, in some sense, to get a fresh perspective good place to be,’ Andsnes responds. ‘I Lowenthal, my first teacher at Juilliard, on our own creativity. was a slow learner, even though I became was a protégé of Alfred Cortot and William Music has been a big part of that quicker over the years. If someone called Kapell’, explains Ólafsson. ‘My other explosion. All four BBC symphony and asked me to play Chopin’s First teacher, Robert MacDonald, represents the orchestras now have conductors in Concerto in six weeks, I would have said, more Austro-Germanic way of thinking as office from a Nordic country. We lap up “no way, I need half a year at least”. In a seen through his teacher Rudolf Serkin.

Nordic repertoire new and old like never way I found that I had become a pianist So, whereas one side was extraordinarily before. At the time of writing, a cycle of with an international career before I had analytical, the other was about instant ⌂ the Sibelius symphonies was launching made a decision to.’ poetry and spontaneity.’

November/December 2017 International Piano 33

IPND17_032-034_F_NordicFocus1010OM.indd 33 11/10/2017 15:12 NORDIC FOCUS ARI MAGG many he will long be associated with the American composer because of his recent recording of his music. ‘I think a certain nostalgia and melancholy is part of anyone

ÖZGÜR ALBAYRAK who grows up in the north and doesn’t have daylight for much of the winter,’ Ólafsson says. ‘There is an inherent sadness in much of Glass’s music and some pieces can feel extraordinarily lonely, much as some of the busiest cities in the world can feel lonely, not least New York.’ Andsnes opens his Royal Festival Hall recital with a selection of works by the Finn, Jean Sibelius. Despite not having played Grieg in concert for a decade, the Norwegian’s recordings of music by his compatriot composer are still cited as benchmarks by many, not least for the way they handle that composer’s sense Cool and controlled: Leif Ove Andsnes (left) and Víkingur Ólafsson (right) of elegant simplicity. ‘Maybe there is something about the narrative nature of Grieg’s melodies which asks for a simplicity and direct expression,’ says All manner of paradoxes are wrapped up in Andsnes. ‘It’s very direct and very sincere, and maybe that’s also a Scandinavian trait.’ Nordic culture, and an explosion of artistic Many would claim it is a trait of Andsnes’ playing in repertoire from Beethoven to activity from northern climes has given us a fresh Musorgsky, too. perspective on our own creativity Either way, both pianists are more at ease discussing Nordic traits in actual music, rather than in the way that music ⌂ That chimes rather intriguingly and light conditions? Is it that everything is interpreted. Ultimately, Gould also let with some ideas raised by Alan Davey, up here is a bit extreme, especially in music do the talking in his documentary. Controller of BBC Radio 3 and the man Iceland, and that further south it evens out After some 50 minutes of complex but who has overall responsibility for four a little? It could be, I don’t know.’ inconclusive discussion, The Idea of North orchestras now playing under Danish and Ólafsson is quick to point out that much launches into the final movement of Finnish conductors. ‘Nordic conductors of the talk surrounding the ‘different’ Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony, which carries bring with them an analytical approach nature of Iceland, in particular, stems it all the way through to its end. Here that can allow big moments to blossom, from the fact that ‘people want it to be we have music that speaks unequivocally while at the same time they’re not entirely different.’ Certainly for organisations like of the north, even if few would dare to driven by emotion,’ Davey told me in 2016. London’s Southbank Centre, the Nordic pinpoint precisely why. ‘In other words, there’s a certain rationality region is as useful a marketing tool as it e there, on the surface at least. Thinking is a cultural signifier and, by and large, a back to the Icelandic sagas or the dramas label of quality. But in discussing coolness and restraint – two words often used to INTERNATIONAL PIANO of Jón Thoroddsen, I think it’s the same – SERIES 2017/18 there’s something buttoned within.’ describe not just Nordic performances but I put that theory to Ólafsson. ‘Well, I Nordic people, helpfully or otherwise – Leif Ove Andsnes recently worked with Esa-Pekka Salonen repertoire is by necessity a prism through Works by Sibelius, Widmann, Beethoven and Chopin and there is no better conductor. He has which we make assessments concerning a Royal Festival Hall, London this demonic side to him and a very sensual particular artist’s temperament. 31 October 2017, 7.30pm side too, but he’s always extraordinarily In Ólafsson’s case, it has been particularly Víkingur Ólafsson disciplined and controlled. That seems interesting to follow international reactions Works by Bach, Chopin and Brahms to be prominent in the north, to have to his recording of the often purposefully St John’s Smith Square, London both those things. If we’re talking about simple, distilled piano works by Philip 15 November 2017, 7.30pm

a northern state of mind, is it something Glass. Glass ‘represents five per cent of my www.southbankcentre.co.uk/ips created by the inherent extremes of weather musical life’ says Ólafsson; nonetheless, for

34 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_032-034_F_NordicFocus1010OM.indd 34 11/10/2017 15:12 IPND17.indd 35 12/10/2017 12:26:12 PERSONAL TOUCH PERSONAL TOUCH The piano music of the Czech-French composer Antoine Reicha is largely unknown, despite its inventive playfulness, couched in the familiar language of classicism. Ivan Ilić, who has championed Reicha’s piano works on disc, explains some of the dilemmas facing performers of this music

S I EMBARK ON A PROJECT TO Berlioz, Franck, Liszt, Onslow and Gounod generates interest in the music, allowing record five CDs of music by in Paris. His substantial output includes it to be performed again? Or is it more Antoine Reicha for Chandos, I two dozen wind quintets which enjoyed appropriate to follow the score as closely Aoften find myself answering the question: immediate success upon publication, and as possible, so that we give the composer why? It can be tough to dispute the have been performed widely ever since. a chance to convince the listener without widely-held notion that forgotten music In contrast, some of his piano works were interference? Sometimes it is possible to do is ‘forgotten for a reason’. Dismissing published and forgotten; most remained both, but when there is a contradiction, unfamiliar repertoire is easy and appeals in manuscript at France’s National Library the ethics involved in making performance to our lazier instincts. There is, however, and have only been published in the past choices become complex. another reason we do it: deciding that you three years. One of the advantages of playing like a piece in the absence of consensus is It is exciting to give what may be the repertoire which is ‘new’ yet firmly intimidating. You have to develop your premieres of pieces written over 200 years rooted in a well-known idiom is that we own criteria, and think for yourself, which ago by a seminal historical figure. However, already have a general idea of the style. is never easy. it raises a paradox: people may listen once In this case, playing Haydn, Mozart and Reicha’s piano music may not be to music they have never heard before, but Beethoven translates directly to playing known, but he was a unique historical if they do not like it, they will not give it Reicha. But whereas Beethoven – Reicha’s figure: a student of Haydn and a friend a second chance. So should the priority exact contemporary – filled his scores of Beethoven, he was also the teacher of be a convincing interpretation, one that with intricate and sometimes bewildering

Ivan Ilic´: ‘It is exciting to give the premieres of pieces written over 200 years ago by a seminal historical figure’ IRINA POPA

36 International Piano November/December 2017

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instructions, Reicha’s piano scores are include short musical excerpts, rather than dans le genre fugue Op 97. The final piece largely devoid of markings. Again, this bona fide works written for the occasion. serves both as an ‘encore’ and as a preview raises a question to which there is no easy What were Reicha’s intentions? Does the of the next three CDs in the series, which answer: does the absence of markings imply fact that they are ostensibly finished works will feature all of the Opus 97 Études, first stylistic homogeneity? Or does it suggest imply that they should be performed? published in 1820. The Études are Reicha’s that Reicha trusted performers to make Perhaps if Reicha were to see three of these answer to Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, their own decisions, in good taste? Deciding works programmed alongside his Grande albeit with less pathos. As for Volume 5, I which approach to take and when to take it Sonate en ut majeur he would be horrified. haven’t decided yet. I prefer to leave some – especially when there is no precedent – is How does this kind of dilemma affect questions unanswered… an exciting, often daunting task. performances of those works? I am not e There are further ambiguities in exactly sure – but I am sure that it does. Volume 1 of Ivan Ilić’s Reicha Rediscovered Reicha’s piano music, as his compositions There are countless other works in the is now available from Chandos Records are inextricably linked to his career as piano repertoire for which these kinds (CHAN 10950). www.chandos.net a teacher and theorist. In the case of of questions are less problematic – or, his treatise Theoretische Schriften und more accurately, for which long-standing www.ivancdg.com praktische Beispiele (Theoretical writings performance traditions dictate the and practical examples, published in answers. So there is real satisfaction in 1803), Reicha provides 24 pieces meant playing relatively unknown repertoire, and to challenge pianists and illustrate in making decisions which can transform experimental principles of composition. both the shape and destiny of a work. The works occasionally verge on the For the first recording of the series, I have bizarre, or tongue in cheek, as when Reicha selected three experimental works, two writes a Fantasy on a Single Chord (E major). substantive Sonatas, and the first section In theoretical treatises it is common to of Etude No 1 from Reicha’s 34 Études OF MUSIC & DANCE CONSERVATOIRE LABAN TRINITY LONDON’S CREATIVE CONSERVATOIRE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR PIANISTS

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IPND17.indd 38 13/10/2017 13:47:53 Christmas17 Ad 210x276.indd 1 13/10/2017 11:34 COMPETITIONS Win some, lose some As an aficionado of every major piano competition around the world, Stephen Wigler frequently finds himself bemused by the jury’s selection of winners. As he analyses some recent competition results in more depth, he discovers a pattern emerging based on national characteristics which favour certain types of pianism above others

eaders familiar with my just as deserving and, perhaps, even more Until a few years ago, a chorus of critical reports from Fort Worth interesting than the winners. dismay often met the announcement of earlier this year know that It is scarcely necessary to mention that the Cliburn’s first-prize winners. It was I had misgivings about the many people who attend a competition generally believed – and I admit to having disposition of the prizes in commonly share such a disappointment. been a member of that chorus – that the Rthe 15th Van Cliburn International Piano At every competition I’ve been to or closely Cliburn tended to reward pianists who Competition (IP Sep/Oct 2017, page 62). followed, this has been the case, including bored, while ignoring those who didn’t. It was not that I thought Yekwon Sunwoo recent events in Warsaw (the 2015 Chopin) The Cliburn first became a favourite critical (the Gold Medalist), Kenneth Broberg and Moscow (the 2015 Tchaikovsky) – punching bag in 1977 when the Gold (Silver) and Daniel Hsu (Bronze) did not the only two competitions comparable Medal was awarded to Steven De Groote, at deserve their prizes, but that three other in prestige to the Cliburn. However, my the time considered a relatively colourless pianists – Rachel Cheung (the finalist reservations about the Cliburn are stronger, player compared to the powerfully who won the Audience Award), Dasol and this has usually been true whenever I dramatic second-prize winner, Alexander Kim and Tony Yike Yang (both of whom have compared the results in Moscow and Toradze, and to the dreamily poetic Youri were eliminated in the semifinals) – were Warsaw to those in Fort Worth. Egorov, who (like Yang and Kim last June) was eliminated in the semifinals. While Stephen De Groote was a controversial choice Radu Lupu has enjoyed the most successful this prejudice is not entirely fair to the for winner of the 1977 Cliburn Competition career of any Cliburn Gold Medalist Cliburn – particularly in the years 1989- 2009 when Richard Rodzinski was the competition’s executive director – there’s an element of truth to this now discredited conventional wisdom. Let us remember that the Fort Worth contest was created to honour Van Cliburn, the then young American pianist, whose first prize in 1958 in the inaugural Tchaikovsky Competition established him as one of the world’s most important pianists. If we assume that the purpose of a competition is to identify a pianist who not only has the potential, but who also is prepared, to become a major pianist – someone who plays significant engagements as a recitalist and as a soloist with important orchestras and who

records frequently for major labels – then we should be able to compare the success ⌂

TULLY POTTER COLLECTION POTTER TULLY COLLECTION POTTER TULLY of the Cliburn to other competitions.

November/December 2017 International Piano 39

IPND17_039-042_F_Competitions1010OM.indd 39 10/10/2017 12:22 Anna Malikova

Vladimir Ovchinnikov Ying Wu

Arnaldo Cohen

Katarzyna Popowa-Zydro ´ n

Martin Engström

International Music • Voice Violin Competition Harbin •

January 12 - 26, 2018 | IdithPiano Zvi

Dang Thai Son

Peter Donohoe

www.imchrb.com Jie Yuan China Harbin, Cyprien Katsaris

IPND17.indd 40 13/10/2017 09:09:54 COMPETITIONS

N MY LIST OF 25 TOP PIANISTS MARK HARRISON ⌂ who have come to prominence since the first Cliburn Competition (see Ipanel on page 42), there are six who were first-prize winners at the International Tchaikovsky Competition: Solokov (1966), Pletnev (1978), Berezovsky (1990), Lugansky (1994), Matsuev (1998) and Trifonov (2011); five Chopin Gold Medalists: Argerich (1965); Ohlsson (1970) Zimerman (1975), Yundi Li (2000) and Blechacz (2005); and three first-prize winners in slightly less prestigious contests: Freire (Santander, 1963), Perahia (Leeds, 1972) and Ax (Rubinstein, 1974). Of the other 11, five became famous at so early an age, they would not have needed to enter a competition (Andsnes, Bronfman, Grimaud, Kissin, Lang Lang and Yuja Wang); meanwhile four (Hewitt, Lewis, Schiff and Uchida) were laureates of competitions but came to prominence largely because of their remarkable and sustained excellence. Only one of the 25 (Radu Lupu) was a Cliburn Gold Medalist (1966), but he returned to Moscow for three years of additional study with Stanislav Neuhaus and became famous only after winning two additional first prizes (Enescu, 1967; Leeds, 1969). At least three Cliburn Gold Medalists – Vladimir Viardo (1973), Alexei Sultanov (1989) and Stanislav Ioudenitch (2001) – seemed destined for great careers. Barry Douglas was the first non-Russian to win in Moscow since Van Cliburn However, Viardo failed to achieve his promise because the vagaries of the Cold War prevented him from leaving the Soviet We Americans value versatility over Union for nearly 20 years; Sultanov suffered a series of major strokes, beginning in specialisation… Pianists don’t get prizes at our 1995, that first left him seriously disabled and finally led to his death in 2005; and most prestigious competition unless they are Ioudenitch decided that, rather than pursue a solo career, he preferred to teach well-rounded musicians (his students include Behzod Abduraimov and Kenneth Broberg). There are a number of other factors playing. Every pianist who reaches the Tchaikovsky. The audience as well as much that prevented Cliburn Gold Medalists final round has to play two concertos, of the jury, which always includes several from becoming as well known as many one of which must be either the first or Russian pianists and teachers, will be of the first-prize winners in Moscow and second concertos of Tchaikovsky. The strongly influenced by the way a pianist Warsaw, but the biggest reason, I suspect, recital repertory heavily emphasises performs virtuoso items – not only those is the defining characteristic of the Russian composers: each pianist in by Russian composers, but also by Chopin, Cliburn itself. the first and second rounds must play Liszt and others. Evgeny Kissin, who was The chief characteristic of Moscow’s several works by Balakirev, Glazunov, already a world famous pianist when he

Tchaikovsky Competition is its emphasis Medtner, Musorgsky, Myaskovsky, sat in the audience for most of the 1986 on Russian music and what is called – Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, competition, once told me that Barry ⌂ not entirely accurately – ‘Russian’ piano Shchedrin, Shostakovich, Stravinsky and Douglas’s first-prize victory was all but

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of one. I will want to hear more of this year’s Cliburn winners, Yukwon Sunwoo, Kenneth Broberg and Daniel Hsu; but I’d be even more interested in those who

BARTEK SADOWSKI walked away without a prize – Rachel Cheung, Tony Yike Yang and Dasol Kim. The pianist whose future I feel most confident about is Yang. What eliminated him in the semifinals was probably his relatively immature performance of Mozart’s Concerto in D minor K466. But not many pianists who are barely 18 years old play Mozart well. At that age, the great Evgeny Kissin certainly didn’t play the same piece any better than Yang. If there hadn’t been the requirement to perform a Mozart concerto (as is the case Tony Yike Yang has a bright future despite missing out on a prize at this year’s Cliburn in the more reasonable and humanely structured Cleveland International Piano ⌂ sealed in his second round performance piano quintets by Dvorák, Brahms, Franck Competition), Yang’s extraordinary Liszt of Musorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition – and Schumann, as well as the concerto of Sonata in the quarterfinals and his equally which he played with dramatic power and their choice in the last part of the final wonderful Scarlatti Sonatas and Chopin vivid characterisations of the individual round. All of this must be accomplished Funeral March Sonata in the semifinals tableaux that had rarely been heard since in a mere 17 days. would surely have placed him in the the heyday of Sviatoslav Richter. finals. And I suspect that the Prokofiev The Warsaw Competition has, of Second Concerto, which he would have course, an even stronger emphasis F THIS SOUNDS EXHAUSTING, IT performed, would have not only brought on Polish music – since the repertory is – not only for the contestants, but the house down, but, possibly, also consists entirely of music by Poland’s also for the jurors and the audience. All brought him a Gold Medal. greatest composer, Chopin. The Cliburn Icompetitions are stress-filled. However, e Competition, meanwhile, has a peculiarly none of them matches the Cliburn in American character. What we Americans intensity: take it from someone who has Below is an alphabetically arranged value most in education is versatility over attended all rounds of the Tchaikovsky, the list of 25 leading pianists, all of specialisation. The applications that the Chopin and the Cleveland competitions. whom have come to prominence since 1958 and are still active in their greatest American universities value most Proponents of competitions will tell you careers: are those from what are called ‘well- that they prepare pianists for the stresses rounded’ students, and pianists don’t get of concert life. But in my experience, Leif Ove Andsnes Martha Argerich prizes at our most prestigious competition and from conversations I’ve had with Emanuel Ax unless they are well-rounded musicians. several well-known pianists, this is simply Boris Berezovsky This means that the Cliburn is in some not true: none of the pianists I have Rafał Blechacz ways the most difficult competition in talked to has ever had to perform three Yefim Bronfman Nelson Freire which to win a medal – a pianist must different recital programmes, rehearse Helene Grimaud not only demonstrate a mastery of the and perform two different concertos, Angela Hewitt traditional repertory and a concerto as well as a chamber music engagement Evgeny Kissin Lang Lang scored for full symphony orchestra, he or in a timeframe of less than three weeks. Paul Lewis she must also demonstrate mastery of a To quote one pianist who was himself Yundi Li contemporary work, written by a North a Cliburn prizewinner: ‘Never in my Nikolai Luganski American composer and commissioned entire career did I have to undergo what Radu Lupu Denis Matsuev specially for the competition’s first round. I experienced at the Cliburn. And it was Garrick Ohlsson He or she – in addition to three solo recital easier in my day than it is now!’ Murray Perahia programmes (in Moscow, there are only I would argue that the reason the Mikhail Pletnev Andras Schiff two) in which a work must not be repeated Cliburn produces less interesting winners Grigory Sokolov – is also expected to play one of Mozart’s than the other major competitions is that Daniil Trifonov mature concertos. The six finalists must Fort Worth is more likely to demand Mitsuko Uchida play (with a string quartet engaged by the that a pianist be – to put it rather baldly Yuja Wang Krystian Zimerman competition) one of the four celebrated – a fine Jack-of-all-trades than a master

42 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_039-042_F_Competitions1010OM.indd 42 11/10/2017 15:16 Junior (12 and under) and Intermediate (13-17) Competition March 24th to March 31st, 2019 Palm Desert, California USA Solo and Concerto Divisions plus Master Classes - Concerto Finals with Orchestra Application Deadline / Oct. 15, 2018 Application materials and other details at www.vwipc.org / 760-773-2575 Over $30,000 in prize money plus performance opportunities

IPND17.indd 43 12/10/2017 12:26:13 2019 HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION MARCH 11 – 18, 2019 PIANISTS AGES 18 – 30 Four Rounds including finals with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra $34,000 IN PRIZES - PLUS: Return engagement with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Weill Recital Hall - Carnegie Hall concert CD on the Steinway & Sons label Other performance engagements Application available online June 1, 2018 Deadline for submission is September 30, 2018 FOR MORE INFORMATION: +1 843.842.5880 | WWW.HHIPC.ORG

Alink-Argerich Foundation Member since 2005 PRESENTED BY THE HILTON HEAD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Official Competition Piano

IPND17.indd 44 12/10/2017 12:26:14 COMPETITIONS KEY FREDERIC LABROUCHE COMPETITIONS IP looks ahead to some of the most prestigious international piano contests in 2018

Orléans Concours International 8 TO 18 MARCH 2018 Orléans, France Created by pianist and teacher Françoise Thinat in 1994, the Orléans International Piano Competition showcases piano repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries and supports the development of young artists throughout their careers. Held every two years, the competition plays host to 40 competitors and comprises four rounds of virtuosic solo and chamber music written between 1900 and 2018, ranging from Berg and Bartók to Widmann, plus a specially commissioned work by the Spanish composer Hèctor Parr.

Nathalia Milstein won the Dublin International Piano Competition in 2015 Prizes: Cash prizes worth €120k; concerts, residencies, tours and a CD recording. International Edvard Grieg Piano Competition Application deadline: 8 January 2018 1 TO 9 SEPTEMBER 2018 www.oci-piano.com Bergen, Norway The International Edvard Grieg Piano Competition is a biennial Dublin International Piano Competition competition run by the Edvard Grieg Museum Troldhaugen. 18 TO 29 MAY 2018 Concerts, lectures and masterclasses take place across the town Dublin, Ireland during the week of the competition. The concerto final takes The Dublin International Piano Competition was established place in the 1,500-seat Grieghallen with the Bergen Philharmonic in 1988 and takes place every three years. Chaired by artistic Orchestras. Participants who do not go through the final are offered director John O’Conor, the competition is adjudicated by a raft paid concerts at a ‘pianists on tour’ concert. of distinguished pianists and teachers and attracts a significant number of international entrants. Three solo rounds culminate Prizes: Cash prizes worth over €60k; multiple concerts at in a concerto final with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Troldhaugen in 2019 as ‘Pianist of the Week; an invitation to broadcast live on television by Ireland’s public service broadcaster. perform a chamber concert at the 2019 Lillenorge Festival in Berlin. Repertoire for the semi-final includes a choice of specially commissioned works by Ann Cleare, Deirdre Gribbin, Brian Irvine Past winners: Sasha Grynyuk (2012) and Conor Linehan. Application deadline: 20 April 2018 Prizes: Cash prizes worth over €50k; concerto appearances with the www.griegcompetition.com London Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and RTÉ Concert Orchestra; solo engagements at venues across the International Chopin Competition UK, Ireland and USA. on period instruments 2 TO 14 SEPTEMBER 2018 Past winners: Philippe Cassard (1988), Max Levinson (1997), Alexei Warsaw, Poland Nabioulin (2000); Alexej Gorlatch (2009), Nathalia Milstein (2015) The first ever Chopin Competition on period instruments will be one of the highlights of the Chopin Institute’s celebrations of the

Application deadline: 1 November 2017 centenary of Poland regaining independence. Participants will be www.dipc.ie given the opportunity to play historical pianos from the Institute’s ⌂

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IPND17_045-046_F_Comps1010OM.indd 45 10/10/2017 16:14 COMPETITIONS

with BBC Radio 3; a solo recording on the Champs Hill label; and much more.

Past winners: Radu Lupu (1969), Murray Perahia (1972), Dmitri Alexeev (1975), Artur Pizzaro (1990), Alessio Bax (2000), Sunwook Kim (2006), Federico Colli (2012)

Application deadline: 31 October 2017 www.leedspiano.com

Concurso Internacional de Piano 15 TO 21 OCTOBER 2018 Panama City, Panama The Panama International Piano Competition was established in 2004 by the Panamanian piano duo Jaime and Nelly Ingram. Held every two years in Panama City, the competition features four solo rounds and a concerto final Chopin (left) and Grieg have provided inspiration for competitions in their native cities of Warsaw with the National Symphony Orchestra and Bergen of Panama.

⌂ collection (Erards from 1838, 1849 and 1855, Pleyels from 1848 Prizes: Cash prizes worth over US$55k, including a special prize and 1854, and a Broadwood from 1843) as well as copies of period of a $1.000 for the best performance of a work by the Brazilian instruments, including an instrument specially commissioned for composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. the competition: a copy of Chopin’s Buchholtz piano. The new competition will comprise three rounds: two solo Past winners: Yung Wook Yoo (2004), Mario Alonso Herrero recitals of works by Bach, Chopin and other 19th-century Polish (2006), Jingjing Wang (2008), Alexander Moutouzkine (2010) composers, and a concerto round featuring Chopin’s works for piano and orchestra, accompanied by the Orchestra of the Application deadline: 15 May 2018 Eighteenth Century. www.concursopanama.com

Prizes: Cash prizes worth over €30k; concerts with the Orchestra Hamamatsu Piano Competition of the Eighteenth Century; recording projects realised by the 7 TO 25 NOVEMBER 2018 Fryderyk Chopin Institute. Hamamatsu, Japan The Hamamatsu International Piano Competition was Application deadline: 1 May 2018 launched in 1991 to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding www.chopin.nifc.pl of Hamamatsu City. Held every three years, the competition promotes international cultural exchange and provides a platform Leeds International Piano Competition for talented young pianists from across the world. This year’s 6 TO 15 SEPTEMBER 2018 rounds will feature solo and chamber repertoire, as well as the Leeds, UK world premiere of a piece by Japanese composer Fuyuhiko Sasaki. Founded in 1961, the Leeds is Britain’s most important piano The concerto final is accompanied by the Tokyo Symphony competition and takes place every three years. Dame Fanny Orchestra under Ken Takaseki. Waterman ran the competition from its inception until 2015, when she passed the baton to co-artistic directors Paul Lewis and Prizes: Cash prizes worth over ¥9m; more than 10 opportunities Adam Gatehouse. The 2018 event will be their first competition, to perform in Japan and beyond, including a prizewinner’s tour featuring several new initiatives including free live streaming, to France, Spain and Poland; Mayor of Sapporo Award; additional first rounds in New York, Berlin and Singapore, plus artistic discretionary awards from companies and individuals. partnerships offering pianists a mouth-watering package of engagements and prizes. Past winners: Sergei Babayan (1991), Alessio Bax (1997), Alexander Gavrylyuk (2000), Rafal Blechacz (2003), Seong-Jin Cho (2009) Prizes: Cash prizes worth over £73k; management for one of the three winners by Askonas Holt; solo recitals at London’s Wigmore Application deadline: 15 April 2018 Hall and Southbank Centre; recording and concert opportunities www.hipic.jp

46 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_045-046_F_Comps1010OM.indd 46 10/10/2017 16:14 DIPC Rhinegold advert June 2017_Layout 1 16/06/2017 13:05 Page 1

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For more information please visit www.bipcomp.co.uk

IPND17.indd 47 13/10/2017 09:25:43 Stetson University is proud to announce the appointment of award-winning pianist Sean Kennard to the esteemed faculty at the School of Music.

Kennard is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School and is currently completing his doctorate at the Yale School of Music. He joins 47 distinguished artist- scholar faculty members and 200 undergraduate music majors at the NASM-accredited School of Music.

stetson.edu/music Photo Credit: Grace Song

“A luminous pianist...powerful, involved music-making” - The Washington Post SCHOOL OF MUSIC

MUS_InternationPiano_Ad_072617.inddIPND17.indd 48 1 12/10/20178/2/17 10:1212:59:53 AM KEY NOTES KEY NOTES Historical perspectives on piano technique BY MURRAY MCLACHLAN BROKEN CHORDS HOUGH ESSENTIAL FOR with the metronome, gradually increasing Pattern Three: Rotary chord shapes using technical control and used the tempo until fluency at Allegro con fingers 1,2,3 (or 4),5 in the right hand extensively in the core classical moto feels like child’s play. and 5,3 (or 4),2,1 in the left hand. In C Trepertoire, broken chords have tended Let’s start by setting a goal. I would major for the basic two-octave duration to be neglected in pedagogy. After a strongly recommend that pianists master this is CGEC-ECGE-GECG-CGEC going certain level, many students never seem the three basic broken chord patterns up; and CEGC-GCEG-EGCE-CEGC to mention them – and neither do many at rapid tempos in all 24 keys, hands coming down. teachers! ABRSM stop setting broken separately and together. The three basic chords in their piano syllabus after Grade broken chord patterns are as follows: There are many pieces that have figurations 4, and the other exam boards seem derived from one of these patterns. equally negligent. This is a great shame, Pattern One: Triplets using fingers 1,3 Scarlatti’s 550 + sonatas are saturated because control and facility with all three (or 2),5 in the right hand and 5,3 (or 2),1 with Pattern One broken chords; indeed basic patterns of broken chords in all 24 in the left hand. In C major for the basic Baroque music as a whole tends to utilise keys over a four-octave span (separately one octave duration this is CEG-EGC- Pattern One broken chords much more and together) can do wonders for your GCE-G going up and ECG-CGE-GEC-G than Pattern Two or Three. Example 1 mechanical confidence and fluency. coming down. (below) shows a famous example from Broken chords are arguably just as vital Book I of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. for a secure technique as arpeggios and Pattern Two: Chord shapes using fingers I find it useful to practise Pattern One scales. Though practising broken chords 1,2,3 (or 4),5 in the right hand and 5,3 (or silently on the keyboard surface. Control hands together may by unnecessary to 4),2,1 in the left hand. In C major for the and security can come more easily if pass exams, the benefits of slowly building basic two-octave duration this is CEG- the thumb is used as a stabilising force

up facility will be felt immediately. It is CEG-CEG-CEG-CEG-C, going up; and and kept on the surface at all times. worthwhile working at broken chords CGE-CGE, etc coming down. It can slide up and down the keyboard, ⌂

Example 1 | J S Bach Prelude in G major BWV 860, bars 1-3

November/December 2017 International Piano 49

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Example 2 | Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4, III Rondo (Vivace) bars 124-133

⌂ ensuring in the process that all the other staccato notes (up bows). When you ‘mix’ can lead to lack of control, unwanted fingers remain close to the keys. Try to your broken chord articulation between accentuation, stiffness and health move your wrists in wave patterns as you staccato, non-legato, leggiero and small issues too. ‘undulate’ up and down with each broken slurred groupings of notes , the music can As with the Baroque repertoire and chord shape. Ideally the third (sometimes catch fire and relate much more closely Pattern One broken chords, much time second) and fifth fingers should move in to the playing of other instrumentalists should be spent practising Pattern Two advance onto the notes they are about to in similar repertoire. Technically, Pattern broken chords ‘blind’. They are also play in each broken chord figuration. By One broken chords will become much eminently suitable as ‘bowing fodder’: shadowing chord shapes in this manner it more natural and comfortable to play than so much of the pre-Beethoven Classical is much easier to build up velocity without if they are attempted exclusively legato (or repertoire looks quasi-skeletal and ‘blank’ sacrificing precision. Of course everything indeed exclusively staccato). on the printed page. It therefore follows should be done to loosen the stiffness in that it can be a performer’s job to add elbows, thumb joints, wrists and shoulders articulation marking that will not only so that there is a relaxed ‘foil’ to the firm N THE CLASSICAL REPERTOIRE, facilitate secure execution of broken finger-work needed to bring accuracy broken chords are especially chords, but also enliven and energise the and control. significant. In addition to Pattern character of the music. All broken chord figurations will IOne, Mozart and Haydn make particular Broken chord playing in Mozart needs benefit from ‘eyes shut’ practice. Ensuring use of figurations based on Pattern Three. to do more than proverbially ‘flow that your fingers can feel their own Rotary movement from the wrist will like oil’ (to misquote Mozart a little on way from note to note is an important certainly be useful to employ when playing the subject of passage-work generally). consideration. We should not have to rely these figurations, provided the rotation is Crystalline tone and elegant leggiero are on our eyes to help us reach out for broken practised with concentration and no excess also essential requisites, as is cantabile. chord shapes. But even with excellent movement. Relaxation and economy of Broken chords without melodic bias and digital control there can be something movement need to be emphasised equally vocal attributes in Mozart is unthinkable; rather bland about seamless legato broken if rotary movement is to work at its it leads to playing which lacks soul and chord figurations. Generic smoothness is most effective. idiomatic understanding. There is nothing not necessarily a strong stylistic attribute: There is less need in Pattern Three-based more dispiriting than ‘blank’ pianism: do more idiomatic, musically challenging broken chords for the thumb to remain everything you can to shape and colour and provocative would be an imitation of on the keyboard surface. But when/if the broken chord sequences in development bowing as practised by string players. Add thumb does lift itself upwards then make sections and so forth with melodic interest in slurs, small legato groups of notes and sure that it stays relaxed and flexible. and characterisation. contrast these with a fair sprinkling of Tightening or ‘locking’ thumb joints With Beethoven the technical approach

50 International Piano November/December 2017

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becomes somewhat more weighted, HE IMMEDIATE POST- Though it is true to say that literal broken even magisterial, though it would be Beethovenian generation of chord passage work becomes much rarer in wrong to over-generalise, as the variety of composers tended to rebel against 20th-century repertoire, there are isolated characterisation present in broken chords Tthe weighted aesthetic of the Emperor. ‘hot spots’ that require attention (for within the five concertos is considerable. Weber and Mendelssohn both require instance, the D minor triplet Pattern One- Sparkle, effervescence and nimbleness fleet-fingered effervescence and sparkle, based figurations in the last movement are required in abundance for the Pattern and broken chords of a filigree nature can of Prokofiev’s Second Concerto) as well Three broken chords that Beethoven pastes be found in abundance in the finale of as many others that show elements based all over the keyboard in the finale of his Mendelssohn’s Concerto No 1 in G minor. on broken chord extracts (the entire of Fourth Concerto (see Example 2, above). Rapid two-handed broken chord Rachmaninov’s Moment Musical Op 16/6). Beethoven makes far more use of Pattern writing reached something of a Two broken chords than early composers transcendental peak in the music of Broken chords are universally invaluable. did. For a wonderful study in this genre, Charles Henri Valentin Alkan (1813-1888). They develop many aspects of technique, look no further than the development Works such as Le festin d’Esope feature facilitating economy of movement and of the first movement of the Emperor dazzling fireworks which extended many finger independence, understanding of Concerto. The bigger stretches between pianistic techniques. There is no place weight, relaxed wrists, lateral movement notes in Pattern Two broken chords to hide in this music, which requires an and playing from the upper arm/shoulder means that more flexibility and freedom innate understanding of the geography (Pattern Two) as well as rotary movement of movement is required in the wrists. of the keyboard. Perhaps ‘blind’ practice (Pattern Three). Experimenting with all This should be accompanied by more use is the best way to come to terms with three patterns, hands separately then of weight: try to feel that your fingers are broken chord playing at its most extended together using the touches (legato, staccato ready over the keys in advance of playing, level. Certainly it is helpful to know that and non-legato) in all 24 keys, will build a touching but not pressing. This will allow your thumbs are able to guide your other strong technical foundation that empowers your upper arms, even your shoulders to fingers into position without guidance control and instils great command feel the privilege of ‘playing’ each note. from your eyes. and confidence. e In Concert Selected works from the Diploma of the London College of Music Piano Syllabus

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November/December 2017 International Piano 51

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IPND17.indd 52 12/10/2017 13:00:21 international SHEET MUSIC

Topograph No 14 from Piano Topography by Euan Moseley About the music

Finally, after a long journey, the intrepid pianist and the magic piano and passages of sensuous beauty avoid the ‘lost’ and uncertain arrived in the distant land. It was lonely and silent. They slept for two feeling often associated with atonal music. Being in command days. Then, after a change of tyres and breakfast, it was on with the of these 20 challenging, memorable and exciting pieces can be safety belt and away with the ignition! They whizzed off, the pianist truly rewarding. Try playing one as an encore, a group of them gripping the steering wheel and peering into the distance looking for in a piano competition, or the complete work in a concert. The a vague musical pathway, the piano sniffing up the music with its audience can only guess what’s coming next! acoustic nose. This was fun! The collection is also brimming over with materials for students, so if you’re a teacher looking to find new challenges for Back at the camp the pianist sat in a tub of hot water eating honey on your ambitious pupils, just dip in! toast while the piano printed out the music it had recorded. After 20 The extract overleaf features some pretty quick bars slowing expeditions food and fuel were running out. Home beckoned… down to the middle section of Topograph No 14.

A major new collection of piano A recording of Piano Topography by Gusztáv Fenyő is available as music, Piano Topography has won a double CD and Blu-ray from Claudio Records. A new recording accolades and applause from on YouTube is expected in 2018 by Rose, Matthew, Callum and eminent international pianists such Murray McLachlan. as Vladimir Ashkenazy, John Lill, Piano Topography was composed in 2001 and received its first Kathryn Stott, Murray McLachlan performances by Fenyő in the Sir Adrian Boult and Cadogan and a string of others, yet few pianists Halls, UK. have dared to explore these 20 challenging and original Topographs. For your copy of Piano Topography (200 pages in 2 wired volumes), Euan Moseley’s tripping melodies, contact Euan Moseley on +44 (0)1246 236139 or email urgent rhythms, pungent sonorities [email protected]

IPND17_053_R_SMusicIntro1010OM.indd 53 10/10/2017 12:25 IPND17_054-057_R_SheetMusic.indd 54 10/10/2017 07:40 IPND17_054-057_R_SheetMusic.indd 55 10/10/2017 07:40 IPND17_054-057_R_SheetMusic.indd 56 10/10/2017 07:40 IPND17_054-057_R_SheetMusic.indd 57 10/10/2017 07:40 FESTIVAL FOCUS NIKOLAJ LUND NIKOLAJ

MASTER OF CEREMONIES Andrew Mellor reports from this year’s Vinterfest in Sweden, where the Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson is working his charm to bring together a stimulating programme of music that grapples with big ideas

ÍKINGUR ÓLAFSSON CUTS A VERY SMOOTH that there are critiques even in Mozart’s overtures to Le nozze di figure with an unfailing sense of style, not least when Figaro and Don Giovanni,’ Ólafsson said from the stage at Sollerö brandishing a microphone in front of an audience. Church before a note of music was played. ‘Our freedom to be Nevertheless, the Icelandic pianist was determined to and to express,’ he continued, ‘should not be taken for granted.’ make his audience grapple with some uncomfortable Right on cue, the Dalasinfonietta (under Dalia Stasevska) tore into issuesV as he launched the second year of Vinterfest, an annual those overtures. chamber music festival in the beautiful, rural region of Dalarna, Rather closer to home in a political sense were Shostakovich’s in central Sweden. Chamber Symphony and Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa. There were at This edition of the Swedish festival, of which Ólafsson is artistic least three exceptional pianists in Dalarna for the duration of the director, was subtitled Forbidden Music. ‘We should remember festival. Vicky Chow made the Pärt piece really effective at her

58 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_058-059_F_Festival Focus1010OM.indd 58 10/10/2017 12:35 FESTIVAL FOCUS NIKOLAJ LUND NIKOLAJ prepared piano, in a way that the string soloists initially struggled ‘Music is a place as real as any place you’ve been to,’ Ólafsson had to match. Ólafsson himself took the piano part in Kaija Saariaho’s said earlier, quoting Glass. A sense of place can be hard to conjure Lichtbogen, a score that needs a pianist with an impeccable when a festival is spread over a large area but if Vinterfest has a ear (which Ólafsson has) if its tender, organic discourse is not to heart traceable in longitude and latitude, it’s probably the drab be upset. Moraparken building that hosted Friday night’s soirée Víkingur As good as Ólafsson’s ear might be though, Marianna Shirinyan and Friends. ‘I travel a lot these days but I feel at home here,’ was can outshine even the best. The Danish-Armenian pianist made a another of the pianist’s stage comments, though if you felt it was stylish recording of concertos by Beethoven and Kuhlau in 2011 the smooth diplomat talking, then this cabaret-style performance and it was fascinating to hear and see her up close at Vinterfest. in front of long dining tables proved otherwise. Ólafsson was an She excels at carefully collaborative chamber music performances endearing compère and purposefully underlined his instrument’s that have a spring in their step and an adaptability at every turn. capacity to entertain in a social setting (there was a Swedish This was evident in her virulent account of Rebecca Clarke’s Viola sing-song) as well as its ability to still a booze-fuelled room with Sonata with Jennifer Stumm. We heard that piece at a lunchtime Rameau and Schumann. church concert as part of a strand of works by ‘forbidden’ female Still, it was Vicky Chow who stole the show for the pianophiles composers who either suffered for their art or gave up altogether. among the audience, strolling onto the stage to introduce a Shirinyan didn’t have the best instrument at her disposal, but work written for her prepared piano by Andy Akiho, describing she held the room in her thrall. There was delicious contrast its use of ‘rhythm displacement’, to the amusement of the between the verses of Fanny Mendelssohn’s Die Nonne sung by audience, like an embarrassed teenager. We all sat astonished as Anna Larsson, and a remarkable feeling of opening-up from Chow’s left and right hands went their separate ways (into the penultimate song Sehnsucht to the final Heimweh. In Clara separate time signatures) in this neat, fun little piece. Not even Schumann’s Three Romances Op 22, there were moments in which Shirinyan’s tub-thumping performance of Sasoun Dance by violinist Sayaka Shoji seemed connected to Shirinyan by the most Alexander Haroutjunian could top it. Chow’s performance tender of sonic threads while their wide-eyed stare at one another epitomised how this festival captures its audience with the most suggested the link was as strong as steel. All three composers ask unlikely works – the result of fine programming that comes from for oceanic textures from the pianist and we felt the power of that head as well as heart. undertow, but without histrionics or ill-balance. e The astute publicity machine behind Ólafsson’s recent recording Next year’s Vinterfest runs from 15 to 18 February 2018 in Dalarna, of Glass’s Etudes (his Deutsche Grammophon debut) has only Sweden. www.vinterfest.se/english added more sheen to an already glossy image. Indeed, the festival’s next piano Vicky Chow prepares for Pärt recital could not have been more different from Shirinyan’s understated poise, taking place a few hours later under mood-lighting on the forecourt of a Renault dealership. Here, Ólafsson spoke once more from the platform, this time expounding his belief that Philip Glass’s piano music is ‘more complicated than people think’. In the Etudes Nos 9, 5 and 6, and ‘Opening’ from Glassworks, Ólafsson’s words rang true. He made poetry out of those arpeggios and offered not just smoothness but gently pointed articulation. The music’s internal threads were clearly voiced. Those frustrated with Glass’s language might say Ólafsson makes the music sound better than it actually is; some time with Ólafsson’s new recording should either refute that claim or endorse it. Straight after that Shirinyan joined him for the four-hand version of LUND NIKOLAJ Ravel’s La valse, which wasn’t exactly cut glass but built to something wicked and thrillingly physical.

November/December 2017 International Piano 59

IPND17_058-059_F_Festival Focus1010OM.indd 59 10/10/2017 12:35 IPND17.indd 60 AND MANY MORE... WWW.VINTERFEST.SE HADLAND IHLE CHRISTIAN POHJONEN JUHO ANDREAS BRANTELID ISTVÁN VÁRDAI EIVIND HOLTSMARK RINGSTAD HAGEN KLEVEN GURO PHILIPPENS ROSANNE LIZA FERSCHTMAN VILLE MATVEJEFF DALASINFONIETTAN ÓLAFSSON VÍKINGUR Artistic Director VINTERFEST.SE VIA SOON RELEASED BE WILL TICKETS © Oliver Binns "A WINTRY, IDYLLIC "A IDYLLIC WINTRY, CHAMBER MUSIC CHAMBER PARADISE" WDR VISITDALARNA.SE/EN VISITDALARNA.SE/EN AND BORISGILTBURG |RACHMANINOV

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UK CARL HYDE LONDON BBC Proms/Wigmore Hall András Schiff 23 Sept St Johns Smith Square Joseph Tong 20 Sept Ronnie Scott’s Marialy Pacheco 22 Aug; Tord Gustavsen 24 Aug; Peter Beets Trio 24 Aug

We are becoming used to András Schi ’s solo Proms exploits, but his account of the fi rst book of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, which had never been heard at the Proms before, was astonishing. There was a crystalline transparency in the fi rst prelude, a metronomic regularity which was in no way mechanical, and for a while he maintained these qualities, playing with a caressing touch and going at an unusually gentle pace, thus allowing unfamiliar e ects to emerge. Bach’s extraordinary stylistic experiments in the fantasias were played as though being essayed for the fi rst time. Despite its Notable precision: Marialy Pacheco at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club dramatic and emotional restraint – only in the fi nal lament was there naked emotion – this was the most riveting performance honoured the memory of Beethoven, a tone-poem, one with an Armenian tinge, of the work I have ever heard. He delivered Schumann, and Liszt. Tong’s excellent CD of and the last evoking a Bach chorale. the endlessly walking line of the fi nal these works is just out on the Quartz label. Following this, Peter Beets’ announcement prelude with majestic assurance, and if the Meanwhile, at the piano trio festival at that he and his colleagues would play a gravely enigmatic fi nal fugue denoted Ronnie Scott’s, I was hit for six by the tribute to Chopin seemed a natural death (as his commentary had suggested), bewitching Marialy Pacheco. The progression. Their CD, Chopin Meets the Blues, this was death of a serene kind. His 34-year-old Pacheco is a prolifi c composer has been nominated for a Dutch Grammy, Wigmore recital was mostly up to his own and collaborator, and she has ploughed a and it was easy to see why. Each number was stratospheric standards, but it had begun unique furrow, representing the music of based on a specific piece by Chopin, some so (why?) with a typically meretricious piece her native Cuba to the rest of the world. intricately jazzed-up that the originals were by Mendelssohn (Fantasy in F-sharp Her playing refl ects her musical hard to discern, others faithfully adhered to at minor), and it ended with an epically background: it comes as no surprise to the start before the improvisation took off. dense and demanding work: Bach’s sixth learn that she trained fi rst as a classical Beets’ fi nale, based on the Nocturne in F English Suite – which should have come pianist (Bach being her favourite minor, was astonishing: a er a disarmingly at the beginning: audiences can get tired composer), that Keith Jarrett was her simple opening he moved into a pyrotechnic too, and we had just traversed a vast exemplar when she retrained herself as a display as virtuosic as any I have heard from a Brahmsian landscape. jazz player, and that the late great Rubén classical pianist. At St John’s Smith Square, Joseph Tong González remains the Cuban pianist she MICHAEL CHURCH o ered works by Grieg and Sibelius which most reveres. Her touch has notable are very seldom performed, and for which he precision, and her harmonies are clean EAST LOTHIAN made a powerful case. The miniatures of and spare. Lammermuir Festival Grieg’s Stimmungen came over in suitably The way the Norwegian pianist Tord St Mary’s Parish Church, Haddington kaleidoscopic guise: if these deserve to be part Gustavsen opened his set was a moment Steven Osborne 17 Sept of the regular concert repertoire, so, most for bated breath: this was like Schumann’s Humbie Kirk, Humbie John Butt 16 Sept certainly, do the Sibelius works he played. ‘Vogel als Prophet’ on speed, with that Valse triste, which has pre-echoes of Ravel’s La composer’s fi gurations delicately The Lammermuir Festival excels in valse, came over hauntingly, and Five elaborated, over-so percussion and bass, bringing together a phenomenal line-up of Characteristic Impressions came clad in and Gustavsen’s improvised line developing world-class artists to perform a mixture of

mellifluous languor, thunderous energy, and and morphing with gentle deliberation. familiar and challenging repertoire in evanescent delicacy; the Sonata in F Each piece he and his ensemble played was special places. ⌂

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⌂ Steven Osborne’s late night recital of unevenness also undermined the listener’s Romantics such as Schumann and Schubert pieces by two of America’s edgiest 20th- sense of the work’s overarching structure. that has resulted in his rapidly expanding century composers, Morton Feldman and SUSAN NICKALLS YouTube following and fan base. George Crumb, was staged in the choir area For his recital at the La Roque of St Mary’s. The reverberant acoustic of d’Anthéron piano festival, Laloum chose to the church’s vaulted ceilings and stone FRANCE play two very famous Beethoven sonatas as walls proved ideal for this music’s expansive AIX-EN-PROVENCE well the late C minor Schubert without a sound-world. Festival de la Roque d’Anthéron break. The venue was the heavenly Osborne gave a pitch-perfect account of Abbaye de Silvacane Romanesque Abbaye de Silvacane. The these visceral works. Asked not to clap until Adam Laloum 14 Aug Pathétique’s powerfully controlled outer the end of the programme, the audience Parc du Château de Florans movements sandwiched a slow movement was given a navigational sheet music tip by Nelson Freire 14 Aug; Charles Richard- of sustained intensity. It was, however, in Osborne: ‘The big music is Crumb, the Hamelin, Arcadi Volodos 16 Aug Beethoven’s gargantuan Waldstein Sonata small music is Feldman.’ that Laloum’s approach really paid o , as he A crashing sustained chord opened Toulouse-born Adam Laloum is a pianist turned what in the fi rst and third Feldman’s Intermission 5 with Osborne without much of a profi le in Britain but in movement can sound like a series of delicately scattering plinking notes over the his native France he is viewed by some as ferocious technical exercises into pulsing overtones like a painter. There was one of the next titans of the instrument, in outpourings of pure lyricism and poetry. a more muted tonal palette in Piano Piece the tradition of Cortot and François. His The slow movement he took at a pace that 1952 as he deployed random notes with manner is unassuming, his style deliberately dramatised Beethoven’s many metronomic precision. In Extensions 3, introspective, yet he communicates a strong rests, as well as those long questioning Osborne beautifully juxtaposed the so est personal feeling about the music that pauses between phrases. of phrases with violent jolting chords. makes one completely attentive to his In the Schubert sonata, Laloum once For Crumb’s Processional, Osborne poised and intimate playing. again displayed his striking determination transported us into outer space. The cluster Superb in chamber music – he runs a to reveal the true character of the music. He of rocking notes anchored the bright bursts festival for this repertory in the French village gave the fi rst movement a kind of grandeur of comet and quasar-like passages radiating of Lagrasse, to which he brings the crème de while emphasising its dark side, in through this sonic universe. Crumb’s A la crème of young Parisian talent – it is really complete contrast to the galloping joyful Little Suite for Christmas ‘AD 1979’ had Laloum’s work as a soloist devoted to early music of the last. Osborne ducking inside the piano to pluck and thump the strings, evoking piping Impeccable musicianship: Charles Richard-Hamelin shepherds and bells. Despite Feldman’s e orts to imbue his music with randomness, there was a sense of journey in the ravishing Palais de Mari which ended Osborne’s recital. He spun such a hypnotic atmosphere in this entrancing 25-minute masterpiece, it was tempting to nod o . Although Bach’s Goldberg Variations, trades on the apocryphal tale it was written for an insomniac, it’s far too lively to induce sleep. At Humbie Kirk, a leafy idyll in the middle of nowhere, John Butt gave a spirited and percussive account on harpsichord of this keyboard masterpiece. A technically competent player, Butt’s expert knowledge of this musical period couldn’t help but inform his articulate performance. That said, even with two manuals, some of the more fl uid variations can be tricky and ELIZABETH DELAGE Butt sometimes lost sight of their rhythmic integrity. The more straightforward variations fared better than the intricately woven canons which were generally too rushed to let the rich inner parts sing. This

62 International Piano November/December 2017

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Charles Richard-Hamelin is perhaps a generous as Volodos with his encores – nor all Mozart’s concertos, he blessed it with a case of a runner-up who, some would say, as good at them. Schubert’s last two sonatas combination of meticulous precision and should have come fi rst. The Canadian won showed Volodos’ total mastery of the sheer exuberance. Beaming throughout as if second prize at the International Chopin instrument and a wealth of colours and possessed of some secret knowledge, he Piano Competition in Warsaw (the winner phrasing that most pianists can barely moulded the music into long supple and was the Korean, Seong-Jin Cho) following a imagine. Volodos’ interpretative choices are arched phrases, eventually conjuring his rather nervous concerto in the fi nals; but spontaneous, with constantly shi ing own highly original, though completely anyone who hears the other stages of the moods and fl uid dynamics. He is the master idiomatic cadenza. Competition (available on YouTube) can of the so er end of the dynamic scale, so Another young Russian returned to hardly fail to be impressed. Hamelin’s there were times when passages were Verbier to huge acclaim this year. Denis recital for Laroque began with a Mozart D almost drowned out by Laroque’s cicadas. Kozhukhin was launched onto the scene minor Fantasy played with exemplary If he seems to be the natural successor to a er winning the top prize in the 2010 subtlety and precision. It’s rare to hear new Emil Gilels in his ultra-mellowness, Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. insights into a piece as well-known as this. Volodos can also turn on ferocity and shi With his streetwise ponytail and laid-back There followed four Chopin Impromptus dramatically into di erent gears. He began manner, Kozhukhin cuts an unusual fi gure, cra ed to perfection through a the variation movement of Schubert’s being a free spirit among his more earnest combination of impeccable musicianship Sonata in A major D959 in an almost compatriots of a similar age; but on a and clean, nimble fi nger-work. He ended perfunctory manner but worked up to a technical and expressive level, he is with Schumann’s riveting fi rst sonata. Here shattering climax. For the slow movement, unquestionably their equal. the composer pays obvious homage to Volodos refused to let the listener slide into He began showing o his ornamentation Beethoven and Hamelin enjoyed quoting a trance as he mercilessly tweaked at this in Handel’s Suite No 7, which was robust the dotted rhythm allusion to the haunting melody. and disciplined. This was followed by a Hammerklavier Sonata in the fi rst ROBERT TURNBULL rendition of Brahms’ Three Intermezzi Op movement Allegro. This was Schumann at 117 that revealed him as a master of his most idiomatic, the composer’s suspense. Tempi were generally slow, but famously contrasting moods beautifully SWITZERLAND Kozhukhin used a controlled rubato to judged through a cornucopia of colours, VERBIER keep the music taught and the audience at with dramatic fl air and moments of Verbier Festival the edge of its seat. heart-breaking intimacy. Sergei Babayan, Denis Kozhukhin 24 July; Ligeti’s Etude No 13, which the In contrast, Nelson Freire took András Schiff 25 July; Richard Goode, composer called ‘The Devil’s Staircase’, is Kirill Gerstein, Sergei Babayan, Yuja relaxation too far in the almost routine way Wang 29 July; Evgeny Kissin 30 July fast becoming a party piece for pianists he dispatched three Bach-Busoni Preludes, with technical aptitude. Kozhukhin though this didn’t spoil the poised manner A change of administration at Verbier this brought to it an ease that bordered on in which he launched into his umpteenth year brought an army of new sta to the nonchalance. Schumann Fantasy. Friere doesn’t just summer festival as well a deluge of bad Rhapsody in Blue was perhaps an odd interpret the classics but luxuriates in them, weather. The town was freezing and seemed choice with which to end a recital: it can with the kind of confi dence that renders empty – one noticeable absentee and sound hackneyed. Kozhukhin lingered over criticism almost irrelevant. It may be a festival regular being Daniil Trifonov who Gershwin’s schmaltzy chords as if he’d only time-honoured approach, but it is so was marooned in Donald Trump’s America just discovered the piece, making it fresh nonchalant as to feel slightly pointless. a er visa problems prevented his travel. and almost interesting. Villa-Lobos came next on the (Could Putin not have intervened?) Sir András Schi has included in some programme. This is music Freire has known All the same, everyone exalted over of his recent programmes a di erent since his childhood days in Boa Esperança Trifonov’s replacement to play Mozart’s C version of the Schumann Fantasy which for in Brazil, and his a ection for the major Concerto K503: none other than the decades had been lying forgotten in a wonderful, o en Bach-inspired melodies legendary Sergei Babayan, the Armenian- library in Budapest. Schi tells the story of full of rhythmic vitality was very much in American who taught the young Russian at its discovery eloquently and apologises to evidence. Finally to Chopin’s Sonata in B the Cleveland Institute of Music from the composer for playing it, which is highly minor and an interpretation which, once where he runs his own elite piano school. appropriate, given that Schumann crossed again, was well-worn rather than revealing, News of Babayan’s extraordinary gi s had it out with a very clear black lines. Even so, with speeds on the fast side, hampering any been doing the rounds; but was the hype it was interesting to hear. Schumann brings sense of expansiveness. was justifi ed? back Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte ELIZABETH DELAGE Perhaps Laroque’s most treasured annual The prejudice that Russians are melody three times using di erent event is Arcadi Volodos’ recital, an temperamentally unsuited to this composer harmonies, presumably to suggest a cyclical

experience that almost invariably gives is, of course, nonsense. Babayan’s playing end. At the same time, it’s perfectly clear audiences at least 30 minutes’ more music was – there’s no other word for it – serene. why he discarded the work. The theme ⌂ than they expected. No pianist is as One of the most technically demanding of sounds almost impertinent coming at the

November/December 2017 International Piano 63

IPND17_061-065_R_LiveReviews_1010OM.indd 63 10/10/2017 14:55 REVIEWS | CONCERTS NICOLAS BRODARD

Sergei Babayan performs Mozart with the Verbier Festival Orchestra

⌂ close of what is one of music’s most blissful Mists, a four-movement suite of compelling playing; he delivered the variations like a and dreamy fi nal bars ever written. intimacy written on the death of the conjuror unpacking his bag of e ects, Schi has many devotees, but I have to composer’s daughter. following the splendour of the penultimate confess I’m not one of them. His Schumann ROBERT TURNBULL one with a restatement of the theme in an had all that was required: well-judged atmosphere of rapt stillness. tempi, a degree of lyricism and technical Cut Verbier any way you chose, and you’re Debussy is not normally his calling card, fl air; yet Schi simply couldn’t hold my certain to strike gold. Thus it was that I but here Book Two of the Préludes came with attention. I can’t quite put my fi nger on it, caught Richard Goode in recital, and never a colour-palette open to its widest extent. His but it almost feels too comfortable in its have I heard him play with such authority, encore – the Sarabande to Bach’s fi rst Partita skin, with little sense of discovery, passion or such technical fl awlessness. In his hands, – was breath-taking in its simplicity, with a or urgency. In the Fantasy there were the fi rst movement of Mozart’s Sonata in A delicate bloom on the notes. moments of grandeur, but a generally minor K310 acquired the urgent intensity Meanwhile Evgeny Kissin came in undi erentiated tone in the melodic of one of that composer’s great concert chamber mode with Mozart’s Piano strands failed to draw me in. arias, and the third movement was Quartet No 1 in G minor, Fauré’s fi rst Piano Schi is, however, verbally eloquent. What wonderfully light and fl eet. Then came a Quartet in C minor and Dvořák’s second turned out to be in e ect a lecture-recital richly idiomatic rendering of Janáček’s On Piano Quintet. This was a Kissin we seldom opened with an explanation of the links an Overgrown Path, in which we were encounter, his ego so sensitively interwoven between Bach and Bartók. Schi alternated invited to join him on a stroll through a with those of other virtuosi – violinist some little known Bach with excerpts from very di erent sound-world, noting the Dmitry Sitkovetsky, violist Antoine Mikrokosmos and the famous Sonata. changes in the view and the weather, before Tamestit and cellist Mischa Maisky – that Compared with his late compatriot Zoltán seguing with surprising naturalness into we were aware of him more as a Kocsis, Schi ’s Bartók was unexciting. He Beethoven’s Opus 109. There again what sympathetic background presence than as was much better in Janáček’s glorious In the struck one was the sheer intensity of his the magician we are used to.

64 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_061-065_R_LiveReviews_1010OM.indd 64 10/10/2017 14:55 REVIEWS | CONCERTS NICOLAS BRODARD The third event was a marathon forge her own alternative path as part of a traditional style, with a textbook programme of Bach concertos which sorted (very successful) piano duo. Wang, whose performance of the Allemande. She came a out the soloists – Kirill Gerstein, Sergei playing outside her virtuoso comfort-zone little unstuck in the Sarabande – some Babayan and Yuja Wang – in an has not developed at all over the last few smudging of notes seemed to throw her o unexpected way. It was no surprise that years, seems to be a similar case in point. – but the Gavotte was delightful, followed Gerstein should deliver BVW 1058 with MICHAEL CHURCH by a masterful conquering of counterpoint magisterial elegance, but what was a surprise in the fi nal Gigue. It took a short time to was Babayan’s performance of BWV 1052. I adjust to the close acoustics; the elongated have never heard a Bach concerto played MALTA wing of the church seats around 100, with with such inward grace, and the encores he GOZO/GH–AWDEX the piano at the front of the room. gave us – three preludes written for Bach’s Victoria International Arts Festival Therea er it was a delight to be so close to eldest son and now hardly ever played in St George’s Basilica, Victoria the baby grand, lit by a single chandelier concert – were a revelation. Biliana Tzinlikova 9 June and gazed upon by portraits of priests. As for Wang – where to begin? With Germaine Tailleferre was the sole female the dress, alas: a bathing-suit with a The Maltese island of Gozo has a lot to o er member of Les Six, and her Partita can be transparent pelmet. However, the really the discerning traveller: clear blue waters, compared with Satie’s surrealism mixed striking thing about this concert was the ancient architecture, temperate climate – and with melodic development reminiscent of sheer mediocrity of her playing. This was the Victoria International Arts Festival, which Poulenc. But Tailleferre’s work stands on its Bach reduced to a fi ve-fi nger exercise, this year celebrated its 20th instalment. The own, and her mystical chromaticism colourless and passionless. fi ve-week event each June and July is directed glittered under Tzinlikova’s touch. The There’s a process at work here which we by composer Joseph Vella and takes place in subsequent variations by Louise Farrenc see periodically and, although it works St George’s Basilica, featuring headliners such were equally engaging; we heard the initially to the fi nancial advantage of the as the Sistene Chapel Choir. But the festival is infl uence of Moscheles, a former teacher of musician in question, they are always the primarily a celebration of chamber music, Farrenc’s, as the variations were dispatched ultimate losers. Alice Sara Ott burst on the with many recitals taking place in the by Tzinlikova in a virtuosic haze. Chopin’s scene in her teens with a stunning Liszt adjoining chapel. It is there that pianist Andante spinato et g rande polonaise brillante CD, but when the marketing people saw Biliana Tzinlikova, who teaches at Salzburg’s didn’t shimmer in the same way, as, say, how good she looked, they promoted her Mozarteum University, gave an intriguing Benjamin Grosvenor’s, but it did have to the hilt as a fashion-plate star; her recital inspired by dance. personality and verve. Now, how to get this artistry, relegated to a side-issue, began to Bach’s Partita in E minor was the programme to one of the London halls? atrophy, and to save her soul she has had to cornerstone; Tzinlikova observed a CLAIRE JACKSON

Yuja Wang: relegating artistry to a side-issue? NICOLAS BRODARD

November/December 2017 International Piano 65

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Tasmin Little Tuesday 14 November 2017 | 7pm recital Conway Hall, London

Tasmin Little has fi rmly established herself as one of today’s leading international violinists. Joined at this recital by pianist Piers Lane, the pair will present a programme linked to their forthcoming disc of Violin Concertos by Szymanowski and Karlowicz on Chandos Records, for which Tasmin is an exclusive recording artist. This concert is followed by an informal Q&A which will be conducted by Katy Wright, deputy editor of Classical Music magazine.

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RGLIVE_1117_FPIPND17.indd 38 ad.indd 1 13/09/201712/10/2017 17:12:4712:26:12 REVIEWS | CDs

clear that the “cinematic” process of demonstrate this feat of zany, recherché assembling discrete takes, remakes and humour, in a vignette that perfectly inserts into an organic whole – for many illuminates the workings of his curious mind. artists an alien, disorienting, even immoral This is the high point of the sessions, process – came naturally to Gould.’ which are ultimately too fragmentary and Yet for all the fascinating insights this repetitive to warrant sustained listening. release yields, listening to so many ‘failed’ There is a reason, a er all, why Gould takes can be a frustrating experience. In rejected his earlier takes, and why the many cases, the tapes were stopped editing process played such an important mid-conversation, cutting o Gould’s role in cra ing the fi nal product. ‘The secret exchanges with his producer Howard Scott. of being a bore is to say everything’ wrote (Gould was not yet a ‘legend’, so why waste Voltaire, and the wisdom of this statement valuable tape on his eccentric utterances?) is certainly borne out here. There is such a This is a real shame, as it is likely that vast amount of material from Gould’s 1955 Glenn Gould: The Goldberg Variations – Gould’s commentary would have added Goldberg sessions that a stronger curatorial The complete unreleased recording sessions much to our understanding of his creative approach is needed to make it interesting. June 1955 Glenn Gould (pf) process. One notable exception, where the A much smaller collection released by Sony Classical 88843014882, 7CDs + 1LP tape was le running to capture Gould’s Sony in 2002 did just that: Glenn Gould: A lll words, occurs during the session for State of Wonder (Sony Classical Legacy SM3K Variation 30. He suddenly heads o at a 87703) comprises Gould’s 1955 and 1981 This lavishly produced box set containing tangent, explaining to Scott: ‘I have a versions of the Goldberg Variations, plus a third seven CDs, a heavyweight vinyl LP and quodlibet of my own which came to me in disc featuring the pianist’s conversation with 280-page hardback book is the latest Gould the bathtub the other night. One of these Tim Page and 12 minutes of studio outtakes release from Sony Classical, complementing times, I’m going to be invited to give a from the 1955 sessions. Gould’s comedic the gargantuan 81-CD Glenn Gould concert on the 4th of July, I am sure. And quodlibet is the centrepiece of the outtakes, Remastered (888750322227) released in 2015. when I do, I’ve fi gured out that by leaving and works brilliantly as a standalone excerpt. The presentation here is impeccable: the out the repeats in The Star-Spangled Banner Glenn Gould: The Goldberg Variations – hardback book opens to reveal four discs and starting your entry at the 13th bar of The complete unreleased recording sessions labelled to look like the recording’s original God Save the King, then playing God Save June 1955 may appeal to Gould fanatics and reel-to-reel studio tapes, while the back cover the King over again and altering the completists, but for the general listener holds three further discs, including a harmony in the second half of the King to A State of Wonder o ers a more engaging conversation between Gould and the modulate to the supertonic region, it has the record of Gould’s legacy. American music critic Tim Page recorded in most marvellous e ect.’ Gould proceeds to OWEN MORTIMER 1982, the last year of the pianist’s life. The book itself provides a comprehensive a record Glenn Gould (1932-82) of the June 1955 studio sessions, containing everything from the tracking sheets and cutting cards to Gould’s original contract and biography produced by Columbia. A series of short essays and interviews are accompanied by dozens of photos of the pianist, some previously unpublished, and there’s even a complete score of Bach’s music so listeners can follow as they listen. The transfer quality of the sessions is excellent, and will be a joy for any student of Bach’s music, Gould’s performance style or the techniques of mid-20th century recording. In take a er take, we hear Gould experimenting with tempo, articulation and phrasing to arrive at his fi nal interpretation. Perhaps surprisingly, given the reputation he gained in his later years for piecing together recordings from multiple takes, many of the TULLY POTTER COLLECTION tracks here feature long sections of music. As Kevin Bazzana explains in his introductory essay ‘Glenn Gould – Birth of a Legend’: ‘Most variations appeared in the fi nal edit as complete takes (in three cases, Take 1); only six variations were spliced together from two di erent takes or inserts. Still, it is already

November/December 2017 International Piano 67

IPND17_067_R_CDRevs_Gould1010OM.indd 67 10/10/2017 15:58 The Sound of ClaSSiCal

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BavouzetIPND17.indd Beethoven 68 BOX - International Piano 3.indd 1 12/10/201712/10/2017 12:26:16 21:39 REVIEWS | CDs

Leff Pouishnoff: The complete 78 and Jascha Spivakovsky: Bach to Bloch, Volume Brahms 8 Pieces Op 76, Nos 1-4; 3 Intermezzi selected Sage LP recordings Three (1955-67) Op 117; 6 Pieces Op 118 Leff Pouisihnoff (pf) Beethoven Sonatas No 8, Pathétique; No 14, Arcadi Volodos (pf) APR 6022, 2 hours and 29 minutes Moonlight; No 26, Les Adieux; No 32 in C minor Sony Classical 88875 13019, 54 mins lllll Op 111 Jascha Spivakovsky (pf) llll Pristine Classical PAKM070, 76 mins llll

Le Pouishno : now there’s a name to Though esteemed by his Berlin Brahms is in much vogue in the studio at conjure with. An artist of popular status contemporaries from Artur Schnabel to the moment, with Barry Douglas and during his life (1891-1959), he was the fi rst Arthur Rubinstein, Jascha Spivakovsky Jonathan Plowright in varying stages of pianist to appear on television. He also gave (1896-1970) le no solo studio recordings. complete surveys, and plenty of other the premiere of the revised version of Born in Ukraine, he was a refugee in recordings coming piecemeal into the Rachmaninov’s Fourth Concerto in 1928 Australia from the 1930s onward. In the catalogue. and was a great favourite at the Proms. postwar era he toured internationally until a For his fi rst recording in four years – Genial, white-haired and aristocratic, he health crisis in 1960 ended his concert career. since his award-winning release of conformed to the image of the Romantic Spivakovsky had a strong-minded, craggy Mompou – Arcadi Volodos has turned to Russian virtuoso and was praised by one approach to performance, ideal for (mostly) late Brahms with the complete wag as ‘a pianist who could play Bach at Beethoven. His son Michael recorded his sets, Opp 117 and 118, prefaced, bizarrely, breakneck speed without breaking his private performances at home, sometimes by only half the Op 76 set (all eight could neck.’ Announcing that he would like to reportedly when he was unaware. In a series easily have been accommodated). The play Chopin’s Four Ballades without of CD transfers of these and radio recordings, booklet note gives no reason for the intervening applause, he also apologised to Pristine provides a homogenised sound omission and Volodos has them in his the ladies for treading on their toes as he quality: these are rehearsal documents, repertoire (you can fi nd him playing Nos 5 wove his way through the audience to the personal notations of musical ideas by an and 8 on YouTube). piano. Pouishno was a pianist with a sense artist experimentally favouring extremes in This is a shame as his playing is of occasion. tempo. wonderfully cultured, full of insight and Here on this two-CD album there are Uncompromisingly tragic in conception, beautifully precise phrasing, with typically fl ashes of genuine musical quality, notably at times the emotion conveyed is forlorn or lush tone. His rapt treatment of the Three in Liszt’s Gnomenreigen given with sparkle dogged. Béla Bartók had a comparably Intermezzi Op 117, is entrancing, although and charm, and in Glazunov’s Theme and monumental approach to Beethoven, while. some may cavil at the rather relaxed tempo Variations, one of the few substantial Spivakovsky’s verve also recalls the granitic, for the best known of the set, the fi rst in pieces among a jackdaw’s nest of trinkets no-holds-barred forthrightness of Charles E-fl at major (though he is in good and gew-gaws much in the fashion of the Ives’ private piano recordings. Possibly company in this choice). The pace of Nos 2 times. Elsewhere, much of the playing is Spivakovsky’s most representative surviving and 3 is of a piece, as it should be since all di dent and ill-focused and it would be Beethoven rendition is a Waldstein Sonata, three Intermezzi are marked in varying wise to draw a veil of over his Schubert. previously issued (Pristine PAKM065). species of Andante; so the set as a whole is He reduces the great G major Sonata to This CD is well worth hearing as a musically consistent. salon terms – skittish and superfi cial. In document, providing a partial echo of what The four intermezzi, ballade and Debussy’s Arabesque No 2, the music loses this pianist’s fi nished public performances romance that make up the Op 118 set are much of its piquancy at such a hectic must have sounded like. Spivakovsky’s own rendered in as beguiling a fashion. This pace. His Chopin makes you wonder at chaste sternness might serve as model for music has moments of greater drama, his acclaim. posthumous evaluation; he recused himself particularly in the opening Intermezzo and The story of Pouishno ’s early success from performing Rachmaninov’s works especially in the Ballade (No 3), to which and later decline and fall is told in the during the latter’s lifetime because he Volodos responds with playing of notes, and there is an additional essay by deemed the composer-pianist’s own versions equivalent power in a near-perfect account. APR’s Mike Spring on ‘the mystery of unsurpassable. Nor, surely, would Sony’s sound is superb, too. So I have to ask Pouishno ’s Saga recordings.’ Presentation Spivakovsky have placed these recorded again, why did they not give us Nos 5 to 8 and re-mastering are, as always from this rehearsals ahead of Schnabel’s complete of Op 76 as well? I have taken a star o the source, outstanding. studio cycle of Beethoven sonatas. rating for that! BRYCE MORRISON BENJAMIN IVRY GUY RICKARDS

November/December 2017 International Piano 69

IPND17_069_R_CDRevs1010OM.indd 69 10/10/2017 17:31 REVIEWS | CDs

Liszt and Wagner Debussy Masques; D’un cahier d’esquisses; Kreisler Preghiera (Prayer) Rachmaninov Trio Imogen Cooper (pf) L’isle joyeuse; Images – Books 1 & 2; Estampes; élégiaque No 1 in G minor; Trio élégiaque No 2 Chandos 10938, 75 mins Children’s Corner in D minor Daniil Trifonov (pf), Gidon Kremer llll Steven Osborne (pf) (vln), Giedre∙ Dirvanauskaite∙ (vlc). DG 0028947 Hyperion CDA68161, 73 mins 96979 2, 67 mins llll llll

Here, gratifyingly, is a Liszt recital with a This richly inclusive recital is given with Entitled Preghiera (literally, a prayer or entreaty), di erence. Time was when Liszt’s change such a rare balance of sense and sensitivity the presiding spirit in this superb recording from exuberance to bitterness of spirit was that it prompts you to re-think Debussy’s is Gidon Kremer. Celebrating his 70th seen as evidence of senility and, for Wagner, incomparable genius – the revolutionary birthday, Kremer invited two of his favourite a decline into madness. Today, as Alfred nature of his soundscape. young artists, cellist Giedrė Dirvanauskaitė and Brendel puts it, ‘the denigration of Liszt has Following his earlier Hyperion recording pianist Daniil Trifonov, to join him in the long since passed its peak’ and the dark- of the 24 Préludes, Steven Osborne opens with two Rachmaninov Trios. As a haunting hued utterances of his fi nal years are viewed the triptych formed by Masques, D’un cahier addition, Kremer adds an arrangement for as a vital prophecy of things to come. Near d’esquisses and L’isle joyeuse. In Masques he is violin and piano by Fritz Kreisler of the minimalism replaces a plethora of notes – brilliantly responsive to its whirling progress theme from the slow movement of the worlds of the ‘La campanella’ and ‘Feux and to a quasi-oriental close, strange even by Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto. follets’ or the early Hungarian Rhapsodies are Debussy’s standards. Osborne’s way with L’isle The substantial and expressive centre of but a distant memory. joyeuse is scintillating and vivacious. If the this disc is the Trio élégiaque No 2 in D Imogen Cooper enterprisingly sandwiches fi nal apotheosis hardly suggests Claudio minor, music written in the throes of grief a selection of works by Wagner and Liszt Arrau’s mischievous advice (‘it must be like experienced by Rachmaninov on hearing of between the hallucinatory fl ights of the an orgasm’), it is suitably grand and exultant. the death of Tchaikovsky: ‘composed when second Valse oubliée and the Bagatelle sans In ‘Mouvement’ (Images, Book 1) Osborne ill in spirit’ and ‘in memory of a great artist.’ tonalité. If in neither case is she equal to captures all of Debussy’s instruction ‘to be It would be di cult to imagine playing of Richter’s peerless virtuosity in the former or played with a fantastic and precise lightness’; greater depth and emotional fervour. You are Peter Donohoe in the latter, she is never less and in Book 2, a cool tempo in ‘Cloches à le feeling that Kremer and his colleagues than dependable and musical. travers les feuilles’ lends an additional sense burn with commitment to an idiom still A higher degree of intensity can be heard of a timeless and archaic mystery. Yet if I was despised in some quarters, and a sense that in the Wagner-Liszt Liebstod or the Liszt to single out one performance it would have Rachmaninov could turn on emotion like a Sonetto 104 del Petrarca, and she makes to be ‘Et la lune descend sur le temple qui tap. Such opinions have long since become something special of Liszt’s own fut’ where Osbourne achieves an quaint and transitory and never more so arrangement of his Gretchen (the expressive unforgettable sense of stillness and focus. than when you listen to the fi rst movement centre of this disc). She also has an admirable His ‘Poissons d’or’ are lithe rather than – in e ect a dirge between violin and cellos feeling for the alternating fervour and over-fed in their ‘piscine acrobatics’ (Roger above a lament motive on the piano. This contemplation of Sposalizio, with its near Nichols in his superb sleeve-note). In ‘Jardins trio sounds the tragic note with a vengeance Wagnerian progressions at the close. sous la pluie’ (Estampes) the clouds scud and a despondency that erupts in agitation Finally, the fi rst version of La lugubre across the garden-scape before a blinding and violence before a fi nal return at the close Gondola and a true sense of Liszt’s fi nal blaze of sunlight while in ‘Dr Gradus ad of the third movement to the opening idea. desolation (‘I am desperately and Parnassum’ from the Children’s Corner suite, The First Trio is in one movement and is completely incapable of fi nding a single ray Osborne’s subtlety is a far cry from the headed ‘lento lugubre’ (that yearning, of happiness’) as he watched a procession of virtuoso excess of, say, Rachmaninov or familiar mood again), an apprentice work funeral gondolas and foresaw both William Kapell. ‘Jimbo’s Lullaby’ passes but played with the greatest conviction. Wagner’s and his own imminent death through nightmare to snoring contentment All these performances, ideally recorded, (‘him today, me tomorrow’). while an unmistakable sense of nostalgia for make you stop in your tracks and listen Chandos’ sound is superb and Conor a a world of childhood fantasy is erased in a with awe. As Kremer puts it ‘when Farrington’s accompanying essay is a fi ne ‘Golliwog’s Cake-walk’ of exuberance and brilliance plays a greater role than the bonus. Cooper has dedicated her recording aplomb. Even in a crowded marketplace this message, we risk becoming smothered’. to the memory of the brilliant Hungarian fi nely recorded disc is a memorable addition Wise words borne out in playing that is the pianist Zoltán Kocsis, and who died in 2016. to the Debussy catalogue. reverse of showmanship. BM BM BM

70 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_070_R_CDRevs1010OM.indd 70 10/10/2017 17:32 REVIEWS | CDs

Rachmaninov Piano Concertos – No 2 in C Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor Sibelius Various works including Kyllikki Op 41; minor Op 18; No 3 in D minor Op 30 Op 18; Études-tableaux Op 33 Kreisler Liebesleid Valse triste Op 44/1; Sonatina in F-sharp minor Khatia Buniatishvili (pf), Czech Philharmonic (arr Rachmaninov) Behr Lachtäubchen, ‘Polka de Op 67/1; The Trees Op 75 – Nos 4-5; Rondino Op Orchestra / Paavo Järvi WR’ (arr Rachmaninov) 68/2; 5 Esquisses Op 114 Sony Classical 88985 40241 2, 63 mins Boris Giltburg (pf), Royal Scottish National Leif Ove Andsnes (pf) lll Orchestra / Carlos Miguel Prieto Sony Classical 88985408502, 66 mins Naxos 8.573629, 67 mins llll llll

It was only a matter of time before Khatia Any new recording of Rachmaninov’s Sony’s back cover text contains a bold Buniatishvili would record the two popular evergreen and omnipresent Second Concerto statement by pianist Leif Ove Andsnes: Rachmaninov concertos, and Sony’s release has to contend with 280 or so competitors ‘Everyone was astonished that there could will be cause for either delight – to her listed on Presto Classical’s website. Most – be a major composer out there with such many adulating fans – or dismay at yet even fi ne versions – are lost in the we ; even beautiful, accessible music that people another coupling (Presto Classical’s site with the Naxos label this is one of 13 don’t know.’ Were he speaking of McCabe lists 275 and 230 individual recordings recordings in a variety of formats, including or Holmboe, or a real unknown such as respectively). undeniably valuable historical issues. Steve Elcock or David Hackbridge Immediate gratifi cation is the most Giltburg is a sensitive musician who Johnson, the sentiment would be notable feature of Buniatishvili’s constructs interesting programmes, as his admirable, but his subject was Sibelius, all interpretations, led by her undeniably previous issues of Rachmaninov and of whose piano music has been recorded phenomenal keyboard technique. But Shostakovich have shown. Staying within several times, with at least two complete fl ashy brilliance and the ability to curl one’s the Naxos stable for a moment, this new surveys on disc and a third, from Joseph fi ngers around every note does not account of the concerto is the front-runner Tong (whose fi ne second volume is guarantee depth of musical response, and amongst their modern recordings, the reviewed on page 80), in progress. this last quality is o en subordinated to sound richer than its predecessors and the Although many of us have known about display in Buniatishvili’s peformances. performance more compelling. The main Sibelius’ piano music for some time, While Rachmaninov’s concertos are coupling of the Op 33 Études-tableaux Andsnes plays this selection with the designed for virtuoso display there is music (1911) provides a welcome contrast in intensity of new discovery. He believes in here, too, and Buniatishvili does not always texture and structure, and makes a very the music and his fervour is audible fi nd the poetry between the notes. e ective coupling in its own right. throughout – just listen, for example, to the In the overplayed Second Concerto, Looking further afi eld, Giltburg’s attack in the Op 5/5 Impromptu that opens Buniatishvili herself overplays it: the performance of the concerto is considerably the programme, the Rondino, Op 68/2, or opening movement is just too fast and more convincing a representation of throughout Kyllikki. ‘Listen to this’ he seems sounds rushed in places, a failing that Rachmaninov’s intentions than to be saying and Sony’s recording catches blights the fi nale of the Third, too, with Buniatishvili’s disappointing and overplayed his advocacy superbly. sometimes ugly e ect.That Buniatishvili Sony issue, though not perhaps quite It is a shame that, unlike his Nielsen disc of can play on a more elevated, less self- measuring up to Tharaud or Hough. That a few years back which contained complete focused plane is proved in No 2’s Andante said, a er a slightly mannered opening, works only, much of this recital is Andsnes’ sostenuto, though she does not quite Giltburg’s account is successful on its own cherry-picking individual gems from Opp 5, match Tharaud’s revelatory recent version terms and the accompaniment from the 24, 58, 68 (why not both Rondinos?), 75, 76 (Erato) or Yuja Wang (Deutsche Royal Scottish National Orchestra is and 97. While some of the collections are Grammophon). The Third, similarly. is a beautifully rendered. undeniably loose – and uneven in quality mix of good and poor. Giltburg’s playing of the eight extant – many, such as the six Impromptus Op 5, or The Czech Philharmonic and Paavo Järvi numbers of the Études-tableaux is a delight, The Trees Op 75, are best heard as a group, accompany superbly and the sound is fi ne. not least for his inclusion of two of the pieces especially when so beautifully rendered as For a good modern recording of these Rachmaninov unaccountably suppressed here. The gain can be heard in the First concertos, however, look no further than (Nos 3 and 5; No 4 was recomposed into the Sonatina and the concluding Esquisses Op Stephen Hough with Andrew Litton and Op 39 set, so omitted here). The two 114. As a single-disc sampler, this is the Dallas Symphony (Hyperion). That is arrangements make pleasant encores but are peerless, but for those wanting the full how these works should be played. trifl es. Naxos’ sound is excellent. experience, I hope Andsnes records more. GR GR GR

November/December 2017 International Piano 71

IPND17_071_R_CDRevs1010OM.indd 71 10/10/2017 17:33 REVIEWS | CDs

Sibelius: Piano Works, Volume 2 Valse triste Krenek: Complete Piano Concertos, Vol 2 Great American Sonatas Op 44/1; 3 Sonatinas Op 67; 6 Bagatelles Op 97; Piano Concerto No 4 Op 123; Concerto for 2 Bernstein Piano Sonata Copland Piano Sonata 5 Characteristic Impressions Op 103; 4 Lyric Pieces Pianos Op 127; Double Concerto for Violin & (1939-41) Harrison Piano Sonata No 3 Ives Op 74; Sonata in F major Op 12 Piano Op 124; Little Concerto for Piano & Organ Three-page Sonata Nathan Williamson (pf) Joseph Tong (pf) Op 88 Mikhail Korzhev (pf), Eric Huebner SOMMCD 0163, 78 mins Quartz QTZ2123, 73 mins (pf), Nurit Pacht (vln); Adrian Partington (org); lllll llll English Symphony Orchestra / Kenneth Woods Toccata Classics TOCC0392, 64 mins lllll

Joseph Tong’s fi rst volume of Sibelius A year a er the tremendous success of the This superb recital shines like a beacon, piano music was a varied, refi ned fi rst volume of Krenek’s Piano Concertos illuminating the di ering styles of collection. His playing was poised and (Nos 1 to 3; TOCC0323), which I reviewed Copland, Bernstein, Lou Harrison and Ives. attractive, albeit without displacing last year, the concluding volume has now And although the Copland Sonata and Ives’ Annette Servadei, the non plus ultra of appeared with the same performers (and Three-page Sonata have not lacked for Sibelius piano music interpreters. Her three additional soloists), featuring the recordings, the Bernstein Sonata (composed fi ve-CD survey is not currently available, Fourth and fi nal Concerto of 1950, plus in 1938 when he was 19) and Lou however, and while Erik T Tawaststjerna three double concertos partnering the Harrison’s Third Sonata are rarities. More and Folke Gräsbeck (both BIS) have cycles piano with, respectively, an organ (1940), obvious choices (notably the Barber in place, neither fi lls the gap. Tong’s survey violin (1950) and a second piano (1951). Sonata) are avoided. is therefore a welcome addition to the Krenek’s Fourth Concerto is the most If Gershwin is the voice of urban catalogue. traditional in format of all the concertos, America, then Copland is the voice of rural Volume 2 focuses on more abstract the only one in the standard three America, of vast open spaces and the great pieces, including the three Sonatinas movements – two short, vigorous Allegros outdoors. (How Nadia Boulanger must (1912), Bagatelles (1920) and the dramatic enclosing a profound Molto adagio of have loved his austere neoclassicism: early Sonata of 1893. I have always felt the considerable intensity. This slow Copland spent three years studying in Paris Sonata to be an unduly neglected piece, movement is the heart of the work, taking at what became a ectionately known as ‘the not least by Sibelius himself, and it is a almost half its length. The Fourth which, Boulangerie’). Here severity and economy matter of regret that he did not add further like Nos 1-3, fuses serial techniques with alternate with hyper-activity (the central works in the genre. Tong has the measure Viennese forms, is the largest of the works Vivace) in one of Copland’s supreme of its 18 eventful minutes in a reading of in Volume 2, with a running time of nearly masterpieces. Bernstein’s less ambitious boldness, midway in tempo between the 23 minutes. Sonata is more easily accessible yet again slower Servadei and tad-quicker Yet the other concerto couplings are no his overall austerity and rarifi ed idiom Tawaststjerna. mere makeweights. Krenek’s compositional repay frequent listening; a far cry from the Compared with both Servadei and style grew more concentrated with time: manic chatter of, say the Piano Concertos Tawaststjerna (who also recorded the the brevity of the concertos for violin and of Peter Mennin or John Corigliano. complete transcriptions for piano), Tong’s piano and two pianos refl ects a distillation Lou Harrison’s studies with Schoenberg, interpretations are on the swi ish side, for of means. The Little Concerto with organ, as Henry Cowell and John Cage are subsumed example in the Allegro fi rst movement of its name implies, is of a lighter nature. in a more refi ned style, while Ives’ instantly the First Sonatina. I fi nd his choice of Once more, Mikhail Korzhev shows recognisable soundscape, coming from a tempo here – and, indeed, throughout himself at one with Krenek’s music, wild jumble of sources, derives from an – the most natural. The sonatinas are nicely capable of handling the most demanding endearing desire ‘to knock the done; full of light and shade, and this same writing – as are his soloist partners mollycoddles out of their boxes and to kick sensitivity is found time and again in 4 Huebner, Pacht and Partington. Woods out the so y ears’. The Celestial Railroad Lyric Pieces (1914) and 5 Characteristic draws exemplary accompaniments from ends with what I can only describe as Impressions (1924). Tong opens with the the English Symphony Orchestra, all sublime, unresolved chaos. still-ubiquitous Valse triste, again nicely concerned with relishing the rediscovery of All these works are given by Nathan judged if a little slow in the outer sections. this forgotten titan. Terrifi c sound makes Williamson with unerring mastery. Finely Quartz’s sound is rich, the acoustic this a thoroughly recommendable disc for recorded, few more impressive discs of resonant and warm. Recommended. adventurous listeners. American piano music exist. GR GR BM

72 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_072_R_CDRevs1010OM.indd 72 10/10/2017 18:20 Willowhayne Records 24+1 Wild About Transcription... Dominic John Dominic John A truly ground-breaking recording A dazzling display of virtuosity based on the ‘circle of fifths.’ 25 through a broad selection of composers extending across 2 repertoire, including the rarely centuries of music are represented in recorded transcription by N. Vaneyev this unique musical journey. of Fritz Kreisler’s Praeludium & “...a superbly curated collection, Allegro to Earl Wild’s mighty Fantasy imaginatevaly compiled... navigated on Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. with flair - a serendipitous delight.” “...bravura, astounding technique... - Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3 the performance is astounding.” - Record Review International Piano WHR041 (CD & Download) WHR033 (CD & Download) Yasmin Rowe: Bach, Daniel Hill: Chopin, Janáček & Kapustin Schubert & Mussorgsky This is the début album featuring In recording these works, Daniel Hill pianist Yasmin Rowe, a rising and comments: talented exponent of all genres of “Both works, though largely disparate piano music. in nature, represent a kind of “...it is refreshing to hear music played journey: in the vivid experience with conviction, love and authenticity. of Mussorgsky’s Pictures, this is We can therefore enjoy the pure somewhat overtly so; Schubert, beauty of these masterpieces under on the other hand, takes us into a her inspired fingers.” - Jean-Efflam profoundly intimate and, at times, Bavouzet WHR039 (CD & Download) WHR042 (CD & Download) transcendental realm.” Willowhayne Records Ltd. Email: [email protected] Website: www.willowhaynerecords.com

IPND17.indd 73 12/10/2017 15:25:36 REVIEWS | CDS IN BRIEF

Rarities of Piano Music at Schloss vor the central Andantino is slower than this Brahms Piano Sonata No 3 in F minor Op 5; Husum, Vol 29 tempo marking might imply, but it leads to Intermezzos from Opp 76, 116, 117 and 118; Johann Blanchard, Severin von Eckardstein, a stylish finale. The two Divertimentos are Klavierstücke Op 119; Waltz in A-flat major Op Zlata Chochieva, Martin Jones, Hubert pure joy in sound, and all credit to the 39/15 Nelson Freire (pf) Rutkowski, Florian Noack, Joseph Moog, violins of the Manchester Camerata for their Decca 4832154, 73 mins Duo Grau/Schumacher, Duo Mercier/ articulation: vim, wit and grace are here in lllll Katsaris, Artem Yasynskyy, Simon roughly equal measure, the slow movement Put simply, this is great Brahms playing. Freire Callaghan (pfs) of K138 in particular reaching unexpected presents the monumental F minor sonata in Danacord DACOCD 789, 79 mins profundity. all its granitic glory while honouring the lllll The well-known K459 is sprightly and music’s moments of tenderness. Textures are Now 30 years old, the Husum Festival fresh, with delightful give-and-take between always clear, often illuminated from within. continues to flourish. Filled to the brim, this orchestra and soloist. The finale scampers Decca’s recording is remarkable in disc celebrates the 2016 festival, commencing wonderfully in one of the best reproducing Freire’s presence and glowing with some fragranced ‘Chaminade’ (Les performances available; Mozart’s cadenza is tone. This is a piece that has been with him Sylvains) from Blanchard. Eckhardstein brilliantly done. This is one of the finest for a lifetime: he included it on his first LP presents a varied group of five, moving from accounts of K459. recording for CBS back in1967. An autumnal misty Fauré and Casadesus via Alexandrov CC glow now suffuses Freire’s reading, as if to a playful Reubke Scherzo and the Brassin everything has fallen fully into place, yet there transcription of Wagner’s ‘Magic Fire Music’. is exuberance to the central Scherzo, and The playing of Chochieva is particularly Schubert Piano Sonata No 20 in A minor D959 glorious sophistication to the finale. sensitive in her excellent coupling of Liszt Musorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition The carefully programmed selection of (Hymne de la nuit) and delicate Medtner Daniel Hill (pf) shorter pieces includes the complete Op (Canzona serenata). The well-loved pianist Willowhayne WHR042, 74 mins 119. Freire revels in the crepuscular Op 76, Martin Jones is mesmeric in Rachmaninov/ lll Nos 3 and 4 while pinpointing the magic Wild songs; but it is Rutkowski’s On his album entitled Cantabile, Daniel Hill of Op 119/1; the programme as a whole performance of a Moniuszko song performed Schubert D664; here we are traverses Brahms’ piano output. An absolute transcribed by Ignaz Friedman that truly offered D959, one of the composer’s late, joy from first to last. entrances. The heady music of Theordore great trio of sonatas. The competition is huge, CC Kirchner in two contrasting Nachtbilder is a from Imogen Cooper to Richter to Uchida to treat in Novak’s hands, and it’s good to have Lupu and beyond, all of whom find the Britten (Holiday Diary excerpts) superbly spirituality and timelessness in D959. Hill’s Vienna: Brahms & Nada Rhapsodies Op 79; played by Yasynskyy. Moog contrasts Reger’s performance is more of this planet, sensitive Chorale Op 122/1 (arr. Nada); 16 Waltzes Op 39; late, Chopinesque Träume am Kamin with yet never transcendent. The second Variations on an Original Theme Op 21/2 Nada (pf) Scarlatti/Tausig. movement, innocently marked Andantino, MEII Enterprises, 68 mins The show-stopping delights? The Mozart/ contains a nightmarish, phantasmagoric llll Busoni Magic Flute Overture (Grau/ section that Hill delineates well without Following on from Brahms in Hamburg, this Schumacher) and Hough’s arrangement of capturing the frenzy; the Scherzo feels slightly ‘Vienna’ offering is more of a mixed bag. My Favourite Things. Delicious. under-tempo and on the heavy side, while the The recording is warm but the bass is COLIN CLARKE finale sadly lacks both the magic and somewhat muffled; momentum also flags long-range vision required. in the G minor Ballade. It is a nice idea to The Musorgsky Pictures presents a separate the two Op 79 pieces by a chorale Mozart Piano Concertos: No 14 in E-flat K449; variable exhibition, from a superb ‘Gnomus’ prelude, the organ Op 122/1 transcribed by No 19 in F major K459; Two Divertimentos (nicely shaded, with hints at the grotesque) Nada herself and persuasively played. K 136 & K138 Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (pf); to an overpoweringly relentless, clumsy The B minor Ballade feels as if Nada has hit Manchester Camerata ‘Bydlo’ and over-careful renditions of ‘Ballet her stride, impeccable and beautiful; the Waltzes Chandos CHAN 10958, 70 mins of the Unhatched Chicks’ and ‘Limoges’. are nicely shaded and show a real grasp of the lllll There is little sense of glory in the arrival of set, especially the autumnal 12th. Finally, a Mozart’s Concerto in E-flat K449 deserves ‘The Great Gate’. Willowhayne’s sound is fine performance of the Variations Op 21/1, more outings, especially when performed as adequate and the fine booklet notes by if not one of enough colour and subtlety to well as this: Bavouzet seems to have even Hugh Petter are worth perusing. displace Plowright on BIS. A mixed offering. more energy than the orchestra. Arguably CC CC

74 International Piano November/October 2017

IPND17_074-075_R_CDsIBrief_1010OM.indd 74 10/10/2017 16:27 REVIEWS | CDS IN BRIEF

Prokofiev Piano Concertos: No 2 in G minor too. A pity the finale sounds a little through the labyrinth of the obscure with a Op 16; No 5 in G major Op 55 Olli Mustonen studied, especially as the blossoming out is fresh, pioneering spirit. Vierne’s C minor (pf); Finnish RSO/Hannu Lintu so finely achieved. Not quite up to Prelude is a joy, its energy tempered by the Ondine ODE 1288-2, 58 mins expectations. crepuscular Fauré. There’s a catchy piece by llll CC Yevgeny Svetlanov, while American Richard Olli Mustonen has an affinity with the Cumming’s Preludes deserve greater music of Prokofiev. This release completes currency. Jazz (Kapustin, Previn) offers his traversal of the piano concertos. Watercolour Music by Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, variety, while better-known Messiaen (‘La The performance of the monumental Yuanfan Yang, Trad/arr. Jianzhong Wang, Cashian colombe’) and Ireland (Holy Boy) offer Second is the finest here. Mustonen’s and Maxwell Davis. Yuanfan Yang (pf) familiarity; Busoni provides Bachian purity. attunement with Prokofiev is clear, his Orchid Classics ORC100073, 78 mins From stormy Glière and spiky Gál to the cadenza phenomenal; the powerful re-entry llll Armenian yearnings of Abramyan, this is a of the orchestra is brilliantly managed by The famous Schubert B-flat Impromptu is a journey of wonder. Delicious Boris Goltz Lintu. Mustonen plumbs the depths of the brave way to begin for a 20-year old, but glitters, placated by Dubois; later we are Intermezzo, and finds his way through the Yang caresses it so beautifully that one reminded to explore more Alkan and thicket of a Finale. A splendid performance, becomes aware of a new, special voice. Born Bowen. though not one to displace the best of a in Edinburgh in 1997, Yang has huge The inclusion of Stanford complements younger generation. character, as evidenced by his Chopin Etude Sam Haywood’s recent Hyperion offering; The tricky Fifth comes up against Richter Op 25/11. He even succeeds in plumbing similarly, the Bortkiewicz hyper-Romantic (with Rowicki) and the difference is the depths of the elusive Fantaisie, though ‘Patetico’ Prelude complements Gintov’s obvious. Mustonen’s version is decidedly loses momentum here and there. all-Bortkiewicz Piano Classics disc. John’s brittle, the second movement spiky but Liszt’s ‘La campanella’ has legerdemain performances throughout are as impeccable curiously non-directional. The performance but is ultimately uninvolving; yet he as they are fervent. does include a spectacular Toccata at its captures the depth of the ‘Vallée CC centre, and the Larghetto has grandiosity. d’Obermann’. It’s useful to have Yang’s But this is a less satisfying experience than Aquarelles, pieces with a harmonic language the Second. individual enough not to be dismissed as Music In Eight Octaves CC pseudo/post-Debussy. Jianzhong Wang’s Anthony Pateras (pf), Chris Abrahams (pf) arrangement of a traditional folksong is Immediata IMM011, 50 mins fragile and beautiful, before two British lllll Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 3; Overture composers round off the recital: a tribute to Having described the playing on a recent on Hebrew Themes Op 34bis Simon Trpcˇeski Max (Farewell to Stromness) and Philip Pateras release as stupendous, I’m not sure (pf); Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/ Cashian’s beautiful Landscape. Thought- what further superlative to use. ‘Tour de Vasily Petrenko provoking fare in stunning sound – and a force’ is inadequate for this two-piano ONYX 4140, 52 mins name to watch (see page 12). performance by the Australian composer llll CC and improviser, with Chris Abrahams of Continuing from Tchaikovsky’s First and Antipodean trio The Necks. Recorded in Second Concertos, Trpčeski with the RLPO Melbourne in 2005, it’s full-on, eight and Petrenko turn to Prokofiev. 4 + 1 Works by Genzmer, Vierne, Fauré, octaves, high-octane, no-holds-barred piano There is plenty of life in these accounts, Cumming, Svetlanov, Blumenfeld, Kapustin, improv. Across 50 unremitting minutes, the but they miss the seat-of-the-pants Auerbach, Messiaen, Glière, Ireland, Gál, energy level never flags: the sonic barrage excitement of the great performances. For Stanford, Abramyan, Goltz, Dubois, Alkan, varies from dense to very dense, giving rise the First Concerto, one has to admire Bowen, Busoni, Szymanowski, Berkeley, to a Nancarrow-like, polyrhythmic effect Trpčeski’s lightness of touch and the Bortkiewicz, Kabalewsky, Cui and Previn that overwhelms the listener. In the long rapport he enjoys with Petrenko. The Dominic John (pf) sleeve-note interview by Pateras, Abrahams Overture is sandwiched between the Willowhayne WHR041, 56 mins comments that ‘I was very much into the concertos, offering light relief before the lllll [session’s] concept. The density of the piece most familiar of the Prokofiev concertos, This is a new ‘set’ of 24 Preludes, selected – the informational load – actually lends to the Third. No stranger to this concerto, via the digital age by combing online music it a textural quality, a stasis’ – and that’s Trpčeski plays it with great swagger and services. From Hindemith pupil Harald absolutely right. confidence. There is accuracy and clarity, Genzmer, the journey weaves its way ANDY HAMILTON

November/October 2017 International Piano 75

IPND17_074-075_R_CDsIBrief_1010OM.indd 75 10/10/2017 16:27 PIANO TOPOGRAPHY 20 TOPOGRAPHS EUAN MOSELEY 2001 Recorded when crossing the musical surfaces of a distant land

Probably the first major piano-work of the 21st. century, Piano Topography brought accolades and applause from eminent international pianists such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, John Lill C.B.E., Kathryn Stott, Murray McLachlan and a string of others, yet few pianists have dared to explore these 20 highly original topographs. Euan Moseley’s tripping melodies, urgent rhythms, pungent sonorities and passages of sensuous beauty avoid the ‘lost’ and uncertain feeling associated with atonal music. Being in command of these 20 challenging, memorable and exciting pieces is truly rewarding. Play one as an encore, or a group in a piano competition, or the complete work in a full concert. The audience can only guess what is coming next! Piano-teachers: here are targets for your advanced pupils: thrilling to play and captivating to listen to.

First performances by Gusztáv Fenyö in the Sir Adrian Boult and Cadogan Halls, UK. The first recording, in 2009, is on Claudio Records on double CD (and Blu-ray) by Gusztáv Fenyö and a recording is expected 2018 on You Tube by Rose, Matthew, Callum and Murray McLachlan.

For your copy of the score (200 pages in two wired volumes) phone 01246 236139 (UK), or e-mail: [email protected]

Clementi Sonatinas, Op. 36 AUTHENTIC REVISED VERSION Piano fun “With Considerable Improvements” New Colorful Collections

Editor: Dr. Arthur Houle • 1st error-free edition in its 220-year history • 1st & only edition to collate ALL sources • Extensive scholarly footnotes • Historically grounded creative ideas for In Balance Flowering Sounds 1) lead-in cadenzas Martin Reich Luis Zett 2) variants on repeats Primo & Secondo Busy Lizzy & Lazy Daisy EB 8895 20 Balanced Arrangements EB 8890 16 Curious Flower Critical acclaim: for Piano Duet from Children’s Song to Pieces for Piano “...unique...in every way...most scholarly edition „Rhapsody in Blue“ ...to excite pupils about authenticity [teachers] For Young Pianists could do no better than turn to Houle’s Clementi Ulrich Mahlert (Ed.) project as a source of inspiration.” Breitkopf & Härtel – International Piano (July/August, 2017) Piano Album EB 8914 A Collection of www.abundantsilence.org Easiest to Easier Piano Music www.amazon.com (“Houle” “Clementi”)

IPND17.indd 76 12/10/2017 13:01:40 REVIEWS | BOOKS

began to learn Prokofiev’ Sixth Sonata (I occasion in which he might be playing for was not yet 14), I immediately imagined a house that was less than completely filled. that the main theme of the first movement ‘But when I first played in Montreal, where was the image of Stalin … In the finale at that time I was unknown, they told me of Schubert’s D Major Sonata, I see the that not all the tickets had been sold and I, image of an old, kind Viennese Jewish very disappointed, started to complain that watchmaker, much loved by children, to I should not be inspired, and a man, who whom he sings ...’ was looking after me, uttered a phrase that Kissin’s readers will also learn that there I have remembered all my life: “You should are some great works that he loves but will not punish those who came for those who never perform in public. ‘Because I know, did not ”.’ for example, that I will never play Ravel’s There are strains in every life and, Scarbo like Samson François in his first though he does not dwell on them, Kissin recording of the work … or the ‘Goldberg does not hesitate to mention challenges he Variations like Gould or Barenboim,’ he has faced. He tells us, for example, that in Memoirs and Reflections says. ‘So what right do I have to take up the his teens, ‘I suffered from a nervous tick’; By Evgeny Kissin Weidenfeld & Nicolson valuable time of my listeners?’ and in a performance of Chopin’s great 208 pages, $29.95 Readers will not learn, however, any F-sharp minor Polonaise he became so details of Kissin’s personal life as an adult. overwhelmed by its tragic intensity that he Evgeny Kissin’s Memoirs and Reflections is ‘began to twitch so much from my feelings SASHA GUSOV SASHA not exactly an autobiography, but, more that [my teacher] said it was probably not precisely, an account of his education and worth my playing it because it had a bad how the people he encountered nurtured effect on my nerves.’ him in the journey from a child prodigy to Kissin loved the piece too much to a mature artist who is arguably one of our refrain – his recording of it as a 15-year- greatest pianists. old is one of the finest ever recorded In his preface, Kissin tells us that ‘[this] – and by the time he reached mature book is not only and, indeed, not so much adulthood and performed and recorded about me, as about many other people it again that problem seems have been whom fate has allowed me to encounter and resolved. Although Kissin does not tell [who have] made my life better and richer.’ us how this was accomplished, he makes There are well-drawn portraits of the a fascinating allusion to psychotherapy, conductors he has worked with, including when he compares the ethereal radiance Evgeny Svetlanov, Herbert von Karajan and and transfigurative power of the Arietta’s Carlo Maria Giulini. About Giulini, for closing measures in Beethoven’s Op 111 to example, he writes: ‘Generally speaking, the experience of an illuminating session the mastery of Giulini is exactly what is with a psychotherapist. dearest of all to me in art: simplicity, depth What readers will not find is any gossip and spirituality.’ about any musician, living or dead, with There are also evaluations of other whom Kissin has worked. In this book, as pianists. One of his favourites of the past in his interviews, he refrains from saying (and, perhaps, the one he feels closest anything about anyone unless it is something to) is Dinu Lipatti, who played with the Born storyteller: Evgeny Kissin good. Two of his chapter headings are telling. qualities Kissin celebrates in Giulini. The In his discussion of his childhood and youth two living pianists he most admires are While he mentions his recent marriage to early in the book, the first of these reads: ‘I Martha Argerich and Grigory Sokolov the daughter of the well-known Moscow Have Been Lucky to Meet Good People in and his affection for them reflects what pianist and teacher, Evgeny Lieberman, My Life’. Towards the book’s conclusion, the Kissin values in interpretation: Argerich is he never mentions her name – it is Karina second of them reads: ‘There Are Always perhaps the most passionate of our pianists; Arzuminova – or says that they were Good People Everywhere’. Sokolov, the most intellectual. childhood friends. Yet he is not afraid to Kissin probably does not know, and Kissin is a born storyteller. It’s not confess to embarrassments that other, less certainly does not reveal, what is at the entirely a surprise that he thinks of certain forthright, men might have neglected to heart of his greatness as a pianist, but his pieces in terms of favourite narratives or mention. He admits that the success of charming memoir expresses what is in his constructs storylines for them. ‘When I his sold-out concerts in Japan, Europe heart, demonstrating that he himself is one play Brahms’s First Piano Concerto, I think and – upon his first tour of North America of those good people. about the Book of Esther … As soon as I – New York did not prepare him for an STEPHEN WIGLER

November/December 2017 International Piano 77

IPND17_077_R_Books1010OM.indd 77 10/10/2017 12:54 REVIEWS | SHEET MUSIC

Jevdet Hajiyev: Piano Collection , Book I Nikolai Kapustin: Sonatina Op 100 Piano Music by British and EVC Music Publications, distributed by Schott ED 22853 American Composers Alfred Music UK ISMN 979-0-001-16663-8 26 Works by 17 Composers ISBN 978-0-9935146-9-2 Boosey & Hawkes, distributed by Hal Leonard ISBN 978-1-4950-6228-5

On the evidence of the highly stimulating The orchestrally coloured Ballada is painstakingly notated articulation markings first volume of piano music by the constructed in patchwork fashion, yet that saturate the score are absolute Azerbaijani composer Ahmad Jevdet emerges strongly with quiet nobility. requisites for interpretive success. Ismayil oglu Hajiyev (1917-2002), his Melismatic flourishes, dignified cadential It is a sign of Kapustin’s huge popularity music is profoundly influenced by gestures and prayerful melodies all give that his music is now appearing in traditional folk song and dance. Hajiyev’s tactile pleasure aplenty. Less convincing is alternative, much less expensive editions. writing is always idiomatic and sympathetic the rather sprawling, extended Scherzo; but Bravo, therefore, to Schott for producing for the instrument, and though influences Eight Musical Sketches for younger players what will unquestionably be a popular from composers such as Prokofiev and are an absolute delight. The opening addition to its catalogue. Kabalevsky can clearly be detected, his numbers of this charming cycle spring frequent use of exotic scales, harmonies, as from the spirit, textures and key-centres of Piano Music by British and American well as his volatile, ever-changing rhapsodic the first few pieces in Schumann’s Album Composers is an extraordinary 206-page rhythmic energy, makes his music the for the Young. Hajiyev brings a liberal hybrid containing the full spectrum of Azerbaijani counterpart of Armenia’s much sprinkling of harmonic exoticism which levels, from pre-Grade 5 (Alec Rowley’s more famous – and slightly older – Aram adds individuality to these well crafted, charming Baroque re-workings) through to Khachaturian. user-friendly miniatures. the esoteric heights of Elliot Carter (the Parallels with Khachaturian are fiendishly challenging 90+ dating from strongest in Hajiyev’s first sonata: though The extraordinary popularity in the 21st 1994). En route we get strange juxtapositions much smaller and less demanding century of Nikolai Kapustin (b 1937) of exceptionally popular works and obscure technically than Khachaturian’s solitary contrasts heavily with his profound neglect rarities by leading names – Copland’s sonata, it is similar in that its rhythmic for the first 50 years of his career. Thanks to frequently aired Cat and Mouse sits verve is impulsive, quasi-improvisatory and revelatory recordings from Steven Osborne uncomfortably next to his austere Passacaglia reliant on élan from performers in order and others on Hyperion (as well as the and the nearly forgotten Midday Thoughts. to emerge cohesively into a whole. formation in Cambridge of the Kapustin There are also substantial compositions Hajiyev’s one-movement Sonata No 1 Society) this composer, a former pupil of from diverse living composers that vary as dances and swerves with infectious the legendary piano teacher Alexander much in terms of motivation as in syncopations in a harmonic language that Goldenweiser in Moscow, is now arguably difficulty: contrast the likes of David del at times emerges as an intriguing hybrid of Russia’s most famous living classical Tredici’s neo-Romanticism with the Indian raga and Khachaturian! composer – though of course he could quasi-minimalism of Meredith Monk and never be corseted with the term ‘classical’! the more mainstream virtuosity evident in Jazz harmonies, rhythms, modes and Karl Jenkins (Magog). Throw in the rare flavours permeate every aspect of his style, solo version of Arthur Benjamin’s Jamaican even if it is often presented in a classical Rumba, some late Delius miniatures, not structural framework. forgetting some Bernstein, John Ireland and Such is the case with the one-movement Maxwell Davies, and the result is a Sonatina (dating from 2000) a work which bargain-basement hybrid that will appeal to has been set for Grade 8 examinations and a diverse range of potential purchasers, which is arguably Kapustin’s most some of whom will buy the whole volume approachable work. No pedalling is for individual items unavailable elsewhere. Ahmad Hajiyev required here, but firm rhythmic discipline A bizarre yet delightful issue. (1917-2002) and scrupulous attention to the MURRAY MCLACHLAN

78 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_078_R_SMusicRevs1010OM.indd 78 10/10/2017 13:26 FREE TO ATTEND

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IPND17_079_R_NxtIssue_1010OM.indd 79 13/10/2017 09:35 TAKE FIVE KAREN STEAINS COMPOSER, PIANIST AND INFLUENTIAL educator, Mike Nock was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1940. When he was 18 he moved to Australia Aand worked in Melbourne and then Sydney, forming the hardbop Three Out Trio. He lists as his early jazz piano models Dave Brubeck, Bud Powell, Duke Ellington, and a little later hardbop masters Horace Silver and Bobby Timmons. ‘I was listening to Duke Ellington and Brubeck when I was around 12 years of age – my mum bought me records,’ he recalls. ‘Duke’s were 78s, and I believe the Brubeck was Jazz at Oberlin.’ Norman Meehan’s authoritative Serious Fun: Life and Music of Mike Nock (Victoria UP) mentions the young pianist listening to a 1950s radio broadcast of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie at Massey Hill, and feeling ‘Jesus, here is some truth! Here is something that is definitely happening.’ Reminiscing about his early adulthood in Australia, Mike told me, ‘The jazz I played and heard in those days was all bebop- oriented.’ His trio travelled to England in 1961, but Nock won a DownBeat magazine scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and soon began playing with young avant-gardists such as Tony Williams and Sam Rivers. After a year he left Berklee, taking up an important gig as house pianist at Lennie’s-on-the-Turnpike in Peabody, Massachusetts. There, he backed a galaxy of jazz talent for two years – Coleman Hawkins, Pee Wee Russell, Benny Golson, Phil Woods, Zoot Sims and others. I first came across Mike Nock’s work as part of the group led by saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef. He toured with Lateef in 1963-65, and was featured on Live At Pep’s, a pivotal date in the saxophonist’s career. ‘The gig with Yusef at Connolly’s Stardust room was originally Hal Galper’s,’ he explains, ‘but he passed it on to me. Yusef and I found an immediate rapport. A couple of weeks after the gig he called and very next day I MIKE NOCK joined him in Philadelphia to record Live at Peps and Club Date, staying on the road playing the Chitlin’ Circuit with him for the next 18 months.’ (The Chitlin’ Circuit is a group of venues throughout the eastern, southern, and upper Midwest USA, A true individual, Mike Nock where Black musicians and entertainers could perform safely in the era of segregation.) has never cared for the In Meehan’s biography, the pianist praises Lateef as a ‘musical searcher’, which is an apt description of Nock himself as he created conventions of the traditional his own path through 1960s free jazz. Paul Bley showed him how ‘the [melodic] line can find its own way […] It didn’t matter what jazz gig. His approach to music- the changes were […] It’s the strength of the line that carries it.’ In 1966, Nock briefly replaced Keith Jarrett in Art Blakey’s Jazz making, both as a performer Messengers, and worked with Booker Ervin, before moving to San Francisco. For two years from 1968 he was involved in and a distinguished teacher, has the beginnings of jazz-rock, forming The Fourth Way. He then composed and recorded film soundtracks on synthesiser, returning always been more organic, to New York in 1975 to work in the studios; he appeared there in a exploring paths that open up trio with John Abercrombie. Early in 1985 Nock returned to Australia, composing and some unusually spontaneous teaching improvisation at New South Wales Conservatorium (later Sydney Conservatorium), but touring regularly in the USA and and stimulating musical journeys. Europe. A 1992 tour included Billy Harper; the band’s bassist Lloyd Swanton, of the Necks, comments: ‘A lot of musicians play it safe By Andy Hamilton when working with someone new for the first time, particularly 80 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_080-081_R_Take5 2709KC.indd 80 13/10/2017 09:30 TAKE FIVE

educator who drives students in the classroom and on stage, often Nock wants a level of great as he incorporated them into his ongoing projects.’ flexibility from the outset. Nock has created a wealth of original compositions. Currently available albums include Piano Solos from 1978, a characterful He is not interested in everyone programme of originals plus Herbie Hancock’s ‘Dolphin Dance’, showing some of the influence of Keith Jarrett, but in an individual politely presenting their credentials way. Not We But One (1997) is an excellent exhibition of the pianist’s later work. It features ‘Transitions’, a wonderful minor- key Coltrane-ish original – a great hook that features an ingenious polyrhythmic structure and some compelling improvising by Nock, and bassist Anthony Cox. The pianist remains very active – a recent email reported: ‘I’ve been busily rewriting my NOCTET with regard to time and rhythm. Only after many gigs do they repertoire, and am on my way to our first rehearsal.’ Listening to start to get a little more adventurous ... Mike doesn’t bother his recorded output makes it evident that Mike Nock remains a with any of that. He wants a level of great flexibility from the talent who deserves wider recognition. outset. He is not interested in everyone politely presenting their e credentials.’ He continues: ‘When you get to play night after night with Mike in some really heavy company, like I was privileged to Take Five: Mike Nock do in an Australian tour with the great Billy Harper, you get to 1. ‘Doors’ from Ondas (ECM) fully appreciate his amazingly organic, elastic time flow and its 2. ‘Transitions’ from Not We But One (Naxos) incredible wealth of possibilities.’ 3. ‘Soliloquy’ from Piano Solos (Timeless) In the 1990s Nock led his own groups, with promising young 4. ‘In Your Own Sweet Way’ from Talisman (Enja) players from the conservatorium and elsewhere. As Tim Dunn, 5. ‘Specific Gravity One’ from Almanac (Improvising Artists) president of Rufus Records, comments: ‘Mike is a respected

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November/December 2017 International Piano 81

IPND17_080-081_R_Take5 2709KC.indd 81 13/10/2017 09:30 MUSIC OF MY LIFE ROCK SHEILA Music of my life Leon McCawley prizes unpretentious music- making with a strong sense of narrative – lessons he learnt from listening to great pianists on record in his youth

DON’T COME FROM A MUSICAL Year, back in 1989. Of all the recordings I’ve only come to the Gershwin Concerto family, though my mother was a ballet from my youth, Myra Hess’s inspired fairly recently. I didn’t learn it when I was dancer – not professional, but she me the most. It still does today. She was younger. I was asked to play it about five Iknew ballet music well. My parents had the first pianist I heard who was able years ago and that’s when I started to Deutsche Grammophon LPs of Karajan to create really long lines while never study it – and love it. It’s fantastic fun to conducting Beethoven symphonies – losing the sense of structure. She also play and this recording of it with Previn that sort of thing. My piano teacher said created tonal depth all the way through is an absolute joy to listen to throughout, I should listen to Dinu Lipatti, and I – it never wavers. The third movement not only the piano playing but the remembered that there was an LP in my theme and variations is heavenly. It has orchestral playing too. It makes me smile. parent’s collection of Lipatti playing the such a glow. And I love her handling of It swings with so much colour and texture. Chopin waltzes. I just fell in love with it the climax, which is very difficult, and Previn really impresses with the sound – the sheer ease and effortlessness of his the return of the theme at the end. It’s so quality he creates. The piano entry at the playing, his really beautiful sound and moving. I always shed a tear whenever I beginning is amazing: so improvisatory. I the evenness of the passagework. There’s listen to it. think he captures the mood of this piece nothing artificial, no gloss, no pretension. If I had to choose the recordings of perfectly. He crosses the boundary – it’s I can’t imagine the Chopin waltzes played just one pianist for the rest of my life it a classical interpretation as well as a jazz any better. Listening to the sound he would have to be Rachmaninov. It could interpretation. That’s very difficult to produced made me feel even at that young have been any recording of any piece – bring off. age, ‘I want to play like that’. even the little pieces like Lilacs or Daisies e I love Petrushka. I first came across or the Polka or the Schumann Carnaval INTERVIEW BY JEREMY NICHOLAS it because we studied it for A-level at which is completely bonkers but I love Chetham’s School of Music. It’s full of it! Whenever I hear him playing, there is theatricality. That’s what really appealed always something new and fresh. I learn Chopin – the liveliness of the orchestral score. I something every time. The recordings of Waltzes Dinu Lipatti love the opening Shrovetide Fair with the the Second and Third Concertos are two Alto ALC1056 crowd milling around, the stallholders of the best. A lot of people think of his and the organ grinder ... Stravinsky seems music as over-sentimental; I think that’s Stravinsky Petrushka to be giving us a close-up camera shot of because many pianists over-sentimentalise LSO / Claudio Abbado the action. It was one of the first pieces it. They suck all the juices out of it with so DG 423 901 that sent a shiver down my spine when much rubato, and it cheapens the music. I Beethoven I heard it. It also gave me the incentive learned the Third Concerto when I was 16 Sonata Op 109 to learn the piano arrangement, a very, and played it in the BBC Young Musician Dame Myra Hess very challenging piece to play, when finals. I was surprised, when I heard APR 7504 (5 CDs) I was 16. I’ve always been drawn to the Rachmaninov playing it, how flowing and Rachmaninov programmatic elements of music that transparent it was – not sentimental at Piano Concertos Nos 2 and 3 is telling a story. No matter what I’m all but quite simple. He performs it with Sergei Rachmaninov / Philadelphia Orchestra / Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy playing, I’m always thinking of the the Philadelphia Orchestra, and I’ve been RCA G0100002800800 narrative and the choreography. a huge fan of them since my time at the Myra Hess is another inspiration from Curtis Institute. The depth of the string Gershwin Piano Concerto in F my teenage years. I learnt Beethoven’s Op tone (remember these are early recordings André Previn (pf & cond) / LSO 109 when I was 16 and played it in the from 1929 and 1940) and nobility are Warner Classics 2435668912 finals of the BBC Young Musician of the something else.

82 International Piano November/December 2017

IPND17_082_R_MOML 2709KC.indd 82 10/10/2017 12:41 1ST PRIZE 30 000 EURO

The 16th International Edvard Grieg Piano Competition September 1–9, 2018 Bergen, Norway Edvard Grieg Museum Troldhaugen Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra JURY Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation Einar Steen-Nøkleberg, Chairman Noriko Ogawa Christian Ihle Hadland Ya-Fei Chuang Lilya Zilberstein Jan Jiracek von Arnim Leon McCawley

Applicati on deadline: April 20, 2018 >> Sign up now at www.griegcompetition.com

IPND17.indd 83 12/10/2017 12:26:18 Straight Strung Concert Grand

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IPND17.indd 84 Chris Maene Workshop - Industriestraat 42 - B8755 Ruiselede - +32 51 68 64 37 - www.chrismaene.com 12/10/2017 12:26:19

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