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A1 CATOIRE Piano Music • Marc-André Hamelin

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A1 CATOIRE Piano Music • Marc-André Hamelin A1 CATOIRE Piano Music • Marc-André Hamelin (pn) • HYPERION CDA67090 (77:59) Caprice, op. 3. Intermezzo, op. 6. 3 Morceaux, op. 2. Prélude, op 6/2. Scherzo, op. 6/3. Vision (Étude); op. 8. 5 Morceaux, op. 10. 4 Morceaux, op 12 4 Préludes, op 17 Chants du crépuscule, op. 24. Poème, op. 34/2. Prélude, op. 34/3. Valse, op. 36 Who? Georges (Georgy) L'vovich Catoire (1861-1926) is one of the forgotten men of music. Even for specialists in Russian music he is a vaguely remembered name rather than a composer whose music actively leaps to the inner ear. Moscow-born, Catoire was a good enough pianist at the age of 14 to take lessons from Karl Klindworth; he studied in Berlin in his mid-twenties, and returned to Russia in 1887, to take further instruction from Rimsky-Korsakov and Liadov. Thereafter, he settled down to explore on his own. If you want a swift style guide, imagine Lyapunov, not in Lisztian mode but in the school that would soon lead to Medtner and Rachmaninov. Lyapunov, indeed, was Catoire's teacher for a while, but I had made the connection aurally before I read about the relationship in Robert Matthew-Walker's excellent accompanying essay with this release. Another readily identifiable influence is the Grieg of the Lyric Pieces, again confirmed by Matthew- Walker, who also writes, "Catoire's approach to harmony was typical of composers of his generation in that he found the expansion of tonality in the latter years of the nineteenth century—through the growth of chromaticism and a greater tonal freedom in the relationship of certain keys, particularly in Catoire's case the subdominant and the supertonic, to the tonic—both liberating and fruitful areas to explore." I'm slightly surprised, because I find the harmonic aspects of this music among its most conventional characteristics. What is startling is its rhythmic freedom, particularly in the hands of such a master pianist as Marc-André Hamelin: Catoire is an adept at bending time, at the teasing push-and-pull of expanding and contracting phrases without the slightest hint of the rhythmic irregularity, and Hamelin's absolute control allows him the space in which to indulge Catoire's studied whims. One can't claim that it is important music; what is important is that it be heard, and Hyperion deserves a note of thanks for allowing Hamelin to make this exploratory recording. There's nothing exploratory about Hamelin's playing, of course: It is, as usual, effortlessly assured. You might not hear more Catoire for a while; you'll never hear it better done. Martin Anderson This article originally appeared in Issue 23:4 (Mar/Apr 2000) of Fanfare Magazine. CATOIRE Piano Trio in a, op. 14. Elegy in d, op. 26. Piano Quartet in a, op. 31 • Room-Music. • HYPERION CDA 67512 ( 55:08) Some of us make decisions in life that facilitate easy passage through its rigors, while others select rougher paths to traverse. If I were to continue this analogy for Georgy Catoire (1861-1926), we'd be discussing climbing gear. With pylons, and python boots. Catoire first had to fight his family's choice of a commercial career. (He took a degree in mathematics with high honors and joined his father's firm.) When it became apparent that the young man was set on a career in music, his family cut him off; and when Karl Klindworth, his teacher, left Russia, Catoire's period of serious instruction essentially ceased. Though he frequently sought advice from Tchaikovsky, Taneyev, and Arensky, his Wagnerian sympathies cost him the support of many other Russians (and not simply musicians, either). It wasn't until 1916 that he secured financial independence—ironically, by accepting a professorship in composition at the Moscow Conservatory. And irony trumped itself inside the classroom, for Catoire was reputed to insist upon the highest academic discipline, in this respect mirroring the spotty training and subsequent academic rigor of a man he cordially disliked, Rimsky-Korsakov. Given Catoire's background, you might expect some influence of Wagner in his music, but it's not there. None of the three pieces recorded on this album, composed over a period of 16 years, exhibits any traits derived from the Wizard of Bayreuth. Curiously, the primary influence is Tchaikovsky; slavishly so (if you'll pardon the pun) in the Piano Trio of 1900. Its melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic characteristics derive almost entirely from the older Russian composer, as does the spirit of the work, with its nearly unrelieved despondency. The second movement, one of those ghostly allegretto ballet-like pieces that also derive from Tchaikovsky, is the strongest thing in it, thanks to a ruminative trio section whose sustained harmonies recall the Russian Orthodox modes. But in general, the Piano Trio is a discursive piece that displays poor development, insufficiently individualized use of the instruments, and more than a hint of monotony. The modal harmony referred to above appears as well in the charming Elegy in D Minor from 1916. This is an altogether subtler piece than the Piano Trio, its harmonically shifting, arpeggiated piano chords recalling at times middle period Faure. There is also a sense of greater focus, while the writing is more idiomatic for both instruments. Much the same can be said of the Piano Quartet that dates from the same year: a fruitful period for Catoire. It has something of Scriabin in the design of its themes. (Catoire liked Scriabin's music, all except his late compositions, which he once wrote possessed an “absence of harmonic movement and a tiresome stasis.“) Frequent harmonic movement and overlapping rhythms are its most pronounced and successful features here, with the andante central movement the best in the work. The overall mood is once again emotionally undifferentiated in the lengthy outer movements, due to a lack of contrasting thematic material. After you factor in the composer's typically thick, busy textures, a certain amount of aural wear isn't surprising. I wish I could say that the piece was worth the effort, but despite repeated listenings I've yet to be convinced. Room-Music is an ensemble formed of familiar names, including Stephen Coombs, piano; Charles Sewart, violin; Yuko Inoue, viola; and Philip De Groóte, cello. The performances are uniformly excellent, and as persuasive as can be. There's a passion and intensity here that clearly betokens a belief in this music; and the sheer beauty of sound evoked by Inoue and De Groóte deserves to be heard for that alone. The engineering is generally good, with effective balance between the instruments, but I find the piano over-reverberant. I only wish I could be as positive as they clearly are about the virtues of Catoire, but this disc has not made a convert out of me. Barry Brenesal This article originally appeared in Issue 28:6 (July/Aug 2005) of Fanfare Magazine. AllMusic Review by Uncle Dave Lewis - 4*/5* The old maxim that "history is written by the winners" is a strong one in the historiography of music. In reference to Russian music of the nineteenth century, common wisdom dictates that the "winners" are the Russian nationalist school exemplified by the followers of Mily Balakirev, composers such as Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. Such a narrow view leaves out the followers of Nikolai Rubinstein; it introduces a double standard by which Tchaikovsky -- easily the most popular of Russian composers -- can figure in popularity but not in history. Under such circumstances, one can imagine the effect that this has on composers who worked in the shadow of Tchaikovsky and thus further developed a kind of Russian romanticism that was in line with German models. Georgi Catoire falls into that vacuum; a composer whose work was fostered by Tchaikovsky and heavily invested in chamber music, someone who definitely does not fit the profile suggested by the "Mighty Handful" but whose work might resonate to listeners familiar with Glazunov and Rachmaninoff. This Hyperion disc features the flexible chamber music group Room-Music in a performance of Catoire's Piano Trio in F minor (1900), Piano Quartet in A minor (1916), and an Elegy in D minor for violin & piano (1916). It serves as a kind of companion to a recording made for Hyperion of Catoire's piano music featuring Marc-André Hamelin. Pianist Stephen Coombs, who also contributed the liner notes, sees some correspondence between Catoire and early Scriabin, a connection that is difficult to make based on the music here. However, a confluence with Rachmaninoff -- or at least Arensky -- is decidedly more apparent, as Catoire does employ a seamlessness in terms of key modulations and reasonably strong melodic themes, even if one doesn't come away from the music humming the tunes. Catoire's music is certainly not deserving of the total neglect it has received at the bier of history and Room-Music's superb advocacy here makes the best case for the chamber music in particular. ClassicMusic Review ALBUM TITLE: Catoire chamber music COMPOSER(S): Catoire WORKS: Piano Trio, Op. 14; Elegy, Op. 26; Piano Quartet, Op. 31 PERFORMER: Room-Music LABEL: Hyperion CATALOGUE NUMBER:C DA 67512 PERFORMANCE: 4*/5* SOUND: 4*/5* This is highly civilised music. Georgy L’vovich Catoire (1861-1926) was a contemporary of Arensky and Glazunov who graduated in mathematics in Moscow and only found his way into music in his mid-twenties. He studied in Berlin and then briefly with Rimsky-Korsakov and Liadov in St Petersburg before settling in Moscow. Marc-André Hamelin introduced his often startling piano music to CD some years ago, but the chamber music offered here is hardly less rewarding.
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