CD Reviews (The Straits Times, March 2016)

GODOWSKY Walzermasken

KONSTANTIN SCHERBAKOV, Piano

Marco Polo 8.225276 / *****

The Polish-American virtuoso pianist Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938) is best remembered for his outlandishly contrapuntal rearrangements of Chopin's Etudes and various outrageous piano transcriptions, but his original music has been much neglected. Walzermasker (Waltz Masks) is a cycle of 24 pieces in three-quarter rhythm composed in 1912, essentially waltzes in elaborate costumes and disguises.

The tradition of waltz-cycles is not new, and Godowsky does let one in on his secrets. Each piece is teasingly titled (such as Momento Capriccioso, Valse Macabre and Orientale) and there are tributes to Schumann (the ecstatic opening is reminiscent of his Carnaval), Schubert (lilting and rustic), Brahms (jaunty and vigorous), Chopin (lyrical and coy), Liszt (naturally virtuosic) before closing with Johann Strauss II (with Viennese voluptuosness).  

As if one were not done with waltzes, the album closes with Godowsky's Symphonic Metamorphosis on Johann Strauss' Artists Life, another of those seemingly unplayable paraphrases. Siberia-born super-virtuoso Konstantin Scherbakov makes light work of its digital excesses, and that is how it is supposed to sound: complex yet seemingly effortless.

FAURÉ Violin Sonata No.1

R.STRAUSS Violin Sonata

ITZHAK PERLMAN, Violin

EMANUEL AX, Piano

Deutsche Grammophon 481 17741 / *****

It is hard to believe that the celebrated Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman is now 70. A long-awaited return to the recording studio yields this lovely coupling of lyrical violin sonatas from the late Romantic period. His much-beloved sweet and singing violin tone is gloriously intact, undiminished by the intervening years. This is immediately apparent in the soaring opening melody of Frenchman Gabriel Fauré's First Violin Sonata in A major (1875), which is reciprocated by partner Emanuel Ax in the intricate and immensely taxing piano part.

A wide-eyed sense of fantasy occupies its four movements, which will touch even the most jaded of listeners. This same exalted state continues into Richard Strauss' early Violin Sonata in E flat major (1887), with its succession of flowing melodies finds the most sympathetic of interpretations. Has the slow movement, entitled Improvisation, sounded this beguiling or beautiful? Perlman and Ax  are peerless in this repertoire, and this album is a welcome addition into an already crowded field of excellent recordings.

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, December 2015)

VLADIMIR HOROWITZ

Unreleased Live Recordings 1966-1983

Sony Classical 88843054582 (50 CDs) 

*****

It has been 26 years since the death of Russian-American pianist Vladimir Horowitz (1903-1989), yet his legend resonates strongly among those who were fortunate to have experienced him live in concert, and those who can only dream. 

This massive box-set brings to the public unedited recordings by Columbia Masterworks and RCA Victor of concerts which have never been previously released in full. These include 25 solo recitals and a sizzling 1978 performance of Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto with the New York Philharmonic led by Zubin Mehta (previously only available on DVD). However its contents may only satisfy diehards who must hear every note he played.

Although his repertoire was vast, he only showcased a small segment and had distinct preferences. There are 7 performances of Beethoven's Sonata No.28 in A major (Op.101) alone, which makes for fascinating comparisons. His highly-strung performances of the Second Sonatas by Chopin and Rachmaninov should not be missed for their sheer voltage alone. His love for Schumann was incomparable, as the performances of the Concerto Without Orchestra, Kreisleriana and Humoreske attest. 

Appearing for the first time are two readings of Carnaval from recitals in 1983, by the time his playing had become clearly ragged, erratic and fragmented. The contrast between his peaks and troughs is sometimes distressing to behold. This lavish set tips the scales at almost 2 kilograms, but is well worth its weight in gold.      

ITZHAK PERLMAN

PLAYS FRITZ KREISLER

Itzhak Perlman, Violin

Samuel Sanders, Piano

Warner Classics (3CDs) / *****

Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) was best known for his Viennese waltz miniatures for violin like Liebesfreud, Liebesleid and Schön Rosmarin, which are all included in this slim-line 3-disc album from Warner Classics' Itzhak Perlman retrospective. Kreisler also wrote plenty of transcriptions of other composers' music, from songs like the traditional Irish tune Londonderry Air to Lehar's Serenade from Frasquita, showpieces by Paganini and Tartini (Devil's Trill Sonata) and dances galore with Dvorak, Brahms and de Falla among them.

More controversially, he had passed off several original compositions in the antique style as long-lost works of long-dead Baroque composers like Couperin, Boccherini and Dittersdorf but eventually owned up to the deception. These are charming works which find veteran American fiddler Itzhak Perlman in the best mood for delightful bonbons. His ever-sweet tone, fulsome yet never cloying, is ideally suited to this evergreen repertoire and favourite encores. Recorded during the mid-1970s, these performances will never lose their shine.

WHAT DO THESE MUSICAL LEGENDS HAVE IN COMMON?

BENJAMIN BRITTEN, CLAUDIO ARRAU,

MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH, ITZHAK PERLMAN,

SERGIU CELIBIDACHE, SIR NEVILLE MARRINER,

GOH SOON TIOE, PAUL SELVARAJ ABISHEGANADEN

& CHOO HOEY.

Q: WHAT DO THESE MUSICAL LEGENDS HAVE IN COMMON?

A: THEY HAVE ALL PERFORMED AT

SINGAPORE'S VICTORIA CONCERT HALL.

Please see tomorrow's review of the

Victoria Concert Hall Gala Closing Concert.

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, May - June 2010)

JOSHUA BELL

At Home With Friends

Sony Classical 88697554362

****1/2

When you’re a superstar, as gifted and good looking as American violinist Joshua Bell, it isn’t hard to find many friends. This crossover collection sees Bell’s sumptuous violin partner a disparate assortment of artists (including Chris Botti, Kristin Chenoweth, Marvin Hamlisch and Dave Grusin among others) in an attic-full of musical styles. Is it still classical music when Sting sings John Dowland’s Come Again to Bell’s accompaniment? Or should purists gripe when sitarist Anoushka Shankar duets with Bell in her father’s Variant Moods? The two tracks that are strictly classical involve Sergei Rachmaninov, the romance O Cease Thy Singing (sung in English by baritone Nathan Gunn) and a 1928 recording of the great Russian pianist-composer in the slow movement of Edvard Grieg’s Third Violin Sonata in C minor. Modern recording technology has scrubbed off poor Fritz Kreisler (one of Rachmaninov’s most celebrated musical partners) and installed Bell in his place! Is that cheating? Breaking down ethnic, cultural and artistic barriers is what trans-genre collaboration is about, a sign of the times. So music lovers should not get too sniffy especially when the results are as enjoyable as this.

MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition

SCHUMANN Scenes from Childhood

LEIF OVE ANDSNES, Piano

EMI Classics 6983602

****1/2

Pianists who survey Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s piano masterpiece Pictures at an Exhibition have two options: either play it straight as it was written, or embellish and amplify with carefully chosen extra notes. Like Vladimir Horowitz and Mikhail Pletnev before him, Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes opts for the latter, and is mostly successful. That is because Mussorgsky’s musical portrayal of his late friend Viktor Hartmann’s quirky sketches and designs – of gnomes, witches, glowing skulls and unhatched chicks - are never compromised. The additional chords, octave doublings and decorative touches by Andsnes are tasteful and do not bring attention to themselves, while the composer’s own monochrome visions retain their bleakness. Four shorter character pieces by Mussorgsky are included but the main filler is Schumann’s Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood), a suitable pairing by way of 13 miniatures, including the famous Traumerei (Dreaming). Here, there are no personal contributions, just the musical representation of innocence and a simpler existence. Whether barnstorming or simply musing, Andsnes’ technique is impeccable, and this album is thoroughly recommendable.

SAMUEL BARBER

100th Anniversary

EMI Classics 6872862 (2CDs)

****1/2

In an age of rampant and unapologetic modernism, the American Samuel Barber (1910-1981) remained a steadfast upholder of tonality and the Romantic spirit. Little wonder that his compositions regularly turn up in concert programmes today. His No.1 hit is the Adagio for Strings, performed here with polish and conviction by the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle. It is also fascinatingly heard within its original context, in the String Quartet (Op.11), played by the Endellion Quartet. His No.2 hit: the lyrical Violin Concerto, unusual because of its two slow movements followed by a brief quicksilver finale. American violinist Elmar Oliveira and the Saint Louis Symphony (conducted by Leonard Slatkin) do the honours. His No.3 hit: a tie between the rugged Piano Sonata, with British pianist Leon McCawley in fine form, and the gritty orchestral showpiece that is Medea’s Meditation & Dance Of Vengeance. A second disc includes his songs, instrumental and chamber music. Scratching beneath the surface, Barber’s music has far more to offer than mere melodies.

MENDELSSOHN Piano Trios

ITZHAK PERLMAN, Violin

YO-YO MA, Cello

EMANUEL AX, Piano

Sony Classical 88697 52192 2

*****

It is not hard to enjoy the two piano trios of Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847). All the hallmarks of the Anglophilic German composer are here – flowing melody, literally “songs without words”, witty scherzos and scintillating piano passages that are floridly decorative. The First Trio in D minor (Op.49) is by far the more popular, but the Second Trio in C minor (Op.66) has much to offer. It is more melancholic and imbued with darker hues, which ultimately give way in the finale to the bright sunshine of the Old Hundredth Psalm, regularly sung in Protestant churches as the Doxology. Curiously, this is the first time that violin great Itzhak Perlman has collaborated in recording with the celebrated duo of Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax. The results are as congenial as a meeting of old friends, with the requisite give and take that make chamber music exciting. Can we hope for more from this "million dollar trio"?