Gramophone – September 2019

80 GRAMOPHONE SEPTEMBER 2019 gramophone.co.uk

heavyweatheroftheexultantringingof
Komm,GottSchöpfer,BWV667;hefares
betterinWachetauf,BWV645,though
stillsoundsoverlycautiouscompared
toDemidenko’ssleekyhonedreading.
ThegravebeautyofIchruf’zudir,Herr,
BWV639,isalsocompromisedbylumpy
trillsandalackofarealline–howmuch
morebeautifulitisinAndsnes’shands.
InDurchAdamsFall,BWV637,analready
austerechoralebecomesmerelyleaden,
whileintheebullientIndiristFreude,
BWV615,heagainmakesusoverlyaware
ofthecomplexityofBusoni’stexture,
Demidenkoconveyingitsjoyfarmore
palpably.HarrietSmith
ChoralePreludes–selectedcomparison:
Demidenko(HYPE)CDA66566,CDA67324
Ichruf’zudir,Herr–selectedcomparison:
Andsnes(11/06)(EMI/WARN)341682-2
SonatinaNo 5 – selectedcomparison:
Hamelin(11/13)(HYPE)CDA67951/3

Franck

TroisChorales.Grandepiècesymphonique,
Op17.Pastorale,Op 19
DavidMPatrickorg
GuildFGMCD7816(69’• DDD)
PlayedontheorganoftheCathedralandAbbey
ChurchofStAlban

Franck

Cantabile.TroisChorales.Piècehéroïque.
Prélude,fugueetvariation
JohnChallengerorg
SalisburyCathedralF 5029385848811 (69’• DDD)
Playedonthe 1876 FatherWillisorganof
SalisburyCathedral

TwoEnglishmenplayingCésarFranckon
twoEnglishcathedralorgans.Youwould
havethoughttheywouldhavemuchin
common,butthesetwodiscsareabout
asdifferentaschalkandcheese.
DavidMPatrickhasbeenoneof
theleadingBritishorganistsinthe
interpretationoftheFrenchRomantic
repertoryforwelloverhalfacentury.
Inthattimehehasclockedupan
impressivediscographywhichreveals
bothhisinstinctiveunderstandingof
thisrepertoryandhisabilitytorootout
convincinglyFrancophonequalitiesfrom
Englishorgans.Hislatestreleaseonthe
GuildlabelfindshimontheHarrison&
HarrisoninstrumentofStAlbans
Cathedral.Onceagain,hefindssome
distinctlyFrenchsoundsand,aided

andabettedbyPaulCrichton’ssensitive

engineering,recreatesthatglittering,

overwhelminglybrightupperregister

whichissuchacharacteristicof

Frenchinstruments.

Thesoundmaybeconvincingbutthe

playingisratherlessso.Atanagewhere

mostofusareslowingdown,Patrickseems

tobespeedingup,andhisbrisk,almost

obsessivelydrivenperformancestoooften

skateoverinterpretativedetail.Herattles

theTroisChoralesoffinamere37'39"

(Challengertakesoversixminuteslonger),

readingtheAminor’sQuasiallegromore

likeavivacissimoandclippingoffthe

phrasessoabruptlythatFranck’slongand

measuredsilencesseemmoreawkward

thanrestful.

Meanwhile,JohnChallenger,onthe

magnificentSalisburyCathedralWillis,

makesnopretenceatsoundingFrench.

Rather,heluxuriatesinthebig-boned

Britishnessofthissplendidinstrument,

turningFranck’sgenerouslyproportioned

structuresintomonumental,statuesque

edifices,fullofpomposity,regalityand

opulence.Whileitisunderstandablethat

thisfirst-everreleaseonSalisbury

Cathedral’snascentrecordlabelisfocused

onshowingoffthesoundtheinstrument

makes,Challengerdoesnotforgetthe

integrityofFranck’screation;andwhileit

doesnotpossessanyoftheCavaillé-Coll

flavouringwhichFranckbuiltintohis

organmusic,Challengerrealisesthecore

ofthemusicalinspirationsufficientlywell

forittoshinethrougheveninthese

relativelyunfamiliarclothes.

Bothdiscsmakeupweightwitha

sprinklingofFranck’sotherpieces.Patrick

givesusasomewhaturgentaccountofthe

Pastoralebutatrulyinvigoratingoneofthe

Grandepiècesymphoniquewhich,withhis

instinctiveunderstandingoforgantone,

highlevelofvirtuosityandalifetime

immersedinthismusicalidiom,produces

somethingveryspecialindeed.Forhispart

Challengerselectsthreepieceswith

showcasingpotentialforaninstrumenthe

soclearlyadores.HistakeonthePièce

héroïqueisratherhistrionicbuthegivesa

finefeelingofsubstancetotheFuguein

thePrélude,fugueetvariation,whilethe

Cantabilehasrealwarmthinboththesound

andthisdeeplyaffectionateperformance.

MarcRochester

Haydn 3

DiesiebenletztenWorte,HobXX:1c.

Sonata(Unpiccolodivertimento:

Variations),HobXVII:6

NicolasStavypf

BISFÍBIS2429(63’• DDD/DSD)

FromMandalaMAN5106(2006)

The fact that the

keyboard version of

The Seven Last Words

has come down to us

in an arrangement not by Haydn himself,

albeit one heartily approved by him, has

not deterred a number of pianists from

recording the work. The French pianist

Nicolas Stavy recorded the work in

January 2006 in Paris. That recording,

originally released on the Mandala label,

has been remastered by BIS. Stavy plays

a Steinway (serial number and vintage

not indicated in the booklet) owned by

Pierre Malbos, using the first of two

actions for the instrument for the Seven

Last Words and the second for the

F minor Variations.

Stavy is ever the gentle, inviting guide

to this extraordinary score which, with

the possible exception of Liszt’s Via

Crucis, is without parallel in the solo

piano literature prior to Olivier

Messiaen. Throughout the nine

movements (the first is an introduction,

the ninth depicts the earthquake), he

resists any temptation to overplay.

Following the relative tranquillity of

‘Father forgive them’, ‘This day you will

be with me in paradise’ achieves genuine

pathos, the left-hand Alberti figurations

handled with great delicacy. Haydn’s

motivic allusions to the Stabat mater

chant are clear but subtle. ‘Mother,

behold thy son’, the longest of the

sonatas, is a model of tender restraint.

As the polyphonic complexity increases

in ‘My God, why hast thou forsaken me’,

Stavy successfully combines the elements

of prayer and anxiety.

The same sensitivity to voice-leading

that characterises the Seven Last Words is

amply evident in the F minor Variations.

These double variations, composed

between Haydn’s two London trips, offer

greater opportunity for variety of touch

and dynamic. Stavy’s approach is deeply

personal, yet always faithful to the

expressive dictates of the score.

Sensitive performances and generally

good recorded sound make this a release

that will please both Haydn devotees as

well as those whose discovery of these

masterpieces is a source of envy.

Patrick Rucker

Haydn

Symphonies (transcr Stegmann) –

No 44, ‘Trauer’; No 75; No 92, ‘Oxford’

Ivan Ilić pf

Chandos F CHAN20142 (69’ • DDD)

INSTRUMENTAL REVIEWS