The Dvořák Piano Concerto is a tough nut to crack. Perhaps
only Richter/Carlos Kleiber truly cracked it, in a recording that
truly deserved to be on of EMI’s Great Recordings of the Century.
Firkušný, too, has filed notable versions. If not quite in this
exalted company, Igor Ardašev puts forward a strong case for the
concerto.
Brno-born Ardašev, tall with big hands and long fingers, negotiates
Dvořák’s tricky writing with aplomb. He is a very fluent
pianist, whose technique is excellent and who is capable of great
expression. Petr Altrichter manages his forces well, laudably
avoiding any trace of bombast in the fortes. Both pianist and
orchestra manage much delicacy, too. There are, in fairness, a
few corners that are less than perfectly negotiated in terms of
ensemble between soloist and orchestra, but everyone hangs in
there and the excellence of Ardašev’s cadenza compensates. Here,
intelligence meets sensitivity.
Altrichter, too,
responds well to Dvořák’s demands. The orchestra clearly
likes him. The horn solo at the opening of the central Andante
sostenuto is lovely - played with a subtle vibrato. Although
Ardašev begins well, sometimes his tone feels forced here. He
does not quite live up to the expectations created by his first
movement success, and the closing woodwind chord is unsubtly
stated - and not entirely in tune, either. The finale generates
a fair amount of steam but gives the impression that this is
good, not great music; Richter/Kleiber do just the opposite.
The Eighth Symphony
begins with eloquent lower strings in their long melody shadowed
by slightly less eloquent horns. The recording is lacking in
depth, something that is particularly obvious in this, the warmest
of Dvořák’s symphonies. There is much joy to be gleaned
from the woodwind contributions, however and Altrichter manages
to whip up an almost fierce, stormy climax to the first movement
and a fine sense of momentum towards its end. Orchestral balance
in the louder sections of the Adagio seems skewed and awkward,
as if rehearsal time had prohibited stopping and considering
this element; surely not, given that they knew this was being
filmed and recorded? Better is the carefree swing of the third
movement. The more outrageous elements of Dvořák’s scoring
in the finale - the horn trills, the brass ascents - are significantly
underplayed, blunting their gestural effect. Although there
is a clarinet solo towards the end that speaks properly of homeland-nostalgia,
it comes as too little too late. It is a disappointing performance
overall.
I remain unsure
as to whether one actually needs to see either of these
performances. Little seems to be gained, certainly, particularly
in the case of the symphony. Rodney Greenberg’s direction is
acceptable but basically similar to what one would expect from,
say, a Proms BBC simulcast. I doubt whether I will be returning
to these accounts often, if at all. If you want Dvořák
on DVD, my recommendation of Neumann’s
Stabat Mater, also on Arthaus, stands. Interestingly, Arthaus
provides their own competition for themselves in the Stabat
Mater, an issue that is in the same series as the present
release (it is volume 5 of “The Dvořák Cycle”) and similarly
deserves to be swerved.
Colin Clarke
Igor Ardašev (piano)a
[88:00]
