Brahms - Handel Variations [Magnan] Last month i played Magnan's interpretation of the 6 Klavierstucke Op118 [13th April 2011], and now it's the turn of the other work on this disc, this is the main reason i bought this disc, in my opinion this is Brahms's best solo piano work, and there's pros and cons to Magnan's interpretation.
Gisele Magnan i take it is French, but apart from that, i really don't know much else about her, this disc was recorded in 1995, i like the booklet front cover [photo by Stephane Ouzounoff], a nice concept, i like the tall photo on the left, from top to bottom, and then the more sparse cream coloured right hand booklet, nice ideas.
This is the first time i've played this work on this disc, so these are only my initial thoughts, i will surely play this disc again, and my thoughts and feelings may well change, Magnan is a good guide in this work, she hardly puts a finger or hand wrong, i find her a little impetuous, playing certain variations at a slightly garbled gait, there's a tendency to be a little sloppy at times, forcing the music, rather than letting Brahms speak for himself, she can also be a little too straightforward, too matter of fact, the very best Pianists find something extra to say, something unique, my first impressions [and these are only first impressions] is that Magnan doesn't have a magic wand to wave, well we'll see on subsequent listenings how she fares, don't get me wrong, i really did enjoy Brahms / Magnan today.
Out of all these variations, it was towards the last quarter of the work that it started to really click for me, variations 18, 21, 23 & 25 were the best, here's a little synopsis of each variation, first timings are for the disc, and second timings are for the YouTube video below.
18 a lovely variation, starting high in the treble right hand, with some very choice treble notes, towards the end of the variation, these treble notes gets slower and more pronounced, the last one is the most affecting [3:09+]. [2:16-3:20 track 4] & [2:16-3:20].
21 a nice chimerical variation, like a strumming harp in many ways, gently rippling notes wash over me, and like a welcome gentle breeze, it ends all too soon. [1:46-2:28 track 5] & [6:05-6:45].
23 a gruff and deep bass variation, almost like a fugue, it's also very short. [3:14-3:45 track 5] & [7:33-8:05].
25 a barnstorming last variation, Magnan really plays this very well, there's a finality and culmination to the last variation, as if it's the capstone which snaps into place and completes the whole work, nicely hammered out by Magnan as a sort of reverse fanfare, which announces the end of the work. [4:19-4:58 track 5] & [8:38-9:18].
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