Search - Franz Joseph Haydn, Evgeni Koroliov :: Joseph Haydn: Piano Sonatas

Superb Haydn from Koroliov

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 09/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Evgeni Koroliov is an elegant, thoughtful and musicianly pianist. He has recorded much Bach, including a marvelous 'Art of Fugue' and 'Goldberg Variations.' One of his talents is to take slow music - such as the 25th variation of the Goldbergs - and imbue it with an intense inner life that sustains its slow-moving harmonies. And that is precisely what he does in this recording, the first band of this CD, of the Variations in F Minor, HOV XVII No. 6, surely one of the most glorious of Haydn's keyboard works. Perhaps I could even say it is one of the most glorious of ANY keyboard works. Koroliov's version lasts almost eighteen minutes! To sustain any kind of interest in a piano movement played this slowly is a kind of genius, and Koroliov manages to do that here.



Koroliov, born in Russia in 1949, was fortunate to have some of the most distinguished teachers in the world. After starting out with Anna Artobolevskaya, he then followed up with - get these names! - Heinrich Neuhaus, Maria Yudina, Lev Oborin and Lev Naumov! A pedigree to conjure with. He garnered prizes in the International Bach Competition (Leipzig) in 1968, and in 1973 at the Cliburn Competition. He has made his career mostly as a specialist in Bach's music. In addition to the Goldbergs and Art of Fugue, his recording of the Well-Tempered Clavier is much esteemed.



I was not familiar with his Haydn playing until this CD, and I must admit that since I've received this issue little else has found its way onto my CD player. I reckon I have played the Variations alone about ten times. It is that hypnotic. I had recently given a rave review to Nikolai Demidenko's recorded version of the Variations, but will have to admit that this version very nearly shoulders Demidenko's aside. It is certainly the equal of my previous favorite version, that of Alfred Brendel. This is high octane and yet suave playing. As for the four piano sonatas contained on the disc, all are played with complete conviction. The light-hearted little Sonata in G, HOB XVI No. 11, which lasts only nine minutes is played with every bit as much style and grace as the much more familiar (and greater) C Minor Sonata, HOB XVI, No. 20. And programmed in between them are the 23rd sonata in F major and the great C Major sonata, HOB SVI, No. 50. It has always bewildered me that Haydn's piano sonatas are not more often recorded or programmed in recitals. They are, as far as I'm concerned, surely equal to those of Mozart with the possible exception of Mozart's late efforts. Just listen, for instance, to the insouciance of No. 50's first movement and then the solemnity (not to speak of the rhythmic complexity) of the following movement. Only a great finale like the following Allegro molto, with its Haydnesque stops and starts, a mixture of hijinks and suspense, could stand in this company. Koroliov has the true measure of all this music in all its moods. He is given warm recorded sound with just enough room ambience to make it sound lifelike.



Issues from Günther Hänssler's new label, Profil, have been very uneven. The label seems to be releasing both new recordings and reissues of old ones not previously easily available, and so far the new recordings, like this one, have been of a higher level of artistry. Certainly Koroliov's recording, made in 2004, is among the latter.



Strongly recommended.



TT=76:35



Scott Morrison"

Soporific

Teop Tnomrev | Vermont, USA | 03/18/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Interesting to read the previous reviewers glowing comments.



I had a very different response. I found nothing very exciting or innovative in Koroliov's playing. It is a polished, elegant, musicianly, and run-of-the-mill interpretation. If you value interpretive insight and novelty, Koroliov is about as bland as a highly accomplished pianist can be. To my ears, his playing is overly polite, having all the dash of parlor room playing. He "merely" plays the notes (though that is enough and desirable for many listeners).



I prefer the Gould's of the world. I find Pletnev's playing of the variations much more interesting, though even Pletnev drowses in places. (Haydn has this effect on pianists, and the fault does not lie in Haydn.) That said, it is hard to square Pletnev's Haydn given his brilliant, knock-you-off-your-feet, recording of CPE Bach...



Brendel is accused of bringing too much Beethoven into his Haydn, but I find such criticism to be prudish. I prefer Brendel to Koroliov.



I also prefer Buchbinder's interpretations, which you can sample on Amazon.de. These have a little more flare and pinache, but the ideal Haydn interpreter is yet to be heard.



[July 12 2008 Check out Marc-Andre Hamelin's performance of Haydn if you value interpretative flair and novelty! You will find another of my reviews there, along with some strongly negative ones. Make up your own mind!]"