Symphonies by Sibelius for piano solo? There can’t be many composers
you could imagine being less suitable for such treatment, such
is the richness and colour of Sibelius’s orchestration; an aspect
which is part of the very essence of these pieces. Indeed, the
booklet notes are headed ‘The art of the impossible’, and go
on to mention how important orchestration was to Sibelius: “My
music comes to me fully orchestrated. Orchestration as a separate
process is completely alien to me.”
Henri Sigfridsson is known for exploring less familiar composers
and more unusual musical byways,
so it’s not such a surprise to see his name attached to such
a venture. Inspired by Karl Ekman’s transcription of the Symphony
No.5, it is Sigfridsson’s own brand new piano version of
the Symphony No.2 we hear on this CD, and very intriguing
it is too.
The booklet describes how the pianist has “followed in the tradition
of Liszt’s Beethoven transcriptions, writing a version which
is faithful to the original yet exploits the potential of the
piano…” What else, indeed. The problem is always of what to
leave out, as much as how to transform an orchestral piece into
an effective work for piano solo. In my view, it’s better to
listen in these terms, rather than point-score as to whether
one moment has more or less impact from a full orchestra or
a solo piano. In other words, the symphony almost becomes a
new piece, and the question becomes more one of ‘is this a good
work for piano?’ rather than ‘does this symphony sound good
on a piano?’
Having said this, there can me no doubt that the composer in
me would be itching to ‘orchestrate’ such a work were it, like
Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, to have been
written as a piano original. There is a good deal of repetition,
sustains achieved through tremuli, certain passages which become
over-long and static through lack of contrast in atmosphere
and that sense of tension you can achieve with orchestral effects.
I was perhaps expecting to be less impressed by the great Symphony
No.2 on piano, but I have been more than pleasantly surprised
at how effective a piano piece it makes. Sibelius’s work is
full of rich themes and intensely gorgeous harmonic progressions,
and the piano has a way of exposing and clarifying ideas – letting
them speak with a voice of absolute honesty, rather than having
our ears swept along with the even richer diet of the full orchestra.
The first movement works well in this regard. The opening of
the second movement is more problematic, with voices diving
and rising through textures through which the unity of piano
strings is not ideal. What we do hear is more how Sibelius is
working with a kind of counterpoint which reminds me of late
Beethoven – deaf and a trifle manic, but still carrying great
power. As the texture thins we have that clarity once again,
and Sibelius’s monumental gathering and releasing of energy
is done well by Sigfridsson. The Finale is a romantic
tour de force, and would probably sound good on a barrel-organ
let alone a full concert grand. Not only are the thematic developments
given absolute clarity, but the sheer architecture of this movement
is something at which we can stand and boggle in this performance.
Having it played by a single performer gives the music an extra
element of heroism which is quite moving.
The Symphony No.2 is rightly famous, and, while the Symphony
No.5 is equally powerful its less overt thematic character
is more of a problem for popular audiences. The task of transcription
is also a great challenge, and pianist and friend of Sibelius
Karl Ekman’s version was made in 1922. Karl Ekman’s wife Ida
was a renowned singer and interpreter of Sibelius, and his son
wrote a well-known biography of the composer. Some elements
which were omitted by Ekman due to technical considerations
have been filled out by Henri Sigfridsson, so this is in effect
a new ‘edition’. The only other recordings of piano transcriptions
of Sibelius symphonies I could find were those by the composer
himself of parts of the Symphony No.1 as part of the
BIS label’s complete edition. As far as I can tell this is a
world premičre recording.
Given the more enigmatic nature of the music with the 5th
symphony as compared to the 2nd, I actually prefer
it as music for piano to the Symphony No.2. The quality
of the piece generates a work which asks as many questions as
it delivers answers, and the atmosphere is at times one which
possesses a kind of quirkiness which reminds me of Janáček.
Again, there are passages which linger perhaps a little too
long to be sustained by piano alone, but there is always yet
another fascinating event just around the corner, and I really
found myself listening to the Symphony No.5 as if discovering
it for the first time. The final Allegro molto becomes
a real white-knuckle ride, the layering of textures turning
into something rather awesome. Given the technical problems
and demands it is perhaps something of a wonder that Ekman didn’t
write for four-hands in this piece, but this solo performance
is one with stretches the performer to extreme limits, and while
it’s not a catch-all version of Sibelius’s remarkable music
it is certainly something at which us mere mortals can gasp.
Henri Sigfridsson’s technique is well up to the challenge while
not sounding entirely effortless as you might expect. The heroic
aspect is present and heightened, and the final section should
have you tearing up the soft furnishings with excitement.
So, if you are a fan of Sibelius – I mean a real genuine warts-and-all
fan – then this is a must-have recording which will only enhance
your appreciation of the great composer’s genius. If you only
like Finlandia and find some of the symphonies a bit
heavy going then this is unlikely to convert you. This CD doesn’t
challenge the best of orchestral recordings. These performances
exist in a different sphere, and to make comparisons would be
to miss the points already made. The recording is very good,
but demands a quality system to make sense of the densest material.
All in all, I have to say this is a magnificent success, which
was by no means my assumption in advance.
Dominy Clements
Henri Sigfridsson (piano)
