Search - Draeseke, Liszt, Tanski :: Piano Sonata

The titan of piano literature and an unknown gem come togeth

Hexameron | 03/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I doubt the average classical music lover would jump on buying this recording. Not only is it expensive (for what you get), but there is no reason to buy this for Liszt's Sonata in B minor. Whether you wish to expose yourself to Liszt's Sonata or seek a different interpretation, there are plenty of other and more illustrious recordings out there at a cheaper price. Thus, you would really have to have a true interest in sampling Felix Draeseke (1835-1913) to want to buy this disc. While Liszt's ubiquitous Sonata is played with standard technical perfection and musical insight from Tanski, the work is really just an encore, the icing on the cake here. The main accomplishment and spotlight on this recording goes to Draeseke's enigmatic and obscure Sonata quasi Fantasia Op. 6.



I confess that this was the first piece I've ever heard from Draeseke. But I don't think it will be my last. Draeseke was recommended to me because of my love of Liszt, and while I was aware that Draeseke was a Liszt pupil, I had no idea that he was an established and prolific composer. Perhaps I should have gone for his Symphonies and Piano Concerto for a better introduction to his music, but being the voracious pianophile I am, I decided to pounce on this single sonata. I was intrigued by the fact that it was so daringly paired with Liszt's monumental own. In hindsight, these two sonatas make a strange but satisfying pair, and comparisons between them are difficult to make. Draeseke's roughly 25 minute long sonata is a three movement work; each movement is independent of one another, and the whole piece is not that virtuosic. Liszt's is a continuous 30 minute work that relies entirely on thematic transformation; of course it also makes the utmost technical and musical demands on the performer.



Liszt called Draeseke's sonata "worthy of Beethoven" and felt the work held as much significance as Schumann's second piano sonata. My own impression upon hearing this sonata was mixed at first. It's not exactly an accessible sonata, but neither is Liszt's on a first or even third hearing. The bulk and musical substance of Draeseke's sonata is born from the opening theme or "motto" as it's called: a heroic opening statement that becomes a source for motivic development and one that returns in the Finale. The Sonata's first movement is a solemn affair. In the first few minutes, the motto is repeated and a rather somber answer is given after each consecutive restatement. Shortly after, the mood becomes increasingly dark. The heart of the movement lies in the profoundly noble funeral march, a march akin to Beethoven's A flat major (Op. 26) sonata and Liszt's own Funerailles. Musically, this march is incredibly rich and beautiful, subsiding only for a lyrical and passionate cantabile section, and returning with menace towards the end. It is truly a remarkable movement, but one that requires concentration: the march theme is not exactly as simple as it sounds.



I found the second movement of this sonata rather peculiar. It's a 3 minute melodically ambiguous scherzo which seems to resemble nothing of the first movement. The stark contrast between the preceding funeral march and this "Intermezzo" is like the difference between profundity and frivolity. The purpose of this scherzo is elusive but it seems to exist as a short break in between the serious first movement and the passionate Finale. Indeed, it's in the Finale where we hear the first movement's opening motto again. It's not difficult to also hear the complex motivic development that occurs here. Surprisingly, the Finale is not full of pyrotechnics as one would expect from a Liszt pupil. But there are strong musical ideas and a majestic sense of heroism, struggle and triumph in this movement. The lively Finale is somewhat of an antithesis to the foreboding life-stealing Funeral March. Overall, this work is a worthy example of creativity, expressive power and structural complexity; even after Liszt's Sonata, it seems the old sonata form will always be an indomitable vehicle for new ideas and inspirations.



Bottom line: I can't imagine anyone stumbling over this disc with an interest in Liszt's Sonata, which is why I chose not to discuss Tanski's rendition. Instead, I think this recording is chiefly important for the neglected Draeseke sonata, one which requires aural concentration but will surely appeal to any 19th century piano fan. Unfortunately, the disc is expensive, so I would keep a look out for a future Naxos release."