SCARLATTI
18 Sonatas
YEVGENY
SUDBIN, Piano
BIS
2138 / *****
The Russia-born London-based pianist
Yevgeny Sudbin made his big first splash in 2005 with a debut recording of
keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti (1885-1757) that garnered rave reviews.
He comes full circle with a latest recording of 18 more sonatas by the Italian
composer who was domiciled in Madrid as the personal keyboard teacher of the
Queen of Spain. Most of his 555 or so sonatas were originally conceived for
harpsichord but Sudbin regards these as transcriptions when heard on the modern
piano.
He takes great liberties in creating new
sonorities and textures, by adding octaves, harmonies and sometimes altering
the registers of certain voices. All this makes for a refreshingly different
listen, even if purists may baulk at the excesses.
There are five sonatas in
the key of D minor alone, and all of these sparkle like multi-faceted gems. The
famous “Pastoral” (D.9) is taken at a
brisk clip, while the “Aria” (K.32)
benefits from harmonic augmentation at its repeat. The little known K.417 is a
fugal study that J.S.Bach would have been proud of, while the virtuosic “Guitar” (K.141) revels in repetitive
strumming and orchestral effects. Here is a most invigorating release.
VISIONS
CHRISTINA
&
MICHELLE NAUGHTON, Two Pianos
Warner
Classics 0825646011360 / ****1/2
One might not expect such a glamorous
cover design for a disc of music by 20th century French composer
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992), but this recording is more about the Naughton
twins, Christina and Michelle, who are the modern American counterpart of the
celebrated Labeque sisters.
The main work is Messiaen's Visions De L'Amen (1943),
a massive seven-movement work which plays for almost 45 minutes, pondering on
the spiritual, terrestrial and celestial aspects of being from his devout Roman
Catholic perspective.
Far from being too abstract, each
movement which is an “Amen” reflects on a different act of joy, from massive
chords representing the creation, the kinetic energy of stars and revolving
planets, the excitable fluttering of angels and birdsong, all through to the
ecstatic carillons of final consummation.
This love-in continues by way of a
simple Bach chorale (from the cantata Actus Tragicus) to the three
movements of American minimalist John Adams' Hallelujah Junction (1996),
also infectiously driven pieces. One can scarcely find a better ambassador for
these highly charged works than the Naughtons, who perform with sympathy,
conviction and no little virtuosity.
