1st Listen Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 & Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2, Hiroko Nakamura, Evgeny Svetlanov & the State Academy Symphony Orchestra of the U.S.S.R., Sony CD: I ordered this disc a few days after discovering Ms. Nakamura (a week ago). The recording of the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 was taped in Osaka's Symphony Hall on May 28, 1990 and the recording of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 was taped in Tokyo's Suntory Hall on May 23, 1990. I have been hearing the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 in my mind for a while, so I am starting my listening with that piece. The first thing that jumps into my ear is the "heaviness" of the recorded sound of the orchestra, the State Academy Symphony Orchestra of the U.S.S.R. Svetlanov seems determined to drown out the solo parts with what to Western ears sounds like a ham-fisted (unsubtle) interpretation but perhaps this is what the traditional Soviet Orchestras sounded like. I think this sound was characteristic of the Moscow Orchestras (of which this is one) and does not represent the sound of Mravinsky's Leningraders. Anyway, I don't envy Ms. Nakamura having to compete to be heard above this. In the first movement I hear moments of poetry from her that unfortunately are completely overshadowed by the orchestral accompaniment. Ms. Nakamura has more of chance to shine in the slow movement. Yet the balances do seem a bit odd. There is a flute solo that accompanies her piano solo part at the beginning but in this recording the flute is actually louder than the piano is. This seems very much in keeping with Mr. Svetlanov's conception of the piece. Ms. Nakamura's playing can be heard best during those (few) moments when the rest of the orchestra is quiet. I am hearing more of Ms. Nakamura's solo during the long solo passages in the 3rd movement (where the orchestra is quiet). When Mr. Svetlanov let's rip in the orchestral parts, I can't help being worried for the health and integrity of my speaker's drive units (they are a vintage pair of Rogers LS 7s). It sounds like Svetlanov is trying to blow them to bits! I hear a great deal of fire and passion from Ms. Nakamura in the opening of the 1st movement of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. She seems determined to be heard! Still, this could not have been easy. I cannot honestly call the (orchestral) accompaniment subtle. I admire the poetry (and introspection) in Ms. Nakamura' playing. These are qualities that I have heard much more clearly in her solo recordings (where she is not forced to try and outplay a bombastic orchestra). I do hear moments of real Tchaikovskyan feeling and emotion from the State Academy Symphony Orchestra of the U.S.S.R. (even if they are over the top). The poetry that I hear in Ms. Nakamura's playing leads me to believe that she would be a natural in Bach (even though I am not sure she ever made any Bach recordings). Ms. Nakamura's gifts can be heard better in the slow movement. In the Presto 3rd movement Ms. Nakamura must once again fight to keep up (and be heard)! I am once again fearing for my speaker's drive units! I am reminded of a story that Judy Garland loved to tell. Judy said that during the filming of the "Yellow Brick Road" scenes in the Wizard of Oz, the director would often yell, "CUT!!! You three HAMs!!! Why don't you let that little girl in there?" I can only suppose that Hiroko Nakamura had no such director or agent or record company to step in and say, "Mr. Svetlanov...this is no way to treat your soloist." Now I know why Western pianists (like Martha Argerich) never recorded anything with these (Soviet) Orchestras. I can't say that I blame them.
Now playing: Einojuhani Rautavaara - Symphonies No. 3 & 4 - Leipzig Radio SO, Max Pommer CD 2 of this box set:
On the turntable: Honegger - Serge Baudo, The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra – Symphony No. 5 / Pastorale D'ete / Chant De La Joie / Pacific 231 Crossroads – 22 16 0078 [Edit: Wow--beautifully recorded. Some of these Crossroads releases are quite extraordinary.]
A lot of gems in the Ormandy box. My appreciation of him has grown immensely since I started sampling various discs of this collection a few days ago.
NP: Martinů Symphony No. 2, H 295 Bamberg SO Järvi The 2nd symphony from Martinů has always been a favorite (I love them all, although I still haven’t quite gotten the 5th yet). His music never fails to cheer me up and provide a much needed lightning bolt to a listening session. I will say this symphony contains one of Martinů’s most gorgeous slow movements, Andante Moderato. The opening to this movement seems to reveal a certain yearning he was feeling at the time as he was living in the US.
Every now and then I enjoy putting on a fun set like this, Karajan and Verdi Verdi complete Overtures and Preludes Herbert von Karajan Berliner Philharmoniker
On the turntable: Joachim Raff, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Herrmann – Symphony No. 5 in E ("Lenore") Nonesuch – H-71287
Väinö Raitio (1891-1945) was a Finnish modernist composer of continental flavour, of his time and out of place. To these ears, the music is melodic, cool, and purposeful. I don't think he ever heard his works played as magnificently in his lifetime, except in his head, as they are here by Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Ondine, 1992). The beautiful symphonic poem The Swans was inspired by a poem by Otto Manninen: ...What ever was that sound That fluttered over the open sea? But the stroke of a weary wing But a thing of nothing gone by. (...to paraphrase.)
First listen to new arrival, CD 1 from "Paganini - 24 Caprices" performed by Alina Ibragimova on Hyperion.
Yesterday afternoon I listened to the Rousseau symphonies. This morning I am playing the Sibelius, Prokofiev and Glazunov.
On cd, Janos Starker and Rudolph Buchbinder play Beethoven's Cello sonatas. These interpretations are not as emotionally charged as, for instance, these of du Pre and Starker's cello playing is more reserved. On the other hand, there is more emphasis on form and structure and the music sounds a bit more focused by comparison.
NP: Schoenberg Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 Christine Schäfer, Sprechstimme Ensemble intercontemporain Boulez
