 |
Ashkenazy, Olding, Rodgers
Goldner String Quartet
Sydney Symphony
SSO200901
*****
Vladimir Ashkenazy performing Rachmaninoff commands my attention. Whether it is his performances of the composer’s solo piano works, his recordings of the piano concertos with the London Symphony Orchestra, his account of the symphonies and orchestral works with the
|
|
Concertgebouw Orchestra, or his Rachmaninoff Festival with the Sydney Symphony in 2007, Ashkenazy has a wonderful affinity for the composer. ‘His talent was great and he expressed something that no other composer did. I have a great respect and tremendous affection for Rachmaninoff’s music’, says Ashkenazy.
In the Sydney Symphony’s new release of rare Rachmaninoff chamber works, principal conductor and artistic advisor Ashkenazy plays piano, with English soprano Joan Rodgers and the Australian-based Goldner String Quartet, comprised of the orchestra’s concertmaster Dene Olding and Dimity Hall violin, Irina Morozova viola and Julian Smiles cello.
‘The disc offers a rare glimpse into a relatively unknown side of one of the great musicians of the 20th century,’ says Ashkenazy. ‘Chamber music was not Rachmaninoff’s main preoccupation and most of the pieces on this disc are early works, but they are informative and illuminating. We all know Rachmaninoff as one of the greatest pianists of all time. It took time for him as a composer to develop into the real master who gave us the Symphonic Dances and The Bells. But even in the early pieces presented on this CD there is a strong indication of an idiomatic gift. The music may appear naïve at times and not yet so sophisticated, but a richness and variety of expression point out unusual talent and indicate a great potential.’
The CD contains a premiere recording of one of the composer’s earliest works, the Romance in A minor for violin and piano, the existence of which was unknown for many years; it was published in 1951. This is a warmly lyrical work that evokes Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff’s early mentor, and is quite a discovery. Even though Russian composers are not typically renowned for their string quartets, Rachmaninoff’s contemporaries – Sergei Taneyev, Anton Arensky and Tchaikovsky all wrote several of them. Rachmaninoff’s String Quartet no 1 and String Quartet no 2 were both left unfinished – each consists of only two movements. The first quartet is in Rachmaninoff’s characteristic lilting melodic style, while the second has a dark and sombre mood and is experimental in nature. The Morceaux de Salon (Salon Pieces) opus 6 is another early work, embodying the elegance and grace of salon music at the end of the 19th century, with a lyrical Romance and an energetic Hungarian Dance. The exquisitely haunting Vocalise, originally for soprano and piano, is here arranged for violin and piano by Michael Press. This leads nicely into the Two Sacred Songs for soprano and piano: Prayer and All nature sings, which also came to light after the death of the composer in 1943. For Ashkenazy ‘the two religious songs from 1916 represent mature Rachmaninoff – he didn’t publish them at the time of composition for various reasons and they’ve been neglected, partially because of this, but the music speaks for itself.’ The final work comes from Rachmaninoff’s time in the West; his arrangement for violin and piano of the Hopak from Modest Mussorgsky’s final opera Sorochintsy Fair.
Ashkenazy and Olding combine in performances of great sensitivity and understanding to reach the core of Rachmaninoff’s artistic inspiration in these chamber works. They are ably supported by Joan Rodgers and the Goldner String Quartet, who make fine contributions. The disc is beautifully presented in gold, black and white colours; with excellent and comprehensive notes on the pieces and the performers. The recording, made in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, is of a high standard. The CD timing at 54’18” is a little short but this is a minor quibble.
I highly recommend this outstanding disc, particularly for fans of Rachmaninoff, or indeed of Russian Romanticism. It makes a great introduction to the composer for those who may not be familiar with his music, and a valuable addition to the chamber music repertoire. ‘This recording is part of a tribute,’ says Ashkenazy. ‘My goal is to record everything by Rachmaninoff that’s possible to record in one’s lifetime…with these recordings I hope to add as full a picture as possible to his legacy.’ – Paolo Hooke
|