86 GRAMOPHONE SEPTEMBER 2019 gramophone.co.uk
Op 10 No 3 asrecorded(butnotwritten)
byRachmaninov,andtheOpposth
Fragments.Thereisonetrackyoushould
avoidandthatistheunutterablyvulgar
traductionof‘Vocalise’,culminatingin
abrutishandclatterycadenzaunworthy
ofeventhemost‘exceptionaland
unpredictable’pianist,ashisbiography
hasit.JeremyNicholas
Schubert
PianoSonataNo21,D960.
Impromptus,D935– No2;No 3
StefanStroissnigpf
PaladinoFPMR0102(62’• DDD)
StefanStroissnig,
whostudiedinhis
nativeViennaandat
theRoyalCollegeof
Music,nowteachesattheUniversityfor
MusicandthePerformingArtsinGraz.For
thissolorecording,hehaschosenlateworks
byhisfellowViennese,FranzSchubert.
Stroissnig’sdeliberate,foursquare
approachtotheopeningMoltomoderato
ofD960precludesneitherrather
significantfluctuationsoftemponor
occasionaldisregardofSchubert’s
dynamicindications.Certaindetails,such
asthelengthandvolumeofthefamous
basstrills,seeminconsistent.TheAndante
sostenutoisconstruedasanadagio,leaving
theimpressionofgrowingeverbroader
asthemovementproceeds.Thecheerful
Scherzorattlesalongatacrisppace,
thoughonemightwishforgreaterdynamic
contrasts.Inthefinale,greatervariety
oftouchandshadingofsoundwouldno
doubtenhancethecharmandeffectiveness
ofthemusicaldiscourse.
ThesecondandthirdImpromptusof
D935roundoutthedisc.Inmyreview
copy,somedistortionofthesound
reproductionoccasionallymarredlouder
passagesofthepiano’supperregisters.
PatrickRucker
JeanDoyen 1
ChabrierBourréefantasque.España
(arrChevillard)ChopinFourBallades.Variations
on‘Làcidaremlamano’,Op2.Waltzes– No6,
‘Minute’,Op 64 No1; No11,Op 70 No 1 Debussy
Images– Book1; Book2 – No3,Poissonsd’or
FauréBarcarolleNo2,Op41.NocturneNo6,
Op 63 LisztTroisÉtudesdeconcert,S144.Zwei
Konzertetüden,S145RavelGasparddelanuit
Saint-SaënsValse-caprice,‘WeddingCake’,
Op 76
JeanDoyenpf
APRMbAPR6030(146’• ADD)
Recorded1930 43
Mysadlyseldom-
visitedLPcollection
includesJeanDoyen’s
GaspardandValses
nobles,whichhavealwaysheldaspecial
placeinmyaffections.IthinkImusthave
boughtitfollowingafriend’stip-off;orwas
itaGramophonereview?Ihadn’tdreamed
thathehadbeenthefirstevertorecord
Gaspard–in1937,andreissuedherefor
thefirsttimeonCD(nosignofadate
anywhereonmyLP,butitisclearlynot
thesameperformance).I’msureplentyof
listenerswillbestartledathowtechnically
cleanandpolishedhisaccountofthis
notoriouslyfinger-breakingpieceis.
Unsurprisinglythesoundismonochrome
bymodernstandards,butthatmaybe
asmuchtodowiththeinstrumentused;
andonceyou’reattunedtoDoyen’s
unflamboyantbutsuper-agilemanner,you
mayfindthismoresatisfyingthanmanya
moreexhibitionistmodernaccount.
Doyen’splayingembodiesthevery
bestintheFrenchpianistictradition.It
isfastidiousintaste,cleanlyarticulated
(attimesamazinglyso),unflashy,favouring
subtletyandpose,allergictobarnstorming,
andalldeliveredwithadiscreetminimum
ofsustainingpedal:playingtobeshared
withconnoisseursinamodest-sizehall,
perhaps,ratherthanforbringingalarge
housedown.Thelyricalpagesofallfour
ChopinBalladesshowhowwinninghis
modestsensibilitycanbe,thoughhis
littlecompromisesinthecodasofthe
SecondandFourthmaydisappointthose
expectinghimtotakeeveryvirtuoso
demandinhisstride.ThankstotheChopin
Variationsplacedfirstonthefirstdisc,the
earisalreadyacclimatisedbythisstageto
thesound,whichretainsagooddealof
78rpmswishandhaspresumablynot
beenputthroughanyobtrusivenoise-
reductionsystem.
LikesomanyoftheFrenchschoolhe
typifies,Doyenwasevidentlysomething
ofaspecialistinburblingtextures:witness
Saint-Saëns’sValse-capricepianoquintet,
theFauréBarcarollesand–super-
delectably–bothLisztConcertStudies.
Heiswonderful,too,inthetwoChabrier
pieces.Ishallalsobereturningregularly
tothetwoChopinwaltzes,especiallytothe
Gflatmajor,whichisthequintessenceof
Gallicelegance.Butthensotooisthe
exquisiteflexibilityhebringstothe
DebussyImages.
ThreeauthoritativeessaysgraceAPR’s
bookletyetstillleavemehungryformore
information.DidDoyenhaveanydirectcontactwithRavel(heapparentlydid
meetChevillard,transcriberofChabrier’s
España)?Didhereallyrecordonlyoneof
thesecondbookofImages,oraretheothers
lostorsubstandard?ApartfromtheRavel
(onanÉrard)andLiszt(aGaveau),does
anyoneknowwhichpianosheusedfor
theotherpieces?Arethererecordings
ofthenumerousotherFrenchworkshe
premiered?But,aboveall,howmanymore
jewelscanAPRpossiblyunearthforits
alreadystarryFrenchPianoSchoolcrown?
DavidFanning‘ColourandLight’
AlwynTwelvePreludesDeliusMargotlaRouge
(arrRavel).Nocturne(arrThrelfall)Dickinson
ParaphraseIIAHHillLitany.ToccataLutyens
TheRingofBone
NathanWilliamsonpf
SommCélesteFSOMMCD0196(78’• DDD)The eclecticism
and stylistic contrasts
characterising the
works on Nathan
Williamson’s newest release reveal this
pianist’s knack for conceiving intelligent
and freshly minted playlists of relatively
unfamiliar yet worthy repertoire.
Indeed, the contents and running order
would make for a most satisfying and
stimulating recital programme, with
or without intermission.
Although William Alwyn’s Twelve
Preludes from 1958 restrict each piece to
a fi nite number of pitches, the composer’s
imagination seems unencumbered by his
self-imposed parameters. Williamson’s
interpretation is comparable to John
Ogdon’s memorable composer-supervised
recording (Chandos, 11/85), and more
conscientious in regard to articulation
and dynamics. Yet, at times, Ogdon’s more
fl exible approach yields sexier dividends.
In contrast to Williamson’s relatively
straitlaced and literal way with Prelude
No 10, Ogdon coyly toys with the pulse
and projects the left-hand writing in curvier
light. While Williamson rightly emphasises
No 4’s motoric, quasi-Prokofi evian force,
Ogdon fi nds colourful contrasts, abetted
by his more generous pedalling.
In his booklet notes, Peter Dickinson
succinctly outlines the structural rigour
governing his 1967 Paraphrase II, a loosely
knit theme and variation set. Yet there’s
nothing remotely forced about the music’s
organic fl ow, from the terse, declamatory
theme (Dickinson cites Ives but I infer
Copland’s cooler head!) to the gorgeously
fl orid polytonal arpeggios that break outINSTRUMENTAL REVIEWS