Prelude in D flat major, the “Raindrop Prelude” No. 15 Op. 28 by Frederic Chopin:
Performed here by Vladimir Horowitz.
Horowitz has never been a favourite pianist of mine; in all honesty, I have somewhat resented the fame and recognition that his name elicits to the detriment of pianists that I consider far superior. However, it is nearly always the case that pianists excel in the interpretation of repertoire by particular composers, and Horowitz’s affinity for the music of Chopin is both arresting and undeniable.
Prelude no. 10 in G flat major, Op.23, by Sergei Rachmaninoff:
Tender and wistful, with a hint of that Russian romanticism only really shining through towards the end, this piece makes quite a contrast to some of the more bombastic preludes in the cycle. And the cadence at the end, the final two chords, are beautiful, like a book being closed at the end of a bedtime story.
The prelude is performed here, as were previous examples of Rachmaninoff preludes on this blog, by pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy.
A moving performance of Aaron Copland’s “Billy The Kid”, arranged for two pianos and performed by Albert Tiu and Thomas Hecht:
The arrangement is slightly richer in detail than the solo piano version, yet still retains that essential, desolate sparseness that makes up so much of Copland’s best writing. In so doing, it also put me in mind of another of Copland’s works, the hugely evocative Quiet City with its glorious solo trumpet.
Continuing the theme from yesterday’s example of fiendishly difficult music to play on the piano, here is the third movement (marked ‘precipitato’) of Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata no. 7, performed by the ever-popular (and indisputably gifted) Chinese pianist Lang Lang:
If yesterday’s Alkan “Allegro Barbaro” doesn’t finish a pianist off, this piece is quite likely to do the job. Here is a version with the score playing along in the YouTube video (performance this time by Maurizio Pollini), to really give a sense of the technical demands on the pianist:
I can also highly recommend Glenn Gould’s recording of the same work, if you are able to find it; Gou;d’s unique style lends itself quite well to Prokofiev.
The fearsomely difficult Etude No. 5 in F Major “Allegro Barbaro” by French composer Charles-Valentin Alkan (a much-neglected composer, in my opinion), performed here by the wonderful British pianist (and renowned George Gershwin interpreter) Jack Gibbons:
I wasn’t exaggerating when I used the adjective “fearsome” to describe this piece – just to glance at the sheet music for this work would be enough to induce a nervous breakdown in a lesser performer, and as you can see from the way in which Gibbons’ hands turn into a blur as he performs the piece, it demands extraordinary technical abilities and endurance from the performer, especially given the short nature of the piece.
Here is a version with accompanying score:
From Ronald Smith’s “Alkan, The Man, The Music”:
The arresting title Allegro barbaro can give little idea of the fierce impact, even on twentieth-century ears, of Alkan’s fifth study with its harsh textures, pounding rhythms and jagged outlines. Whether or not Bartok heard Busoni play this electrifying octave study in the early 1900s there can be little doubt which Allegro barbaro is, at once, the more barbaric or the more disciplined. Although written and sounding in F major Alkan cancels every B flat, the piece remaining stubbornly on the white keys, its rondo structure etched out in a series of contrasted modes. Phrygian, Aeolian, and Dorian episodes, in turn, confront the Lydian subject, rousing it to ever increasing ferocity until with a final stampede of semiquavers it explodes into numbed silence.
I have always counted the Jack Gibbons recital I attended at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London nearly a decade ago (in which he focused exclusively on the music of George Gershwin) as one of the most enjoyable, entertaining and intimate performances that I have ever attended. His superb recording of Beethoven’s fourth piano concerto reveals a wonderful command of phrasing and dynamics which, for obvious reasons, the Alkan Etude has no need for.
If you are not familiar with this pianist, I heartily recommend a visit to his website here.
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