Single discs devoted to Stravinsky’s compact corpus of piano music are surprisingly uncommon. Many pianists will essay the movements from Petrouchka – at least they might of the Danse Russe, a favourite of Horowitz’s, and also from Pulchinella. But not everyone – even those who give an otherwise good body of the piano works – plays the Op.7 Etudes. On his otherwise enterprising Naxos disc Peter Hill, for one, forgoes the responsibility of presenting them and in doing so reduces the playing time of his disc to 55 minutes, and also lessens the immediacy of its presentation through this omission.

There are no such considerations in this recording by Elena Kuschnerova, with whom Hill’s disc might otherwise be in direct competition. She gives us the Etudes, though not the Chorale (the ending of the Symphonies of Wind Instruments in startling guise) that Hill did. Otherwise her playing shows that special combination of textual and digital clarity and tonal warmth that so distinguished her Bach performances.

Her Etudes fuse just these seemingly irreconcilable qualities infusing a degree of unexpected romanticised warmth in the first, vesting the second with great clarity of articulation, but one that keeps objectification at bay. Stylish and elegant the third reflects these qualities to the full. The fourth is steadier than the quixotic and approximate ebullience of a 1950s live Moiseiwitsch (Arbiter) but has a winning control. The 1924 Sonata is hardly an unknown quantity but she brings to it a sure appreciation of its playful brand of neo-classicism, an assurance in matters of rhythmic stress and buoyancy and, in the central movement, those pervasive reflections on such as Scarlatti and Marcello and their compact meeting with prevailing Parisian chic.

Les cinq doigts have precision – note the care over the dynamics – and a command of the often mordant wit that informs these glistening little pieces and the Serenade has comparable virtues. In addition to these however she brings a scamper and limpidity to the central movement with a closely allied romanticising neo-classicism. The movements from Petrouchka are tough; it’s necessary not only to get around the notes but to bring to them suggestive orchestral colour, which she does. She doesn’t inflate the Tango beyond its already rather arch position.

The sound quality is well judged to suit her approach; it’s quite warm and aerated and not all flinty. Fine, understanding playing.

Jonathan Woolf

 

 

Advertising Rates
Visitor stats
MusicWeb International
has over 23,000 Classical CD reviews on offer

Gerard Hoffnung Concerts &
The Bricklayer Story

New Releases

New Releases

MusicWeb Recommended Recordings

DISCS OF THE YEAR 2008

Google Ads
The DoubleClick DART cookie is used by Google in the ads served this site. When users view or click an ad, a cookie may be dropped on that end user's browser. The data gathered from these cookies will be used to help AdSense publishers serve and manage the ads on their site(s) and across the web more effectively.

Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy.