Early, Classical and Beyond

Debussy
Angela Hewitt
Hyperion CDA67898

Angela Hewitt first achieved international recognition for her interpretations of the music of Bach – was that really 27 years ago? Since then, the Ottawa-born pianist has proven to the world that her talents are truly eclectic, with a repertoire ranging from Handel to Messiaen. And how appropriate now that we’ve come to the end of 2012 – the 150th anniversary of the birth of Claude Debussy – that she should return once again to France for music by the musicien from Saint-Germaine-en-Laye.

This latest CD on the Hyperion label comprises many of Debussy’s major piano works, including the Suite bergamasque, Children’s Corner, Pour le piano, Masques, L’isle joyeuse and Deux Arabesques. Nevertheless, in recording such well-known repertoire, Hewitt had a tall order to fill. What amateur pianist with some degree of proficiency hasn’t tried his or her hand at least a few of these chestnuts? The challenge was thus a question of breathing new life into these oft-performed pieces. Not surprisingly, she succeeds admirably. Opening with the familiar Children’s Corner suite from 1908, Hewitt brings a particular freshness and vitality to the music, from the tongue-in-cheek Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum to the good-humoured Golliwog’s Cake-walk. Similarly, with the Suite bergamasque, each miniature demonstrates a wonderful sense of tonal colour, particularly in the famous Clair de lune. In contrast is L’isle joyeuse, music of gregarious buoyancy, inspired in part by Watteau’s painting L’embarquement pour Cythère.

My only quibble – and it’s a minor one – are the tempos, at times slightly brisker than we’re accustomed to. Yet this is not always the case. La Plus que lente is all sensuousness, performed with just the right degree of hesitancy and tempo rubato, thus rounding out a fine recording of much-loved repertoire.

Is there too much Mahler being performed these days? The venerable Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink believes so, contending that a “Mahler cult” has created a glut on the market which is distorting orchestral programming in favour of this formerly maligned composer and threatening to marginalize even the mighty Beethoven. There are even those, he claims, who never set foot in a concert hall unless Mahler is programmed. Hopefully, he concludes, Mahler mania will fade away in due time (like the collapse of the Dutch tulip mania of 1637 perchance?). It is a peculiar assertion coming from a man who has recorded the entire cycle of symphonies twice over and continues to churn out new performances with a global selection of orchestras; even so, Mahler himself predicted his symphonies would someday surpass Beethoven’s in popularity. Any conductor or ensemble worth their salt these days feels duty-bound to tackle them, regardless of their capability for or empathy with the complex and demanding works. It helps too that Mahler’s own conducting experience led him to virtually “idiot-proof” his scores with extremely detailed performance instructions throughout, and his obsessive retouching of his instrumentation after every performance has resulted in new editions continuing to appear to this day. Especially in the recent double centenary years this has led to many high-profile integral cycles springing forth bearing a uniform, streamlined quality all too often indistinguishable from each other.

It is therefore refreshing to come across these very interesting and idiosyncratic performances from the Stuttgart Philharmonic, which began appearing without much fanfare once a year on the Dreyer Gaido label soon after the young (born 1971) Gabriel Feltz was appointed director of the Stuttgart ensemble in 2004. Feltz has yet to make his conducting debut on this continent and this orchestra’s recordings have only recently been added to the Naxos catalogue. A remarkable feature of these discs is the conductor’s own insightful program notes, replete with music examples (!) and cogent arguments for Feltz’s interpretations, which often contradict or re-interpret the printed scores. The most daring example is undoubtedly the startling up-tempo interpretation of the rabble-rousing march midway through the first movement of the
Third Symphony (CD 21065), utterly contradicting Mahler’s call for a steady tempo throughout this section. Other examples are less radical yet still telling: the compulsive alternations of nimbleness and near panic of the

Fourth Symphony’s (CD 21072) ostensively charming opening movement; the utter serenity Feltz brings to the famous Adagietto of the Fifth Symphony (CD 21052), so often bathed in an excess of sentimentality; or the positively erotic atmosphere he conjures towards the end of the second “Nachtmusik” of the Seventh Symphony (CD 21041).

I especially enjoyed reading his statistical argument for the placing of the Scherzo as the second movement of the Sixth Symphony (CD 21045), settling once and for all a specious argument that has gone on for decades amongst musicologists. His interpretation of the first movement of the Sixth is notable for its urgently martial clip, offset by a luxuriant pulling back of the tempo for the secondary theme in just the right proportion. Feltz’s solution to the potpourri finale of the Seventh at first seems counterintuitive; he emphasizes the disjointedness of the rondo form rather than smoothing it over, yet it somehow works quite successfully.

Of all these performances perhaps the massive Third Symphony takes pride of place for the excellent unnamed trombone soloist in the first movement, the unmannered gracefulness of the middle movements and the very moving alto solo (Alexandra Petersamer) in the penultimate movement; only the finale seems to fall a bit short in sonic intensity. Perhaps the orchestra was a bit tuckered by this point however; these are all live performances including ofttimes thunderous applause at their conclusions from the otherwise respectfully taciturn audience.

The sound is clear and spacious, with no evident sonic trickery, though I did find the volume needed to be cranked a bit higher than normal to bring the string section into focus. Though there are unquestionably finer isolated performances of these works to be found in the ever-growing Mahler discography, very few contemporary cycles exhibit the integrity of vision Feltz brings to these works. I look forward to enjoying the remaining five symphonies in this cycle in the years to come; there’s never enough Mahler for me!

Rachmaninov - Symphony No.2; Dances from Aleko
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; Vasily Petrenko
EMI Classics 9154732

Early in his career Rachmaninov was regarded as a gifted pianist, an occupation that supported the unrecognized composer. By his last decade, living in the United States, he was recognized both as a composer and an extraordinary concert pianist. I was told by a friend who was a member of the New York Philharmonic during the Toscanini era that the maestro asserted that Rachmaninov’s performance in Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto in 1933 remained peerless. The Second Symphony was written in during 1906 and 1907, half a dozen years after the now signature Piano Concerto No.2 and is solidly of the romantic era, full of great tunes in the recognizable Russian tradition. Performances were often truncated in order not to burden audiences with a 60-minute symphony. Into the LP era, too, shortened versions were recorded.

 Under an unsympathetic baton, the first movement can seem endless and tiresome, an impression put to rest by some fine recorded performances, none more convincing than this one.

Here Petrenko’s penetration into the score produces a reading of unusual empathy that quickly draws the listener’s attention to the composer’s sensitivity and yearning, tension and release. There is Russian lushness aplenty from musicians who clearly love what they are playing.

The second movement, marked Allegro Molto in the opening, is given a perceptibly broader tempo than is favoured by others but, to my ears, it has panache.

The third movement, Adagio, is quite exquisite as Petrenko preserves the tranquility and nostalgia implicit in the score with wistful memories of the first movement. The triumphant rush of the last movement brings this superb recording to a rousing finale. If you are up for some orchestral thrills and a startlingly real recording with dramatic dynamics and astonishing body from the very quietest passages to ravishing tuttis then this recording is a must, even if it duplicates other performances in your collection.

Lugano Concertos
Martha Argerich and Friends
Deutsche Grammophon 477 9884

Martha Argerich! For lovers of piano music such as myself, the very name conjures up feelings of near reverence for a veritable icon in the world of classical music. Ever since she wandered into an EMI recording studio in London in 1965, aged 24, to record her first major album, she has rightfully enjoyed an international reputation as a charismatic pianist and recording artist. Since 2002, Argerich has also assumed the role of impresario, annually gathering musicians for the Martha Argerich Project, part of the Lugano Festival held every June – and it’s from this event that her latest offering is based, a fine four-disc set of live recordings on the Deutsche Grammophon label titled Martha Argerich Lugano Concertos.

This is a beautifully packaged collection, with extensive notes and photographs in book-in-sleeve format. Drawn from past festivals, the music was recorded over seven summers, with repertoire spanning a period of 150 years. Not all the other artists taking part are well known but included in the group are pianists Paul Gulda and Gabriela Montero, the Lugano Percussion Group and the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana under a number of different conductors including Gabriela Chmura, Ion Marin and her one-time husband, Charles Dutoit.

At first impression, the listener is immediately struck by the set’s eclecticism. Yes, they all involve ensembles of various sizes, but the music comprises a myriad of styles and periods, with works by such diverse composers as Beethoven, Schumann, Bartok, Brahms, Milhaud and Stravinsky. The set opens with the classically refined Piano Concerto No.1 by Beethoven, music from around 1800. Here, Argerich demonstrates her typically flawless technique and a certain robust quality that seems particularly suitable for the music of a young composer on the verge of fame. In complete contrast is the Concerto for Two Pianos by Francis Poulenc, where she and her pianist partner Alexander Gurning along with the Swiss-Italian Orchestra conducted by Ersmo Capilla easily capture the cheeky and exuberant spirit of this music written in 1932.

Not all the pieces involve large ensembles. For example, the Divertissement à la Hongroise by Schubert finds Argerich on stage with pianist Alexander Mogilevsky in a thoughtful interpretation of Schubert’s homage to the Hungarian folk idiom. For a delightful 2005 performance of the Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes, she’s joined by pianist Gabriela Montero and the Swiss Radio Television Chorus directed by Diego Fasolis.

Martha Argerich Lugano Concertos is indeed a fine testimony not only to Argerich’s talents as a performer, but also to her skill at gathering and showcasing talent, both well known and less familiar. All have come together for the purpose of making music on a very high level – and what a perfect holiday gift the set would make for the music lover on your list!

Violinist Jacques Israelievitch has been active with a solo and chamber career since stepping down from his 20-year stint as concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 2008. He has compiled a fascinating CD catalogue on the Fleur de Son Classics label over the past 12 years, and two new issues were received this month. Well, one new issue and one not quite so new, by the look of it.

French Violin Sonatas (FDS 58005), in which Israelievitch is ably accompanied by the outstanding pianist Kanae Matsumoto, is certainly new – it’s scheduled for release on November 13 and at the time of writing is not even listed on the label’s website – but it was recorded more than two years ago at the Chautauqua Institution in New York state. Israelievitch is, not surprisingly, very comfortable with these four works from his native country. He has a quite distinctive style, with a gentleness and a sweet softness to his playing that makes the violin very much a feminine instrument in his hands. That’s not to say that it lacks intensity or strength, though, as the spiky opening of the lovely Poulenc sonata proves.

The rarely-heard sonata by Gabriel Pierné is a cyclical, post-Franck work from 1900 that apparently did much to establish the violin sonata as a serious chamber music form in a French music world that was dominated by opera.

The Debussy sonata was the last work that the composer was to complete; the 1917 premiere with the young violinist Gaston Poulet was also Debussy’s last public performance. There’s a direct link here: in 1944 Poulet became a professor at the Paris Conservatoire, where one of his future pupils would be a certain Jacques Israelievitch.

A fine performance of the Ravel sonata completes a fascinating CD, beautifully presented in a glossy digi-pack.

The New Arts Trio has been the trio-in-residence at the Chautauqua Institution since 1978. Pianist Rebecca Penneys is the only original member; cellist Arie Lipsky joined in 1996 and Jacques Israelievitch in 1999.

Their 30^th Anniversary Recital is available on New Arts Trio at Chautauqua (FDS 58000), just received but apparently issued in 2010. There are solid if not spectacular performances of Dvořák’s “Dumky” Piano Trio and Astor Piazzolla’s Primavera Porteña, along with two works written for the Trio in 2008 – Michael Colina’s Idoru and Ella Milch-Sheriff’s Credo. The Dumky is by far the major work here, though, both in content and in length.

The Brahms Clarinet Quintet has long been one of my favourite works, and you can usually tell within the first few bars what sort of performance it’s going to be. The greatest praise I can give the performance by the Tokyo String Quartet with clarinettist Jon Manasse on the new harmonia mundi CD Brahms Quintets Op.34 & Op.115 (HMU 807558) is that after the opening bars I wrote “Glorious opening – wistful, warm, autumnal – clarinet tone just right – strings beautifully judged” and then spent the next 38 minutes basking in as engrossing and satisfying a performance of this wonderful work as I can remember.

The same high standard continues with the Piano Quintet, Op.34 where the Tokyo Quartet is joined by Jon Nakamatsu in another perfectly-judged performance. Again one to cherish.

Sometimes, as a reviewer, you just stop listening critically and simply get lost in the performances. That’s what happened here, and what can possibly top that?

The excellent Hyperion series The Romantic Violin Concerto reaches Volume 13 with another outstanding CD, this time featuring Anthony Marwood and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Douglas Boyd in the Schumann Violin Concertos in D Minor and A Minor – the latter a direct transcription by the composer of his Cello Concerto – and the Phantasie in C Major (CDA67847).

There seems to be renewed interest in these works, which for many years – until 1937 for the D Minor and 1987 for the A Minor – remained unplayed and unheard; this is the second set I’ve received in just over a year, following Ulf Wallin’s meticulously researched performances on the BIS label, reviewed in September 2011.

Marwood, as usual, is simply outstanding in this, his third contribution to the highly acclaimed series.

There is more Schumann, this time the Piano Quartet, Piano Quintet and the Märchenerzählungen, on a new Naxos CD by the Fine Arts Quartet with Xiayin Wang on piano (8.572661).

The Quartet and Quintet were written in 1842, Schumann’s “year of chamber music”, and are given the level of performance you would expect from musicians of this standing. The Fine Arts, after all, have been around since 1946, although obviously none of the current players is an original member. Until just last year, however, three of the four members – the two violinists and the cellist – had been together for 30 years.

The Märchenerzählungen (Fairy Tale Narrations) Op.132 was written in 1853, a mere four months before Schumann’s failed suicide attempt, although there is nothing in the music to suggest this. It is a work that is new to me, and is played here in Schumann’s optional version for Violin, Viola and Piano, the violin replacing the clarinet of the original. Quartet members Ralph Evans and Nicoló Eugelmi join Wang in bringing out all the warmth of these four charming pieces.

The recordings were made two years ago (apparently it often seems to take a long time for CDs to reach the market). Since then cellist Wolfgang Laufer has been replaced by Robert Cohen.

The six string quartets of Haydn’s Op.33 are featured on a new 2CD set from Analekta in performances by the Eybler Quartet (AN 2 9842-3). The performers – violinists Aisslinn Nosky and Julia Wedman, violist Patrick Jordan and cellist Margaret Gay – are all well-known on the Canadian early music scene through their affiliation with groups such as Tafelmusik and I Furiosi, so there’s no doubting that we are in good hands here from a stylistic point of view.

On first hearing, I did find the tone to be a bit thin, but then for me it’s the usual question of competing balances with period performances: purity of tone versus a thinness of sound; lack of – or sparingly used – vibrato versus a lack of warmth. It all comes down to a matter of personal taste, and if you’re used to a fuller sound in your Haydn quartets – even if it’s not really appropriate – then this might not be for you. There is no doubting, however, that these are highly enjoyable, technically sound performances and idiomatic interpretations, lovingly played and beautifully recorded at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.

The order of the individual quartets is a bit strange, given that the timings for the six works don’t vary that much and the keys are all different: CD1 has quartets five, one and six, while CD2 has quartets two, four and three.