I tend to have mixed
feelings about 'theme' discs in that
they often succeed in conveying the
full spirit of the theme without offering
any individual performances that are
distinctive or compelling. Such is the
case with this Andreas Klein recording
that gives us a snapshot of three hundred
years of music possessing dance rhythms.
Perhaps the cover photograph of a barefoot
Klein smiling at us and dressed in preppy
clothing offers a good hint of the performances.
They are on the benign side and rather
optimistic as if Klein is saying to
us, "Let's dance and have fun".
On the other hand,
I don't want to give the impression
that Klein is an inconsequential pianist.
A graduate of the Juilliard School of
Music, he has studied with Claudio Arrau
and Nikita Magaloff. Klein's soloist
career has included recitals at London's
Wigmore Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic
Hall, New York's Carnegie Hall, and
the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
On the present disc he is technically
adept, rhythmically alert to the various
dance patterns, and always has a keen
sense of the sweep of the music.
In Bach's Suite in
G major, Klein gives a beautiful performance
of the Allemande, his Courante is a
lively affair, and the Sarabande is
quite poignant. He fully conveys the
impetuous changes in the dance rhythms
of Schumann's Papillons, the melancholy
state of the middle section of Liszt's
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 is thoroughly
explored, and Gershwin 2nd Prelude is
as sultry as they come.
Unfortunately failings
are more noticeable and prevalent. Bach's
Gigue, the final movement of the G minor
Suite, has absolutely no menace to it,
intensity is lacking in Papillons, and
Chopin's Polonaise in A flat major is
played more as a salon piece than for
its heroic representation. The swagger,
gusto and fire of the Liszt Rhapsody
is undervalued, and Klein's interpretation
of de Falla's Ritual Fire Dance is a
tame creature. A sharper picture of
Stravinsky's syncopated rhythms would
be appreciated, and Gershwin's 1st and
3rd Preludes are not as jazzy as I would
like.
I certainly can't find
any fault with the program. It offers
a fine mix of dance styles, and the
works by Bach, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt,
De Falla, Ginastera and Gershwin are
wonderful creations. I am particularly
taken by the Ginastera dances; the 1st
and 3rd dances have compelling rapid-fire
and motored rhythms, while the 3rd is
rapturous music depicting the dance
of a beautiful maiden. Given the serious-minded
reputation of the legendary pianist
Walter Gieseking, his Three Dance Improvisations
are surprising for their light and happy
moods with the Foxtrot and Charleston
anchoring the set. Klein is at his best
in these carefree Gieseking pieces.
As an aside, I asked
my wife Ellen Jane to give the disc
a listen and she found it a pleasant
and upbeat listening experience that
I tend to agree with. If you want more
than 'pleasant', Klein's disc is not
for you. However, it should be ample
to enhance an enjoyable evening and
even dance to a few of the pieces. Sonics
are excellent, although higher notes
occasionally have a glassy sound.
Don Satz
Andreas Klein, piano 
