Mozart - Piano Concerto 20 [Kissin/ Spivakov-Moscow Virtuosi]

This was a fantastic experience, every now and then a very familiar work really hits you like a ton of bricks, this happened today with me, the whole thing just flows like molten lava, Kissin and Spivakov do everything right, i was just in the mood for this today, Mozart's number 20 is my favourite Piano Concerto of his, must have heard it roughly 125 times, but this disc only gets its second playing, and on feeling for it, i'm sure it will get many more, Kissin also has another newer crack at this work, on EMI coupled work Piano Concerto 27, with Kissin conducting the Kremerata Baltica, i'll look out for that one too, this disc appeared in my Blog in 2011 [11th November 2011].

Evgeny Kissin is Russian, he's now 43, he made this recording in 1992 when he was roughly 20, the front cover photograph [by Bette Marshall], shows Kissin at the keyboard, i think this picture came out when he recorded the other work on the disc when he was 16, he certainly looks young, the photo is lit in a lovely way, especially the keyboard, the lettering is great, well laid out, a really pleasing booklet cover.

The first movement was absolutely tremendous, i was doing some writing while listening to the work, and i had to keep stopping, i just couldn't concentrate for the music, Kissin is so intense, the music moves along in a menacing way, and the D Minor key hostility is brought out to the fore, this is no pleasant 'happy tune' Mozart, it's a real demon, here's my synopsis,
The opening introduction is ominous, restless strings, until the whole thing explodes [0:28+], the invention of the whole thing before the piano arrives is a creation of genius, it's less of an introduction, and more of a statement that the piano now has to 'fight' to get heard, and when the piano does come in it sounds innocent [2:20+], but quickly the piano ends up in turmoil too, i like Kissin's tone, a really beautiful sounding piano, in lovely clear sounds, the orchestral tutti's keep switching from sweet to angry, and i just love those 'braying' strings with their opening motif, just listen to Kissin's call and response to the orchestra [6:50-7:10], he seems to be quite a hard hitter of the keys, and creates a real argument with Spivakov, there's a real feel of the whole thing just going round and round as a nightmare that won't ever end, but from the listeners point of view it's a wonderful effect, in the long cadenza [10:47-13:08], which i guess must be by Mozart, Kissin gets to shine solo, i love the way he really thrusts into those braying opening chords [12:00-12:10], nice and loud and menacing, and gives a spectacular lead in as he leaps into his finale [12:52-13:08], the orchestra has the last laugh as it winds down [13:53-14:08], the woodwind especially in reflective mode.

Here's Kissin playing this Concerto on YouTube.

Glass - 5 Metamorphosis [Glass]

Here's one of my early ventures into contemporary Classical music, it was late 1992, at the time i decided to try out some people who were still alive, it turned out to not be a great success, and i guess has put me off ever since, now contemporary Composers make up hardly any of my music collection, which maybe i should rectify, this one stuck, not least of all because the first time i played it i had a profoundly good experience, i've actually only played it four times ever! [1992 / 1998 / 2008 / 2015], all of those dates have huge gaps between them, and yet crazily i enjoy it when i get round to playing it, this disc is like a modern day Satie, repetitive, yet somehow hypnotic and haunting too, i see just lately there's a whole plethora of new recordings of Glass's piano solo music [Lisitsa / Whitwell / Brubaker], all worth getting, and it would be nice to hear someone else's take on his music.

Philip Glass is an American, he's now 78, this disc came out in 1989, and Metamorphosis was only composed the year before, the front cover photo [by Steve Prezant], is a portrait of Glass at the piano, a black & white study, with the face lit up by a shaft of light.

The five pieces in Metamorphosis start with simplicity, and get more complex, each new piece adds layers to the one before, however, the music reaches its apex in number three, and then returns back to simplicity again at the end, there's also a symmetry to the whole work, so 1 corresponds with 5, and 2 corresponds with 4, and it's this apex of 3 which is quite original, the closest musical comparison is probably Satie's Gnossiennes, on this listen it was numbers 3 & 4 that really affected me the most, here's a short synopsis of both,
3 Metamorphosis Three [5:30] - Here's the 'apex' of the work, it must be remembered that even though each piece can stand up on its own, also each piece is 'primed' by the piece before, this is the most complex of the five pieces, a repetitive intro quickly branches out into some fairly hard hitting chords [0:21-1:00], odd bass punctuations seem to close each mini section, those same chords come back, but this time slightly more complex and brighter [1:21-1:59], the whole piece carries on in this vein, with hard hitting chords returning again and again [2:22-3:01 / 3:23-4:01 / 4:25-5:04], and you can see even within number three there's a symmetry, plus the timings indicate to me that maybe Glass is changes tack by the clock, everything is so precise!.
4 Metamorphosis Four [7:00] - Number Four corresponds with Two, the architecture between all of each pieces is really quite identical, it rocks back and forth between these stamping rhythms and the hypnotic preludes, here Glass also has a central section which is really bright and up in the treble strongly [2:37-4:13], and towards the end of each episode the intensity of each treble excursion seems stronger and aching, this little section only comes around once, each piece has its own 'apex' as it were, i really like this central section, the whole work is so repetitive, but instead of making it boring, it makes it hypnotically addictive!.

Here's Glass playing and talking about this work on YouTube, the piece he plays after the short interview is Metamorphosis 3.

Brahms - 4 Klavierstucke Op119 [Ortiz]

I've had this disc for a couple of years, and this is only the second time i've played it today, i found it on Ebay and snapped it up, the Collins label finished some years ago, but discs like this i never knew existed, until i see them pop up on Ebay, i love these short works by Brahms, they are full of wonderful invention, almost an endless kaleidoscopic range of colours and emotions, always something new to hear and discover, and a new favourite piece to fall in love with every time!, these bite-sized pieces can 'seem' easy to chew on.

Cristina Ortiz is Brazilian, she's now 65, and she recorded this disc in 1990, the front cover portrait [by Katie Vandyck], is really excellent, it's a great shot, i like the hands / arms, the lettering is great as well, it's a shame that the Collins label is now defunct.

Collectively known as 'Klavierstucke', which consists of three Intermezzi, and then a Rhapsodie at the end, this work got better the longer i played it, and it was the last of these pieces that i found the most thrilling, it's in the 'heroic' key of E Flat Major, and here Brahms gives us a barnstorming 'finale', it starts with hammering chords, punctuated with short treble runs [0:00-1:00], in the middle section there's this delicate waltz like number in the treble [1:38-2:20], and later a bass version of the main tune [2:48-3:03], that's a really neat touch, a quirky variation, it doesn't last for long, and sort of transforms into something different, and this is the nature of the piece, it's a Rhapsody, and it goes all over the place, the opening comes back, like a carillon of bells in a bell tower, Brahms gives us a finale where the chords go from the bass to the treble [4:26-4:35], a very emphatic piece of music.

Here's Ryan Malone playing the Rhapsodie on YouTube.

Chopin - Piano Concerto 2 [Ax/Ormandy-The Philhadelphia Orchestra]

Only last week i reviewed Weissenberg / Skrowaczewski playing this same Concerto, and the recordings are like opposites, with this one the sound is more duller and bassy, the timings are almost the same, except the middle movement, which is 93 seconds slower here, Weissenberg was brash and up front, Ax is bogged down in the orchestra, i like the former the better, but this was a good experience as well, and i'm certainly warming to Chopin's Piano Concertos.

Emanuel Ax was born in Ukraine, but is now an American citizen, he is now 64, this disc came out in 1984, just before Ormandy died, the front cover shows Ax presumably sitting on his piano stool, facing away from the piano, the lettering is very symmetrical, and RCA certainly like their logos multicoloured, but i like it.

Well i must admit that it was the central movement Larghetto that really got to me this time, it has some beautiful stuff in there, Ormandy takes a nice leisurely view of the movement, Ax comes in dreamily, and plays the main tune with lots of romantic overtones [0:41+], there's real space there for him to develop his ideas, the lovely gentle dive down the keyboard is exquisitely done [2:16-2:23], there's a darker central section [4:22+], where Ax plays very gentle and quiet [4:37-4:42], shimmering low strings, and the basses string low notes in reply, now that's a nice moment, towards the end of this middle section, Ax plays some very delicate work [5:50-6:09], there's a depth of spirituality there, in retrospect the sound isn't as bad as i made out in my opening paragraph, in fact it's really quite good, well this is an amazing achievement for 20 year old Chopin.

Here's Ax playing the second movement on YouTube.

Chopin - Piano Concerto 2 [Weissenberg/ Skrowaczewski-Orchestre De La Societe Des Concerts Du Conservatoire]

This is the very first time i've played this disc, and i was surprised at how good it was, it's a 1967 recording, and i can hear it's age, but it's been remastered very well, quite a bright recording, but really thrilling too, maybe Skrowaczewski takes the slow movements a little too slowly, but he holds it up well, the piano is very alive and forward in the recording, somewhat spotlit in the aural picture, i'm not all that enamoured by the Chopin Piano Concertos, and i don't have that many recordings as a consequence, but today i feel i've developed a new love for these works.

Alexis Weissenberg was Bulgarian, he died three years ago [1929-2012], and he recorded this disc in 1967, this is a re-issue on the red line series for EMI, with some really nice discs in this series, and i certainly enjoyed this one, the front cover photography is really excellent, showing ornate windows with shutters, and balconies with iron railings, there's a gorgeous symmetry to it all, and the white box for the lettering, and the dash of red, make the black & white photo really stand out, a lovely finished product.

So onto the music, and the first movement was tremendous, and yes i must admit that i've never been so thrilled with this work as on this disc, i now have a new appreciation of it, because of the recording fortes can sound a little shrill, but regardless the 1967 recording is a marvel, Skrowaczewski develops real drama in the orchestral introduction [0:00-2:55], whipping up the players into a nice passion, and when Weissenberg comes in, yes it really is louder than life, very spotlit in retrospect, but it's so good to hear Weissenberg precisely and clearly, great piano sound, i feel that he's a hard hitter of the piano, if i could only turn the piano down a notch, and turn up the orchestra a notch too, it would sound more balanced, it's amazing how quiet the background is, you can even hear the slight creak of a chair clearly!, also i appreciate more than ever Chopin's beautiful melodies and ideas, there's real romance hear, even though it may seem that in this Concerto the orchestra are reduced to accompanists, Weissenberg's playing is virtuosic in complex passages, and compassionate in quieter passages, the final conclusion is that yes, i do have a problem by the balance between the piano and orchestra.

Here's Weissenberg playing this movement on YouTube.

Schubert - 8 Impromptus [Uchida]

I went out for an early morning walk today, through the park, and i took this disc with me, and played it on random, i like doing this, it's good to mix up the pieces, how boring is it to get them in the same order every time?, Uchida sounds a lot like Brendel on this listening, they're accomplished accounts, these are my second favourite accounts after Brendel's digital version, and it was riveting listening to these pieces, especially with breathing in the cool morning air, Schubert is a genius in creating these masterpieces, here's a previous experience in my Blog [18th April 2011].

Mitsuko Uchida is Japanese, she is now 65, she recorded a survey of Schubert discs in the nineties, and this was recorded in 1996, the front cover [by Walter Schels] is a side view of her head, on a white background, i like the concept.

The three Impromptus that went above and beyond the others were 1 & 4-5, especially the first one of the second set D935/1, it's actually my favourite, and i enjoyed it so much here, it was enlightening watching Brendel play this piece on the YouTube link below, and to see where the hands go, the sound for Uchida is fantastic, nice crisp clear ring to the piano, yet warmth too, Philips always seem to be good here, Uchida is certainly impassioned in her playing, i rate Pianist's into two camps, Legato-ists and Staccato-ists, she's very much almost bang in the middle, i certainly lean towards loving the legato players, so the opening notes are very well done [0:00-0:31], nice volume, nice bit of anger there, it introduces the piece perfectly, plus i think she gets the left and right hand volume nicely balanced, the bass lines are not merely accompaniment, and should be just as involved as the melody lines, i like the way she builds up the following music to a frenzied intensity [1:06-1:24], the music then falls into a lovely serenade almost [1:41+], easy and gentle at first, but then increasingly there's these high plinking treble notes [2:10 & 2:25], and then comes along the middle section [2:43-5:50], where the right hand plays middle of the keyboard accompaniment, and the left hand plays a sort of duet with itself, where the bass repeats / echoes the treble notes, the left hand crossing over the right each time to play the treble, i notice it so clearly on the video below, it seems to go on for ages, but it's so mesmerising, the opening comes back for the whole thing to start again [6:00+], and it's so good to hear the 'serenade' music again [7:40-8:39], the 'dialogue' music comes back [8:40-10:18], but this time it's only half as long, i love the whole structure / architecture of the piece, it's made up of individual jigsaw pieces, but they're so effortlessly weaved together by Schubert, it sounds like one organism!. 

Here's Brendel playing this Impromptu on YouTube.

Liszt - 12 Etudes D'Execution Transcendante [Kultyshev]

This is the first time i've listened to this disc, and unlike say the Chopin or Rachmaninov Etudes, Liszt's are harder to crack, over the last few years i've tried to dig deeper into Liszt, i've made an extra effort to buy some piano recitals of his, i think it's slowly paying off, but there's still this feeling that he's an acrobat on the high wire showing off with his virtuoso prowess, is there real musicology there too?, the Chopin Etudes are difficult and beautiful, Liszt's are just difficult!, but i keep chipping away to find the gem beneath.

Miroslav Kultyshev is Russian, he's 30 this year, he's just released a disc of the 24 Etudes by Chopin, i really would like to get that also, the front booklet cover shows Kultyshev in a thoughtful pose at the piano [by Oleg Zotov], nice and sharp, lettering and logo well placed, i really like the cover.

The two Etudes that really impressed me under Kultyshev's hands were 10 & 11, i love Harmonies Du Soir [No 11], it's easily my favourite, and maybe second best is Mazeppa [No 4], so it was surprising how good i felt about No10, referred to as Allegro Agitato Molto, and i'd like to talk about this one here,
10 Allegro Agitato Molto [4:25] - Straight away i noticed the twitchy nature of this Etude, it's really troubled in many ways, restless and demonic, fairly conventional and restrained at first, trill runs down the keyboard in the right hand, but quickly these become so much more agitated [0:18+], there's lots of individual solo high treble notes played quite loud, as if the right hand is on nitrogen [1:11+], plus Liszt uses the other extreme of the keyboard for some deep bass notes too [1:47+], i guess one of Liszts signatures, using the whole of the keyboard, in the central section there may be a degree of normality, but the demonicness soon returns, there's a moment where Liszt uses high treble notes rung out like some sort of morse code message [2:47-2:59], but it's those treble trill runs that make the whole piece happen, i love the way that Kultyshev plays this piece, he brings out the schizophrenic nature of the whole thing.

Here's Kultyshev playing Etude 10 on YouTube, wow those eyes! haha.

Mozart - Piano Concerto 20 [Brendel/ Mackerras-Scottish Chamber Orchestra]

It's great to have this coupling, with Mozart's two Minor key mature piano Concertos together, they make an apt 'twin', and like yesterday this is in D Minor also, and my favourite Mozart Piano Concerto, and my favourite Pianist too!, and with a Chamber Orchestra, it's perfect for Mozart, altogether a great combination, this disc has featured highly in my Blog before [20th October 2011 & 28th October 2012].

Alfred Brendel is Austrian, he's now 84 and retired, he recorded this disc in 1998, the front booklet cover shows a grainy black & white photo of Brendel's head [by Regina Schmeken], a mustard coloured band at the bottom, with Mozart in large letters, and different fonts of black and white for the rest, it's a great and clever idea, the back inlay is roughly the same, all cleverly done.

I just can't help loving this opening movement Allegro, it has some of the greatest Mozartian ideas, it reminds me of ideas in his Requiem [also in D Minor], braying brass, instruments seemingly grating on each other, but in actuality sounding the other sort of great!, the introduction by the orchestra is a moment to savour, full of anxiety and trouble, high strings and low strings competing against each other [0:00-0:31], and the brass come in shocking us with their brashness [0:31+], if the D in D Minor represents Death in his Requiem, then D minor here stands for Danger, themes of this opening are repeated by the orchestra as the introduction [0:00-2:24], the piano has at first a more brighter view of the music, while the orchestra remains dissonant, but quickly the piano adopts the same dark forebodings [2:57+], it's so easy to examine every little phrase by Mozart, and find something incredible in there, this work is so choc full of great things everywhere, rarely but at certain points you can hear Brendel groaning, really getting into his playing, like some idee fixe, the opening motif keeps coming back again and again, and it's such a joy to hear, it creates an incredible power, Brendel uses his own cadenza in this movement [11:17-13:08], strange at first, as your expecting the usual, but it's actually good to hear music composed by Brendel!, of course it's kept around the themes of Mozart's music, and it fits within the era of the times, Brendel's a great exponent of Mozart.

Here's Brendel playing the first movement on YouTube.

Chopin - Piano Music 'The Poor Sad Angel' [Lugansky]

A really good recital, built around the basic idea of mid period Chopin, opus numbers 49-54, and only three others outside this little cluster, the title comes from Chopin's friend George Sand, in describing Chopin, it's a recital that has a generous 68 minutes of music, and a varied selection of different pieces, i reviewed this disc in my Blog a couple of years ago [28th January 2013].

Nikolai Lugansky is Russian, he's now 43, this was one of his earliest recordings in 1996, the front cover shows a lovely portrait of Lugansky [by Piet Roorda], lots of nice skin tone colours, a good pose, not so sure of the background, the box / lettering is quite good.

This recital caused me to listen to the three Op50 Mazurkas, i find i don't go out of my way to listen to a Chopin Mazurka, and i don't own any complete sets either, so it's only on recitals like these that i actually get to listen to them, i'll have to consider a complete set, probably Luisada / DG, but ultimately on this listen i loved tracks 1-2, 5 & 9 the most, and it was the Ballade 4 that really impressed me, here's my feelings on it,
Ballade 4 [10:50] - In F Minor, a lovely key i'm finding, Chopin's last Ballade, it has the most gentle and beautiful intro [0:00-0:31], before Chopin brings in that gorgeous tune [0:32-2:15], and really caresses it, Lugansky does well here, pacing things so well, building up the intensity afterwards, and the complexity that follows [3:17-3:50], Chopin layers things so well, it's hard to delineate where one lovely idea ends and another starts, after a while you just want to be lost in the music, and forget about sections / barriers, after some angry episodes, Chopin brings in a new level of complexity [7:39-8:14], towards the end there's a build up to a noble release [8:15+], those treble notes are spelled out in loud preciseness, i love the way Chopin throws in some angry dartings up into the treble registers [9:05-9:12], the music then strangely almost comes to a halt, and five gentle notes in slow motion are played [9:28-9:51], before the whole thing explodes into a final rush of notes, i really enjoyed Lugansky's interpretation, he has a real flow to the thing, and can really create an excitement in forte's a great Chopin interpreter.

Schubert - 8 Impromptus [Perahia]

It was so good to listen to this disc today, it increases my appreciation of these works, i learnt some new things about the works, plus i learnt some things about Perahia too, this is one of about eleven sets i have, certainly Perahia is good, but not as revelatory as Brendel, it's also good to have the extra Schubert / Liszt items, this got in my Blog three and a half years ago [12th september 2011].

Murray Perahia is American, he's now 68, he recorded these Impromptus in 1980 & 1982, this is a re-issue of an earlier disc, the picture shows a park bench woodland scene, shot in infr-red, making it look like a snowy scene, a solid red bar at the right with the lettering on, the back insert is really well laid out, i like it a lot.

On this listening, Impromptus 1, 3-4 & 8 were the best, and it was this last Impromptu i really enjoyed the most from Perahia, and here's a synopsis of my thoughts,
Impromptu 8 [6:32] - in F Minor, straight away i notice how staccato Perahia is in this piece, plus how stabbing he is of keys, there's meant to be a certain jerky twitch to the whole thing, an unsure stammer surely, i also notice the sound / recording isn't great either, there isn't that warmth there should be, a bit of a dry boxy recording, and Perahia's playing actually goes against the recorded sound, and also Perahia seems to play it a little fast as well, and yet there's a thrillingness there, there's sense to the way he plays it, it really should be rather schizophrenic, the manic treble trills are are thrilling [0:40-0:48 & 1:13-1:19], at the other end of the scale, it's wonderful to hear running down in the bass end of the keyboard [2:40-2:55], the opening returns [4:14+], and after a sort of staggering winding down, there's a real loud bass thud to end the work with [6:28].

Liszt - Piano Recital [Mardirossian]

This is one of a number of discs i bought from Amazon fairly recently, i tapped in 'Liszt', and a preference of 'price low to high', and it's amazing what turns up for a really cheap price, Liszt is a Composer that i've had a hard time with, he can have a tendency to be flashy and overblown, his compositions filled with virtuoso piano playing, and maybe the pure poetry and lyricism is missing, but i'm warming to him, and discs like this really help me, this disc appeared in my Blog three years ago [31 July 2012].

Vahan Mardirossian is Armenian, he's now 39, and surprisingly he recorded this disc back in 2007, the front cover photography [by Karim Ramzi], is a close cropped full face portrait, shadows in the eyes, hands in front in a praying position, the lettering nicely balanced in the corners, very well done, and the back inlay is very clear, i like the way the lettering is both sides of the white bar on the right, plus red numerals for the timings also helps.

So again for this second Blog entry of this disc, it was the Liszt / Schubert Standchen i liked the most, its' a beautiful composition that stands up well without the words, it's a beautiful melody, the right hand treble is vocal line, left hand bass the piano line, plus there's a vocal 'echo' by the piano [0:24+ & 0:39+], works really well, in the second stanza [1:46+], the vocal line is in the bass, while the piano 'echo' is now in the treble [1:57+ & 2:12+], and behind it all is the constant rolling of the bass notes, and then Schubert uses a more complex variation [3:19-4:14], where lovely echoes are made in the treble, it's the best little section of the whole piece, it's so good to hear this piece again today.

Here's Alesia Arnatovich playing Standchen on YouTube.

Ravel - Gaspard De La Nuit [Grosvenor]

This is the first time i've played this disc, bought it because it looked great, and i've heard some good things about Grosvenor, so it is just a disc to check out, not a disc i'm quite sure i want to keep yet, but on this listen Gaspard is fantastic, great sound too, some fresh new ideas too.

Benjamin Grosvenor is English, still just 22, and he recorded this disc in 2011 when he was just 18, it's certainly not a perfect recital, i feel it's made up of too many little things, a better programme would have been better, the front cover is very good [photo by Sussie Ahlburg], a black & white shot with white and orange lettering over the front.

Ravel's Gaspard De la Nuit is a feast of piano playing, Michelangeli once said that there isn't a piano that can do proper justice to the piece, and i can see what he means, it's a very chimerical world, the first movement was the best closely followed by the second, i especially enjoyed the bell tolling in Le Gibet, Ondine is of course a water fairy, that entices men to her kingdom at the bottom of the lake, to a watery grave, so of course there's cascades of notes, a very free expression of the piano, the opening is heavenly, the rippling in the right hand sets the watery scene, and it's the left hand that takes the melody, the opening returning while the left hand plays now lower in the keyboard is a lovely moment [1:39-1:57], the left hand playing higher up the keyboard likewise creates a beautiful effect [2:36-2:48], and the cascade upon cascade of the right hand down the keyboard is stunning [3:12-3:31], getting faster and faster, the four sharp flashes of shimmering light / water [5:51-5:55] really hit me, Grosvenor really gets them right, and the piano / recording is his servant here, a beautiful sound.

Here's Grosvenor playing Gaspard De La Nuit on YouTube.

Chopin - 21 Nocturnes [Pires]

I played these discs over three days [seven Nocturnes per day], it's hard to listen to the whole lot in one go, i think it makes me appreciate them all the more, i think i've got six full sets of them now, plus Pollini's nineteen, this is my third favourite, Pires can be quite sharp and intense, a Chopin Nocturne should be informal and soothing, there's something about Pires i don't quite like, maybe it's that everything she does must be a statement, she treats the Nocturnes as if they're cousins of the Etudes, she can use volume to a detrimal effect, all that being said, the positives easily outweigh the negatives here, and it's great that the 21 Noctrnes are laid out in such a methodical order after listening to Rev a couple of weeks ago.

Maria Joao Pires is Portugese, she's now 70, this set of Chopin's Nocturnes is highly regarded, even though there's lots of competition out there, the front cover shows Pires in a relaxed mood [photo by Christian Steiner], superimposed on a nocturnal picture [by Harro Wolter], a nice effect.

On this listen i enjoyed Nocturnes 2, 4, 6-8, 10-11, 13 & 19 the best, however it's hard to pick a real winner out of all of these, Pires seems to inspire up to a point, but fails to reach / do something which makes me think she's got true greatness, each keyboard Artist can do something which really turns your head, something out of the ordinary, these are lovely accounts notwithstanding, if i was to plump for a real gem, i guess it would be Nocturnes 7, 13 & 19, and here's an assessment of each,
Nocturne 7 [5:11] - All three are in the Minor key [is that some message here?], and this one's in C Sharp Minor, it used to be my favourite in the early days of knowing these Nocturnes, from the beginning you straight away notice the underlying anxiety of this piece, it doesn't sound happy at all, a restless right hand rumbles away, like waves roiling on the sea, and the right hand is almost ready to break into anger, there's a stormy middle section [1:57-3:27], one of the reasons initially this was my favourite, possibly the most agitated of all Chopin's Nocturnes, this middle section is strange in that it has Major key sounding resolutions [2:46+], almost happy in its anger, before it slides back down into the depths of despondency again, at the end their is actually a sweet coda [4:11+], a really strange Nocturne indeed.
Nocturne 13 [6:45] - Is in C Minor, straight away more lyrical, but not without it's sadness, but there's more nobility there, the middle section is a calm on a troubled sea [2:03+], or it is initially, but develops slowly into something grand and pompous, until it explodes in glory [3:54+], after that it never seems the same, the opening tune comes back [4:19+], but now it's in a more happier and brighter mood, trying to turn itself into a Ballade or something, it's a real chameleon, there's a sort of resignation at the end [6:23+].
Nocturne 19 [4:08] - In E Minor, a seemingly low key Nocturne, Chopin had reservations about it, and he didn't have it published, maybe because it's not quite so individual as the rest, but it's lovely nonetheless, there's a restlessness about it, it doesn't have a middle section like the rest, even though it tries a few things, trying an intensity in the middle, and i guess there's a sort of calm coda towards the end [3:02+], as it slows down to a close. 

Here's Pires playing the 21 Nocturnes on YouTube, underneath just before the comments it has a section which can be opened up [saying 'show more'], this has the timings for the individual Nocturnes, hover over them and they turn blue and are clickable, they send you straight to the applicable Nocturne.

Schubert [3 Klavierstucke]

In playing this disc today, i thought it would be the Piano Sonata which would be the highlight, but no, it's these three wonderful late pieces, i actually listened to them at the park, while writing my Journal, each of them was a treasure, this is actually my third most popular disc, and i've had it for over twenty years! [1992], this is the second time it gets in my Blog [25th July 2012].

Alfred Brendel is Austrian, now 84, he recorded all of the major Schubert works digitally in the late eighties, this one in 1987, it's now nearly thirty years old, the front cover photograph [by Gabriela Brandenstein], is a black & white shot of Brendel looking at the life mask of Schubert.

All three of these pieces were special, i love the way Schubert has something quite surprising and different to say in the middle of these pieces, and it was the last Klavierstucke that i found the most joyous, it's the shortest of the bunch, but it's packed full of good things, here's a synopsis of this piece,
3 Klavierstucke 3 - D946/3 [5:30] - A lively piece, lots of notes, very staccato, lots going on, it's quite a virtuoso warhorse, and yet when something does start up, it's quickly over, the headlong rush of the first minute is breathtaking in Brendel's hands [0:00-0:59], and then it comes to a sudden halt, and turns all reflective and inward, and there's aching notes in there, especially when the right hand extends up into treble territory, the opening comes back again [4:00+], it's a three minute middle section sandwiched between two one minute sections, a wonderful piece when you really get to know it.

Here's Brendel playing the third Klaviersucke on YouTube.

Various Composers - 'Nocturne' Piano encores [Oppitz]

This is one of the very best piano solo compilation discs i have in my collection, a great and varied selection of things, varied selection of composers too, and Oppitz finds his way off the beaten track, into some less well known pieces, but no Schubert or Brahms?, also the title of the disc 'Nocturne', i really don't understand how that fits in with some of the pieces, nevertheless it's not the title i listened to, really enjoyed this today, this disc appeared in my Blog three years ago [24th May 2012].

Gerhard Oppitz is German, he's now 62, this disc was recorded in 1993, the booklet cover shows a black & white portrait of Oppitz [by Alfred Steffen], caught as a silhouette on the left side, great use of a lot of black, and yet a white background to bring out the contrast, the lettering could have been better, but all round a wonderful finished product.

On this listen i loved track 12 the most, Faure's Noctune 4, this originally got me into Faure's solo piano music, it's the best thing on the disc, and probably Faure's best Nocturne, in a blind test i feel you could slip it into a set of Chopin's Nocturnes and nobody would notice!, maybe a cross between Chopin's 4 and 8, a simple enough tune i guess, but a beautiful one too, the 'theme' is restated i guess an octave higher in the right hand [0:59+] with great effect, but then comes a huge middle section [1:57+], which is a lot more interesting than the opening, with some tender moments, the music falls down the keyboard, the left hand produces a lovely accompanying rhythm, the Nocturne is in E Flat Major, but changes to E Flat Minor, you can feel the dip into the sadness / melancholy, the right hand producing the sound of tolling of bells, but like Chopin his nocturnes are not all gentle, there's stormy central episodes, and so it is here, the music develops into something a bit more angry [3:02+], some great use of loud notes high in the treble, the music reaches some impassioned climaxes as some points [4:10-4:35], i love the way Faure quietens down the music ready for the transition back to the opening [5:14+], but it's not a simple restatement and end, Faure adds a sort of coda of sorts onto the end, and there's i guess this sort of epilogue [6:45+], at the very end there's this melody gently rumbled in the bass [7:53-8:03], a great end to a really ingenious piece of piano music.

Here's Nathan Chim playing Faure's Nocturne 4 on YouTube.

Schubert - Piano Sonata 21 [Kovacevich]

This is an extremely fine account of Schubert's last Piano Sonata, in my collection only behind Brendel and Uchida, and i have a good dozen recordings of this work, this was a joy to listen to this disc today, appeared in my Blog twice before [5th February 2010 & 24th June 2012].

Stephen Kovacevich is American, he's now 74, he recorded this disc in 1994, the front booklet cover is a great one [photo by David Thompson], love the pose, a black & white shot, showing Kovacevich leaning on the lid of his piano, lovely reflection underneath.

Well as usual, it's that sublime first movement that always gets me, it's a mammoth thing, made even longer here by Kovacevich engaging the exposition repeat, under his hands it's just over twenty minutes long, it's the first minute that's so heart rending [0:03-0:54], and here Kovacevich is maybe a fraction too fast, the sound for this disc is quite reverberant, but there's a lovely ring to the piano, it suites the opening, but maybe in climaxes later it can be a little too much, the opening theme returns again and again, love the way Schubert presents it in forte near the beginning [1:34-2:01], Schubert produces 'unique' music for the exposition repeat transition [4:45-5:07], and after five minutes Kovacevich repeats the opening [5:10-6:01], it's great to hear the opening music all over again, and Kovacevich takes exactly the same amount of time!, in the developmental section [9:59+] there's some great music, sublime ideas by Schubert, he really plumbs the depths at times, never straying far from the opening idea, Schubert descends into his inward looking private worlds [12:00-13:13], sometimes i seriously question if the whole movement is some kind of a set of disjointed variations?, it's a superb creation by Schubert, and well executed by Kovacevich.

Here's Kovacevich playing the Sonata on YouTube.

Delius - Piano Concerto [Lane/Handley-Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra]

This is a lovely copupling of three less known Piano Concertos, and all English to boot, it's a disc that i've played over twenty times, it's amazing that these concertos aren't more into the central repertoire, my favourite here is the Delius, now i have to admit that i'm not some Delius expert, i haven't listened to him extensively, but what i have heard hasn't impressed me much, his miniatures seem so trivial, other longer works seem to meander and go nowhere, there isn't enough interest to keep my attention, however his Piano Concerto is another matter, a real work of genius, a long lost English masterpiece, even though this work on this disc hasn't appeared in my Blog before, the disc has twice with the Finzi work, plus Piers Lane has featured in my Blog twice with this work in a performance on the Hyperion label [19th March 2010 & 7th October 2011].

Piers Lane is Australian, now 57, he has recorded extensively for Hyperion, these EMI Eminence discs can be a great way to add to your collection fairly inexpensively, this is one of the very best of the series.

So it was the first movement which i find tremendous, it starts with a lazy and atmospheric intro on the low strings [0:00-0:17], maybe an English version of something you'd get from Dvorak, it's really beautiful and memorable, the piano appears right after, and at first Delius has this tendency to use the piano not as a 'soloist v orchestra', but rather they work as one together, very symphonic, and the recording seems to help here as the piano isn't spotlit, it's equal with the orchestra, the main tune to the whole movement is introduced by the horns [2:01-2:21], and taken up by the piano [2:06+], and in a really sweet way too [2:28+], almost developing into a cadenza at times, after sweetness there's forebodings of darker clouds [4:40+], there's a nice little episode where the opening intro comes back as a theme, disguised on the flutes at first [5:55+], but then the whole orchestra comes in, and Delius works this up into the main theme in full glory [6:39+], it's not particularly a long movement, less than ten minutes, so we're already developing threads for its eventual ending at roughly the seven minute mark, it actually ends with a whimper, the whole thing winds down to nothing, when you're expecting a big finale finish, but the Concerto is played 'as one movement', so things are resolved at the very end of the third movement as it were, it's a strange concoction really.

Here's Justin Bird playing this Concerto on YouTube.

Ireland - Piano Works Volume Two [Parkin]

Ireland is in a world all of his own, especially his piano music, it's his most prolific genre, these are not major statement like Beethoven, nor works of brilliance and beauty like Chopin, or even impressionist like Debussy and Ravel, rather he was quite plain, his music can sound amateurish, almost whimsical at times, as if he's composing for children, but there's also a depth there, some pieces come off better than others, but there's gems to be had for those that truly search, once you get a real taste for him, you can't put him down, this disc appeared in my Blog nearly five years ago [2nd May 2010].

Eric Parkin is English, now 91, he recorded this disc in 1992, Ireland was mainly a Londoner between the two World Wars, and had a tendency to compose with his surroundings in mind, one of the reasons for the booklet cover, showing a picture of the Thames upstream from Chelsea, a sepia toned black & white shot, love the haziness of it, the light on the river, and an almost silhouette of the boats and streetlight, this must have been shot from an open topped bus of the times, don't know how else you can get that high up near the pavement, the layout and lettering are fantastic, a wonderful series.

The two pieces i loved the most on this listening were Meridian [the second piece from 'In Those Days'], and The Darkened Valley, both hit the four minute mark, here's a synopsis of both,
Meridian [3:57] - An upbeat little tune, very simple tunewise at first, but there's always complexities with Ireland, and when Parkin starts to play the opening tune in a slower higher treble octave [0:28+ & 2:33+], the piece takes on its most revealing nature, and later the tune comes in full noble force [0:59+ & 3:05+], i love the way the opening tune reappears again and again, at the end there's a nice little nostalgic coda [3:36-3:55].
The Darkened Valley [4:03] - As the title suggests, this is a darker piece, again the tune is simple enough, there's an ominousness to the tune, then out of the blue there's a middle section which is brighter [1:27+], and yet even here there's subtle discord, Ireland weaves us back into the opening theme in a skillful way, there's no need for virtuoso piano playing, but the real skill is in conveying mood, and Parkin plays the piece slow enough to give it it's hesitating uneasiness, for instance Desmond Wright also plays this piece on an EMI disc i have, a lot quicker and louder [2:50], and it just misses the mystery and worry of the piece, his sounds quite happy!.

Brahms - Handel Variations [Schiff]

This is the very first time i've ever played this disc, and it's a beaut, it's a live recording, but recorded better than a lot of studio recordings, the audience are really quiet, but of course applaud at the end of the disc, and it's a great programme too, the Reger Variations are a welcome addition to my disc library, this is the first time i've ever listened to them, and they'll take some more listenings to get into, Reger is certainly a thick textured Composer, he really takes time to get to like, Schiff's Brahms is great stuff though.

Andras Schiff is Hungarian, now 61, originally a Pianist, but now he does conducting too, the booklet cover is fantastic, a picture of Schiff at the keyboard, superb highlights on the edges of his portrait, and his lettering in red, and the composers in silver, mimicking the Teldec logo below, this disc is now getting really rare, and it's good to have secured a copy at a reasonable price.

This was a wonderful experience, quite possibly my favourite Piano Variations of all time, and it was variations 4, 6, 12, 18-22 & 24-F that i found most rewarding, and just like last month with Gelber / Brahms, it's this clump near the end that got to me the most of all, variations 18-22, here's a synopsis of each,
Variation 18 [14:51-15:46] - Lovely treble tinkling's, nicely pronounced, lovely tune too, Schiff really caresses the thing.
Variation 19 [15:47-16:49] - An almost lazy carefree variation, again it's a marvel how Brahms uses the treble registers, also it hit me how incredibly good the piano is recorded here, rather than a front seat in the audience, you get the front seat, the piano stool!.
Variation 20 [16:49-17:51] - A duller variation, i guess done on purpose by Brahms to break up the monotony, but it ends in a touching thoughtful way, getting sweeter / calmer as the piece goes on.
Variation 21 [17:52-18:40] - Lovely rippling piano in the treble, mimicking water, one of my favourite variations, clear and crisp.
Variation 22 [18:41-19:42] - Very coda-esque, sounds like the day coming to a close, the treble notes are just so chiming / rhyming, no bass notes here, even the left hand is in the middle of the keyboard, certainly on this listening, it was the best variation of all, it really touched me.

Here's Schiff playing the Handel Variations on YouTube.

Beethoven Piano Concerto 5 'Emperor' [Brendel/Haitink-London Philharmonic Orchestra]

Only listened to Brendel a few days ago, and here he is again, got the chance to listen to the other work on this disc, the Choral Fantasia, and i've only listened to this performance on this disc a few times, and with Helene Grimaud, it's still 'unknown' to me, but today i understood its structure more, it's coming, the Piano Concerto 5 was heaven, i'm still stunned in the realisation that after probably a few hundred times, this work can still make me sit up and be just wowed by it's joy and happiness, will i ever get 'used' to it?, i hope not!, here's the other two times it's enjoyed exposure in my Blog [13th February 2010 & 10th May 2012].

Alfred Brendel is Austrian, now 84, he recorded this work in 1976, i love these Philips 'insignia' discs, they really hit a spot, nice re-issues, nicely packaged, this one sports a lovely portrait of Brendel on his back / front porch [by Alecio De Andrade], a great little shot, love the way it's taken from a lower position, the lettering is great on these 'insignia' discs, and the colour schemes work out well, this one's a dull pink.

The first movement is nearly 21 minutes long, that's longer than the other two movements put together, but if anything it's over too quickly, here Beethoven produces something of sheer joy and exuberance, there's no respite, one joyous theme blends into the next, and today i was swept along with the ride, unlike say a Mozart piano Concerto, there's no orchestral intro for a minute or two, but rather a piano solo, almost a cadenza to start things off [0:00-1:10], extremely revolutionary, but each time punctuated by an orchestral fanfare, almost sounding like the pianist playing the Concerto without the orchestra, and then comes what can be considered a Mozartean orchestral introduction of the full theme [1:10-4:15], a massive four minute thing, it also follows the usual piano and orchestral tutti back and forth, i just can't help feeling that there's this major 'laugh' at times, whether in the orchestra or in the piano, it gives it it's sunny joy, and even more so in the final movement, i love the way the opening comes back again and again, the whole thing is a real statement of fanfare and celebration, Brendel is loud and purposeful, emphatic at times, but i love his way with his forthrightness, the ending seems to mirror the opening somewhat, and there's a real cadenza of sorts at the end [17:56-18:42], i love the way Beethoven brings a nice resolution at the end of the movement, arpeggios going down the keyboard [20:13-20:29], and just when your reeling from that, then comes the achingly spiritual Adagio... 

Here's Brendel / Masur playing the Concerto on YouTube.