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.

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.

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.

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!.

Schubert - 8 Impromptus [Brendel]

Here it is, this is my most favourite disc of all time, as well as writing a daily Music Blog, i write a diary / journal every day too [since 1982], and i write down my most memorable, music disc in my Journal too, and today Schubert / Brendel turns fifty!, he's appeared that many times, it's a great milestone, so i've really played this disc to death, and loved every minute of it, i went out to do a bit of shopping / eating today, and i took this disc with me, and what a sublime experience this was, each Impromptu gets you in the mood for the next, the music itself is as near to pure genius you will ever get from a Composer, but Brendel has a way with Schubert that takes it onto a higher plane, he has the most superb legato, one theme / idea blends in with the next seamlessly, plus there's this dance-ability that Brendel gets from his Schubert, he makes him such a joy to listen to, my favourite Pianist of all time too, a miraculous combination, appearing in my Blog twice before [10th March 2010 & 8th July 2012].

Alfred Brendel is Austrian, he's now 84, retired, but he lives on in his recordings, he recorded a Schubert cycle for Philips in the eighties, of the major solo piano works, this is volume 5, recorded in 1988, the front booklet shows Brendel in the Brahms Archive Library [by Gabriela Brandenstein], a black & white shot for this series, stark and crisp images in meaningful settings, love the gold and black lettering at the top.

Of these eight pieces, it was surprisingly 2-4 & 7 i loved the best [my personal favourite is 5], but i found myself languishing in some of the other Impromptus this time, but ultimately i found myself coming back to the pure delight of number 3 [D899/3], originally my first favourite, this was a spiritual experience today, hard to exactly put my finger on and pinpoint, here's my thoughts,
Impromptu 3 [6:05] - It's a beautiful and aching tune, surprisingly all the work is done in the right hand, usually the right hand plays the tune in the treble, and the left hand plays the accompaniment in the bass, but here the right hand does both!, the thumb and index finger play a superb rippling accompaniment, and it's virtually the little finger that plays that melody to die for, also it's worth noting that it's in G Flat Major, which has six flat notes, this makes the right hand play almost exclusively on black keys, Chopin's Black Key Etude [Op10/5], is also in G Flat Major, in essence this piece could be considered Schubert's 'Black Key' Impromptu, there's a wonderful legato sustained throughout, the recording is wonderful in that it catches the right hand little finger tune in a gorgeous piano acoustic, the piece rises and falls in volume and passion, and i found myself caught on tide of this heavenly piece of music.

Here's Brendel playing Schubert's Impromptu 3 on YouTube.

Chopin - 21 Nocturnes [Rev]

This is how i first listened to Chopin's Nocturnes, through a double cassette tape in the early days of getting into classical music, Rev wouldn't be my choice now, but at the time i thought this must be way these pieces are meant to be played, but listening to Barenboim [my favourite] and Pollini, my feelings to the 'rightness' of this music has changed, Rev is very low key, there's a sense of the unpretentious here, which at times helps Chopin to actually shine more brighter, and it was wonderful to revisit this set as i travelled on the bus today, see also [12th April 2012].

Livia Rev is Hungarian, she's now 98, and she recorded these Nocturnes back in 1988, she was already over 70 then, the front cover shows a painting by Alphonese Osbert called 'Songs Of The Night', the track listing is a little confusing, it doesn't run 1-21, therefore track 1 isn't Nocturne 1, and all the tracks are shifted this way, i believe the Nocturnes presented here are in date order, nice in a way, but ultimately more confusing than nice.

It's easy to talk about so many revelations throughout the whole set, too many to mention here, so i'll limit my comments to just the two that really affected me the most,
Nocturne 9 [in B Major- Op32/1] - One of my early favourites, a simple enough melody, in a sweet key, i think the second section of the piece is much more interesting [1:10+], and full of pathos, as always with Chopin, there's always this underlining sadness somewhere, Chopin's fluffy white clouds always have a grey lining!, and there's this moment where Chopin reaches a high treble note [3:27], and it's as if the music just freezes in time on it, a wonderful idea, Rev captures it nicely. 
Nocturne 17 [in B Major - Op62/1] - Also in B Major, however i sense very much more a feeling of nostalgia / longing in this piece, there's the trick of holding notes for longer for effect, i love the way the music just so subtly changes [2:33+], and suddenly we're in a different world / mood, and then it can change again into another deeper mood [4:03+], Chopin goes into a sort of variation of trills [4:24-5:15], the ending is gorgeous, there's this treble Coda of sorts [5:42-6:15], beautiful in it's demurement, but Chopin has like a second ending of pure denouement [6:14-6:28], how Chopin can weave around your heart!.

Chopin - 27 Etudes [Lortie]

This is my second favorite disc of all time, i must have played it many dozens of times, i love the way Lortie seems to get these pieces just 'right', some of these Etudes i feel are the definitive version in my mind, and it's amazing how each time i listen to them, i find a different one to be wowed by, this disc appeared in my Blog three years ago [5th June 2012].

Louis Lortie is Canadian, he's now 55, he recorded these Etudes in 1986, i was amazed when they first came out, and i must admit i played this disc to death in the first few years i had it, now i've acquired a lot more versions of this work, so i can spend less time on this disc, but it remains my favourite version of the Chopin Etudes.

So on this listen i loved Etudes 9 & 16 [Op10/9 & Op25/4], here's a short synopsis of each,
Etude 9 [2:07] - In the minor key of F Minor, a sad and troubling Etude, full of nervous energy, there seems to be this underlying unsureness / hesitation in the piece, its rhythm is all truncated, i wish Lortie would play the left hand louder, more equal with the right hand, it slightly gains in more straightforwardness, but there's this constant right hand treble loud stabs, i like the way Lortie intensifies the second half repeat, i can hear a sort of 'resolution' trying to surface near the end, but it's shut down by Chopin, a nice device.
Etude 16 [1:33] - A very staccato Etude, also in the minor of A Minor, and yet doesn't sound sad like number nine, the left and right hand seem to play against each others groove, making a tremendously satisfying lopsided rhythm, Lortie has this way of emphasising certain right hand notes, which spell out a melody within a melody, the left hand is so incessant, it annoys and delights at the same time.

Here's Lortie playing Etude 9 on YouTube, and Etude 16 on YouTube also.

Brahms - Handel Variations [Gelber]

This is a disc i've recently acquired, and this is it's maiden voyage, it's a recent series of re-issues done by Warner of their back catalogue, this one caught my eye with gorgeous photography of a park gate by Dariush Mohammadi, beautiful autumn colours, i know the Handel Variations very well, just doing a count, i find six different discs in my Blog alone, the work is endlessly fascinating, one of Brahms's greatest works ever, and 25 minutes of pure excitement and bliss.

On this disc Bruno Leonardo Gelber is new to me, he's Argentinian, now 73 years old, he looks like a cross between Evgeny Kissin and Liberace!, he recorded fairly extensively for Denon in his earlier years, producing a full cycle of Beethoven piano sonatas, but hasn't recorded for years now, he even recorded the Handel Variations later for Denon in 1992, which is a different performance, and one that i'd like to check out as well.

Like i say, these variations are endlessly fascinating, on the whole i found Gelber to be a slow Pianist, even though comparing his timings to my two favourite versions of this work [Ax / Sony & Osorio / ASV], they both take exactly 26:10, so only half a minute quicker!, maybe he just 'sounds' slower, but he's also enlightening, i always learn something new from another performance.

On this listen i loved variations 14, 19-22, 25 and the Fugue at the end, so it's this clump of variations near the end that really got me going, and this is what i find about Variations, certainly the Handel variations inparticular, each variation doesn't stand alone, but in essence each variation has its own 'prelude & postlude', the variation before, and the variation after, they're all linked, each variation prepares you for the next one, here's a synopsis of this 'clump' of variations,
Variation 19 [15:52-16:51] - I notice the staccato tendency of Gelber here, a reflective variation of nobility, i guess he needs a little bit more poise, a little quieter would have done wonders, but it's an 'aching' variation, love the way Gelber slowly works his way up into the treble.
Variation 20 [16:52-18:01] - An even slower variation, but something that 'glues' this clump of variations together, again a slow traverse up the keyboard.
Variation 21 [18:03-18:56] - A truly superb variation, trills of delight, the right hand chimes so well, the 1977 recording captured so well.
Variation 22 [18:58-20:00] - An aching variation that seems to be the announcement to the final of these variations, the most delicious chimes, Gelber gets this right, you should never play this variation too loud, there's an aching nostalgia about it.

Here's Gelber playing the Handel Variations on YouTube.

Brahms - Six Klavierstucke-Op118 [Grimaud] 

This disc includes all of Brahms's shorter pieces with the opus numbers 116-119, all neatly and conveniently fitted onto one disc, and it's this work on it [Op118], that includes my most viewed Blog webpage of all [7th November 2010], and if you type in Grimaud + Brahms into Google, then guess what comes up as the second image?, it drives some nice traffic to my site, this is certainly a treasured disc in every way, great music, great quantity, great interpretations, and a great visual package too, i got this disc in late 2007, so it's still fairly new-ish to me, but i can see a decade further down the road it will become a truly treasured disc.

Helene Grimaud is French, she's now  43, though she still looks fabulously young, she made this recording in 1995, the front cover picture [by J Henry Fair] is one of the delights of this issue, catching Grimaud in a stunning portrait, face really lit well, as well as her hair behind caught in a sort of silhouette glow, the lettering is nicely placed and well laid out, altogether a terrific issue.

On this listen it was 2 & 5 that were so poetic, and even though i've played this piece to death, and it's appeared so many times as a favourite, it's Op118 / 2 which i found so treasurable, there's this real heartbreak the way Grimaud plays it, Brahms is truly a genius, and i like the piano sound, it adds to the enjoyment immensely, Grimaud gives that teasing little hesitation on the first note, i like the way she doesn't treat this like some whisper of sentimentality, but is rather robust, letting the notes sing out real clear, at times it may seem a louder approach would border on making this piece some sort of grandiose statement, but i love her fortes, they bring a quiet power and dignity to the piece, i notice little hesitations which nicely weight certain passages, the opening melody really does have a sure finesse, the middle section has that passage that sounds just like a middle section of a Chopin Nocturne [2:51-3:14], just love that phrase, did Brahms subconsciously copy it?, and right after it there's a nice intense and firm crescendo from Grimaud [3:15-3:33], before bringing us back to the opening melody, and the delicacy of certain points are truly touching, Grimaud really has got the melody of the piece, it finishes on notes of real substance and satisfaction, bravo Brahms and Grimaud.

Here's on Elena Kuschnerova playing the Intermezzo Op118 / 2 on YouTube.

Brahms - 4 Ballades [Dalberto] 

This is my one hundredth Blog entry for Brahms, it has been neck and neck between Beethoven and Brahms to reach 100, i always wondered who would get there first, and it's a surprise in a way, as Brahms remains my fourth favourite Composer [after Beethoven, Schubert, and Chopin], so maybe there's something more to the old bearded guy after all, let's see who gets to 200!, this is the second time Dalberto has appeared in my Blog with this work [2nd October 2010], and what a lovely disc this is, Dalberto has a certain way with Brahms, bringing out the real poetry and finesse of these pieces, it's still hard to believe that this is early Brahms [1854 when he was 21], as much of it sounds so much like the mature guy looking back nostalgically over his shoulder, i'm not keen on his Piano Sonata 3 [from one year before in 1853], and that has a tendency to represent him better in this era, mainly super virtuosity, but little poetic substance, i need to delve more into Dalberto, as he seems to really have his fingers on the keys.

Michel Dalberto is French, he is now 57, he recorded this work in 1982 at the age of 27, yes a 30 year old recording, but it still sounds great, the front cover photo [by Jacques Sarrat] is very nice, however these early Erato discs have a poor logo, crummy green borders, and the lettering is only fair, yet the whole thing still looks good.

It's always Ballades 2 & 4 which i find so mesmerizing, 

Here's Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli playing Ballade 4 on YouTube. 

Scriabin - Piano Music [Lisovskaya] 

This disc gets its third outing in my Blog [24th April 2012 & 1st April 2011], a nice once a year regular, this is a good collection to have, not immensely representative, it veers towards the Preludes side of things, but he also composed Mazurkas, Etudes, and Poemes, but it's a nice mix, there's gems aplenty, if you're new to Scriabin, then one thing about his music for the novice, is that all his compositions can sound fairly much the same, it takes extra listening to find the uniqueness of each piece, today i did a lot of groundwork to really appreciating these pieces for the future, i can feel Scriabin starting to seep into my soul.

Sophia Lisovskaya is Russian, she's now 36, and she made this recording in 2000, the front cover photograph is by Karen Kartashian, and it's a wonderful portrait, a side profile i guess, not far off turning her back to the camera, as if she's caught from a session on the piano, just full of different shades of brown, almost a monotone shot, i like this portrait a lot, it's different and inventive.

Three pieces really took a shine to me, tracks 10, 15 & 23, here's a synopsis of each,
10 Prelude 8 [Op11/8] - A lovely surprise, i know the 24 Preludes Op11 fairly well, and Lisovskaya gives a selection of ten of them here, a nice mix, and this really stood out as something exceptional, marked Allegro Agitato, and in the fairly remote key of F Sharp Minor, it certainly lives up to the 'agitato' tag, the right hand sings in the treble, then has a jagged downward run, while the bass rumbles in the left, there's delicious turmoil there, lovely and restless, has to be heard to truly explain, a great little discovery for me today.
15 Prelude 1 [Op16/1] - One of the most gorgeous things Scriabin has ever done, i fell in love with this on a Lucille Chung disc, in some ways it sounds like Satie, but also a cross with the very best of Rachmaninov, the tune that the left hand conjures up is just stunning [0:12-0:45], something you can just float away on, very dreamily done, the amazing thing about it is Scriabin actually creates something more heavenly with it, the music turns to the treble keys to heighten their poetry [0:45-0:59], now that's one of those wow moments, and when the left hand opening returns [1:12+], it's a moment of pure magic, maybe it loses some of its specialness towards the end, but it's one hell [heaven!] of a creation.
23 Prelude [Op59/2] - Another amazing piece tucked away in his late oeuvre, Scriabin marks the score Sauvage / Belliqueux [wild / warlike], at first it's quite a complex muddle of things, but then it turns into these mysterious runs [0:31-0:51 & 1:25-1:45], full of the vague anchoring of any centre, and then it finishes almost in mid sentence, a great little piece once you get to know it.