Steely
Mark Swinton | 09/20/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The piano was central to Stravinsky's work as a composer: he was a formidable player and loved the way in which the instrument allowed him to shape his music throughout the process of composition. It is therefore surprising that so little of his total output is for piano solo. This disc only weighs in at about fifty-five minutes (although Naxos' budget price means that this doesn't chafe quite so much as it would in the case of a full price CD). Additionally, I am aware of certain other miniatures and arrangements that are do not appear in this programme, although they are hardly of a length that would make much difference to the running time.The works are by turns challenging and simple, both to the player and to the listener. The three-movement Sonata opens the disc beautifully: an engrossing work for the listener and a really strong example of the neo-classical Stravinsky, with bizzare echoes of Beethoven in the outer movements and Haydn, with a dash of Bach, in the ornate slow movement. The clean textures of the work are treated with due respect under Peter Hill's fingers. A similar thing may be said of the "Serenade," which is much meatier in terms of musical content and style, as well as being more overt and powerful in effect. The "Piano Rag Music" is almost ear-splitting at times if you are not careful with the volume; this shows off Stravinsky's musical language to a surprising degree (in other words, those expecting to hear a parody of Scott Joplin and co. may easily be disappointed) whilst the "Tango" (heard here in its original version without other instruments) sounds more as one would expect - indeed, whilst there are pianists who dislike the work althogether, I find it quite astonishing and effective in that Stravinsky is able to integrate his style so well into the dance rhythms. The disc is finished off with a transcription of three movements from the celebrate ballet score "Petrushka," made by Stravinsky for concert performance and a dazzling showcase that sadly comes off a little poorly here; despite maintaining an excellent pace, Hill somehow loses vitality in places and thus inadvertently causes dull patches here and there.Two of the works in the programme provide wonderful palatte cleansers in between all these fireworks. The eight miniatures known as "Les cinq doigts" were intended for children to play. It is as if no constraint on composition could ever hinder Stravinsky: each piece makes a melody out of just five notes, adjacent to each other on the piano keyboard (thus the five fingers of one hand never move away from a single position, hence the title of the work) and yet the composer can still create moments of melting beauty, haunting delicacy and razor-sharp impact. The liner notes even point to certain features of individual pieces that are shared by larger and more familiar works by Stravinsky. Hill captures these jewels eloquently. Another jewel is the short "Chorale," originally published in a French Musical Journal to commemorate the death of Debussy. Stravinsky later expanded this to create his better known tribute to that great composer and personal friend: the "Symphonies of Wind Instruments." Some musicologists suspect that "Chorale" was never intended to be performed in its original version, but Hill's presentation is sombre and persuasive.Highly recommended for Stravinsky addicts and piano enthusiasts alike!"
Briefly & Clearly: Only for the Unrepentant Stravy Junky
C. Pontus T. | SE/Asia | 08/05/2010
(2 out of 5 stars)
"This will be a brief and clear review: Stravinsky's piano music is of variable quality, at best; Peter Hill's playing is overall serviceable, except an embarrassing Petrushka that extends beyond his ability; the piano is a wonderful Bösendorfer, caught far better here (St Martin's, 1996) than what Naxos achieved elsewhere. Advice: Get Kissin's stupendous Petrushka; get Béroff's gEMIni twofer if you are a serious Stravinsky fan; only consider this disc if you are an unrepentant Stravy junky.
REFERENCES: Petrushka--Kissin; Other Works--Béroff"
Track Listings (21) - Disc #1