Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt & Tchaikovsky
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SSIANPIANOTR THE ITIONTHERUSS IGUMNOV SCHOOL USIANPIANOTR ADITIONTHERU SSIANPIANOTRLev ADITIONTHERUOborin ERUSSIANPIANBEETHOVEN OTRADITIONTHEcossaises ERUSSIANPIANSonata in A, Op 2 No 2 CHOPIN IANPIANOTRADÉtudes, Op 25 Nos 2, 3 & 5 ITIONTHERUSSMazurka, Op 50 No 1 IANPIANOTRADSonata No 3, Op 58 LISZT OTRADITIONTHHungarian Rhapsody No 2 ERUSSIANPIANTCHAIKOVSKY RADITIONTHEU 3 pieces from ‘The Months’, Op 37b SSIANPIANOTR ADITIONTHERU SSIANPIANOTR Lev Nikolayevich Oborin (11 November 190 7– 5 January 1974) EV OBORIN was born in Moscow and Polish contestants. Overnight, Oborin became entered that city’s Gnesin Music School in the foremost Soviet pianist of his generation. L1914 where he studied composition with On his triumphant return to Moscow he became Alexander Gretchaninov and piano with Yelena Igumnov’s assistant at the Conservatoire, Gnesina. A pupil of Ferruccio Busoni, Gnesina simul taneously teaching chamber music, a was known for her ‘progressive’ methods, in genre to which he was much drawn – as would particular her emphasis upon musicianship become abundantly evident in his future part - as opposed to repetitive exercises, which she ner ships with the violinists Dmitri Tziganov pursued by insisting pupils should frequently and, from 1935, David Oistrakh. (In 1941 perform concerts and recitals from memory. In Oistrakh and Oborin formed an internationally 1921, the fourteen-year-old Oborin moved on to respected trio with the cellist Sviatoslav the Moscow Conservatoire, joining the piano Knushevitsky which ceased only with the death class of the celebrated pedagogue Konstantin of the latter in 1963.) When Igumnov died in Igumnov and furthering his compositional 1948, Oborin was his natural successor having studies with Georgi Catoire, Georgi Conus by then acquired a reputation as a sympathetic and Nikolai Myaskovsky. Oborin even flirted and illuminating teacher. One of his earliest with conducting, working with Konstantin protégés was Vladimir Ashkenazy; other Saradzhev and seeking advice from Hermann prominent pupils include Alexander Bakhchiev, Abendroth and Bruno Walter. However, there Boris Berman, Andrei Egorov, Tamara Gusyeva, was no question that the piano lay at the very Dmitri Sakharov and Mikhail Voskresensky, heart of Oborin’s musical being and, two years Oborin’s assistant for some fifteen years. after his 1924 Leningrad debut, he graduated Voskresensky has fond recollections of his from the Conservatoire with distinction. mentor: his ‘stout figure, his comfortable At Igumnov’s insistence, Oborin began posture at the piano, his famous manner of pre paring for the inaugural International throwing up his hands, his easy movements’. Frederick Chopin Piano Competition, announ - We learn that Oborin ‘would not tolerate a ced to take place at Warsaw in January 1927, vulgar, banal or sentimental approach in months before his graduation. The nineteen- music. Everything was austere. Warm and year-old Oborin and his friend Grigory tender but austere.’ Oborin was also a man of Ginzburg, three years his senior, ultimately immense culture: ‘He knew practically every - made the journey to Poland along with thing that there was to know. He had a fellow entrants Yuri Bryushkov and Dmitri profound knowledge of painting and literature, Shostakovich. Oborin captured first prize – not particularly poetry. ’ 1 surprisingly, given the quality of his Chopin Surviving black-and-white film confirms recordings presented here – with the more Voskresensky’s recollections of a pianist mercurial Ginzburg placed fourth behind two totally at one with the piano, a bespectacled 2 and undeniably rotund figure, his playing severe stroke in the late 1960s that he had no always the epitome of style and elegance. option but to withdraw from the concert Dmitri Paperno, a keen observer of musical life platform. He continued to teach until his death in Moscow, considered Oborin’s pianistic style in 1974, the same year as David Oistrakh, his to resemble ‘the performances of his teacher illustrious chamber partner of almost forty Igumnov, except perhaps that it was more years. consistent. Besides, Oborin’s technical facility Oborin’s repertoire was all-encompassing. was immeasurably higher. ’ 2 Even this assess - He was a generous promulgator of new Soviet ment is surely something of an understatement music, giving first performances of music given Oborin’s towering technique, which was by Babadzhanyan, Myaskovsky, Prokofiev, never employed for the sake of vanity and Shebalin, Shostakovich and, most famously always to musical ends. Perhaps it was the perhaps, Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto composer in him that determined his con - (which, together with the later Piano Sonata, is viction that the score should always be dedicated to him). But Oborin was capable of paramount. Oborin, like Emil Gilels, somehow much more than subtly refining Khachaturian’s managed to remain apart from the lethal – even gaudy colours into delicate hues; he was the at times literally murderous – intrigues and consummate stylist equally at home in Mozart machinations that were part of life at the and Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann and Liszt, Moscow Conservatoire during the post-war Ravel and Debussy. His own compositions years. In short, he was a dedicated, fastidious include suites of short pieces and an impres - and supremely accomplished musician who, sive sonata for his own instrument as well as also a thoroughly decent man, was doing much a number of orchestral works. Although he for his fellow musicians. appears not to have made any commercial Besides bringing him early fame, Oborin’s recordings of his own music, Oborin’s Melodiya Chopin Competition win transformed him into discography is comparatively comprehensive, a musical ambassador for the USSR. As the even if it does merely hint at the true extent first of that new breed, ‘the Soviet pianist’, he of his repertoire. As solo pianist there is toured Poland and East Germany after his an impres sive list of 78-rpm recordings, initial success and, once peace had been mostly confined to Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, restored after the Second World War, travelled Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky. Given his extensively across continents. However, he did standing, there is a surprisingly modest LP not make his British debut until 1958, by which legacy. Concerto recordings include contem po - time he had suffered a heart attack, and when rary works by Balanchivadze and Khachaturian, he made his only appearance in the USA during also the Second and Third Rachmaninov the 1963/4 season he was a mere shadow of concertos (both included in The First Soviet his former self. Sadly, he was well aware that Rachmaninov Recordings – APR 6005) as declining health was sapping his powers, well as Mozart’s G major Concerto K453 and though it was not until he suffered a second Beethoven’s 5th and Triple Concertos. The solo 3 piano repertoire is confined to four Beethoven breath taking in their combination of technical Sonatas and LP programmes devoted to security and musical insights, although by the Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, time he recorded the B minor Sonata (1951) Rachmaninov and Scriabin. His chamber there is a noticeably different approach. Here recordings with Oistrakh and Knushevitsky is a more mature musician, one who is aware are more numerous and include the complete he is essaying an ‘Everest’ of the sonata Beethoven Violin Sonatas and an impressive repertoire. However, serious and sober as it array of Russian/Soviet piano trios. (Not to be is, Oborin’s interpretation is never less than forgotten are Oborin’s recordings made in the magisterial, the cumulative power of his West, almost all as a member of the trio led by interpretation proving overwhelming by the Oistrakh.) sonata’s conclusion. (A pity he had the This programme opens with what appears additional challenge of an obviously worn and to be Oborin’s first commercial recording, tired-sounding instrument – Ginzburg’s valiant Beethoven’s Ecossaises . Coupled with Ginzburg’s efforts to get quality pianos into the Soviet recording of Anton Rubinstein’s transcription Union during the mid 1950s had obviously paid of the Ruins of Athens March (included on dividends by the time Oborin recorded the Grigory Ginzburg: His early recordings Beethoven Sonata in 1957.) The shellac recor - Volume 1 – APR 5667) the disc served to ding of Liszt’s Second Hungarian Rhapsody is promote their respective triumphs at the 1927 yet another demonstration of supreme virtu - Chopin Competition. Despite the recording’s osity allied to natural musicianship, and the primitive sound, the hallmarks of Oborin’s closing sequence of three movements from playing are everywhere to be heard. He also Tchaikovsky’s The Months , issued in 78-rpm positively revels in the delights of Beethoven’s LP format (the complete suite later appeared Second Sonata Op 2 No 2, enchanting the on LP) reveal the extent of Igumnov’s influence listener with mercurial finger-work and wide upon one of his pre-eminent pupils. dynamic contrasts, all within a beautifully © 2009 Bryan Crimp structured and stylish framework. As with Beethoven, the sequence of Chopin recordings 1 Olga Bobrova ‘The Piano’s Living Soul’ also spans several years; the earlier 78-rpm (from Russian Culture Navigator ) recordings of the Études and Mazurka are 2 Dmitri Paperno ‘Notes of a Moscow Pianist’ 4 Lev Nikolaevich Oborine (11 novembre 190 7– 5 janvier 1974) EV OBORINE naquit à Moscou où il entra, se voir attribuer la quatrième place derrière