The catalogue is not
exactly awash with recordings of this
repertoire, which is a shame. At its
best and worst this music is as good
as anything by Prokofiev, and how many
versions of some of his sonatas
do you have on your shelves?
Peter Donohoe’s new
recording is very much to be welcomed,
as it effectively replaces Nicholas
Unwin’s currently unavailable Chandos
issue of the same Sonatas. Pity the
poor fourth sonata, which, it is to
be hoped, will appear at some future
date on Naxos. Tippett fanciers who
are desperate for this late masterpiece
will find Paul Crossley’s CRD recording
more than adequate for now – if a little
pricey by comparison, and it is with
his complete set that I will be comparing
the new Naxos disc.
Donohoe’s piano sound
is a little warmer and closer than Crossley’s,
which is recorded in a more resonant
acoustic. Of course, such head to head
comparisons are always a little unfair.
In short, both recordings are excellent,
and the ear soon becomes accustomed
to appreciating each balance as entirely
natural. If however you prefer punchy
bass sound in your piano recordings
and a more ‘under the lid’ feeling,
then Donohoe is your man. With Crossley,
you are in the best seat in the concert
hall; with Donohoe, you are the page
turner.
Take the magnificent
Allegro first movement of the
first sonata. Donohoe comes in a whole
minute shorter than Crossley, and his
superb touch and technique present a
dazzling variety of dynamic contrast,
lyrical expressiveness juxtaposed with
all of the symphonic bravura of a young
composer flexing his considerable creative
muscles at the keyboard. Donohoe plays
this music with less rubato than Crossley.
While losing none of the rhythmic flexibility
this music demands, he has a more attention-grabbing
approach, marrying the more disparate
elements of this movement by uncompromisingly
letting them rub shoulders with each
other, rather than allowing polite breathing
space between them. His accuracy is
also superior, notably in the massive
octave passages just before the final
recapitulation.
I was also interested
to compare the second movement of the
first sonata: with Donohoe coming in
at 3:46 and Crossley at 5:15 there has
to be some serious difference in opinion
here. Bearing in mind that Crossley’s
recording was made in the presence of
the composer and therefore presumably
with his approval, it might be tempting
to regard it as being in some way definitive.
Like all great music however, there
can be validity to several interpretations.
Donohoe is again more concise and less
self-consciously romantic in his approach,
reflecting the innocence of Tippett’s
use of ‘Ca’ the cowes tae the knowes’
as a thematic base for this movement.
Crossley’s richer pedalling and rubato
impose an extra level of Rachmaninovian
pianism on the music which, as Donohoe
proves, doesn’t necessarily heighten
its emotional impact.
Moving on to the second
sonata, Tippett’s mature voice is present
right from the start, and again Donohoe’s
exhilarating pianism and musicianship
grab and hold one’s attention throughout
the whole of this tightly argued single-movement
work. One senses Donohoe’s educational
experiences with Messiaen and Yvonne
Loriod shining through here. His dancing,
birdsong-like negotiation of the single-line
figuration makes Crossley’s seem a little
leaden and mannered by comparison. For
Donohoe, the fleeting contrasts and
micro-detail in this remarkable piece
all have a connected purpose. With Crossley,
they appear almost as a procession of
disparate elements presented end-to-end.
At the opening of the
third sonata one’s jaw drops once more
at Donohoe’s effortless magicianship
with this ‘difficult’ music. His performance
is one of power without commotion, atmosphere
without static impressionism; at once
exacting and detailed while at the same
time expressive and engaging. I have
been completely re-educated as to the
substance and content of these pieces
with this new recording. What more can
one ask for at little more than a fiver!
Dominy Clements
Peter Donohoe (piano) 
