RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Préludes Book 1 (1909-10) [40:02]
Trois Nocturnes (transcription by Maurice Ravel, 1909)* [23:33]
Prélude à l’après-midi d’une faune (transcription
by the composer, 1895)* [8:48]
Préludes Book 2 (1911-12) [40:01]
Alexei Lubimov, Alexei Zuev* (piano)
rec. April 2011, Sint-Pieterskerk, Leut, Belgium
ECM NEW SERIES ECM 2241/42 [63:35 + 48:49]
This is a recording which starts out being about the instruments on which
it is played, and ends up being more about the music than anything else. The
story goes that Alexei Lubimov encountered an old Steinway in the Polish Embassy
in Brussels which is said to be the instrument Paderewski played in his recitals,
and its effect on his playing stimulated him to re-think Debussy’s Préludes
entirely, even after 40 years of playing them both in public and in private.
This recording is therefore one performed on ‘period’ instruments,
but listeners need have no fear of clunky old out-of-tune piles of what my
friend Johan the piano calls ‘firewood’. If it were not for the
rich timbral effects of which these instruments are capable, and which seem
so in tune with the vocabulary that Debussy intended for his music and reportedly
demonstrated in his own playing, then we wouldn’t be here at all - at
least, not in the same way. The first thing which strikes you is indeed the
rich piano sound, in the first book of Preludes a 1925 Bechstein which is
“clear, sharply-etched, translucent and light, even in complex textures”,
in the second book Lubimov plays the previously mentioned 1913 Steinway, which
he describes as “divinely soft in pianissimo, resonant and marvellously
suitable for unexpected colours.” Both instruments are heard in the
arrangements for two pianos, Trois Nocturnes as transcribed by Ravel,
and Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune.
I am still highly impressed and somewhat under the spell of Roger Woodward’s
Debussy Préludes (see review)
which, lacking extras, fits onto a single disc. Not so long ago I also chanced
upon a copy of Paul Jacobs’s recording on the Nonesuch label, which
is also pretty miraculous, that is, if you can lay your hands on it. Woodward’s
impressionism is heavier on pedalling than Lubimov, who creates atmosphere
as well as maintaining clarity. This is not to say that Woodward’s playing
isn’t clear, but he keeps us in a state of druggy wonder for longer
periods, and is seemingly reluctant to offer the contrasts of texture which
makes Lubimov more involving in the long run.
Alexei Lubimov might not be quite a household name to many, but he is widely
recognised as an insightful interpreter of classical and baroque music, as
well as being champion of new music, for instance performing the Moscow premières
of new works by Terry Riley and John Cage as far back as 1968. Lubimov has
been a significant interpreter of work from the former Soviet Union, something
in which he and Roger
Woodward share a common interest.
These Debussy recordings are remarkable for their fidelity to the letter and
the spirit of the composer’s intentions. The opening Danseuses de
Delphes is quite reserved and simple, and by no means the grandiose chorale
as which it sometimes emerges. I love the way Lubimov brings out the jazzy
elements in Les collines d’Anacapri, and his tumultuous Ce
qu’a vu le vent d’ouest is a genuine assault on the senses.Only
because I happened to have a score lying around, I point to La Cathédrale
engloutie from book 1 of the Preludes as an example of both aspects of
Lubimov’s playing - spirit and letter. Marked PP, the opening
‘ping’ of the initial chord might seem a little heavy, but it
ensures the sustain which Debussy intends, the gently moving chords which
follow creating the true dynamic. You can really hear the marqué
definition where it is marked, the low C chimes are really stunning, the rests
in the outer chords just in advance of the Un peu moins lent section
at 3:06observed minutely, the subsequent build-up seemingly defying
the decay of each note. The penultimate echo in advance of the final
coda is gorgeous as well, the memory of the main theme carried over a rumble
of sea in C.
If it’s orchestral piano you are looking for then the duo works which
divide the books of Preludes are something special. Joined by his student
and colleague Alexei Zuev, the Prélude à l’après-midi
d’un faune in particular is a stunning example of how far two pianos
can go in emulating a full orchestra. Admittedly it is the imagination, already
infused with Debussy’s superb original orchestration, which adds extra
layers of meaning to these piano sounds, but even without such associations
I think we would accept this as a tremendous evocation and musical statement
- perfectly suited to these instruments.
I have no doubt you could go through every piece and extrapolate significant
observations, but the bottom line is that these are very fine performances
indeed, and these venerable old grand pianos are very much alive and part
of the entire creative process. The Steinway for the second book of Preludes
is rather special indeed, warmly coloured, but with a depth and breadth of
colour which expands the meaning and implication of the word resonance in
this context. There is a fluid connection between registers in this piano
which admits difference and contrast between low, middle and high, but which
also connects and relates each in some intangible way which seems to set it
apart from many a modern instrument. I am neither for nor against old or new
when it comes to instruments of any kind, but I’ve heard and played
enough different pianos to know how individual and special their characters
can be. Here is a sound in which you can revel just as Lubimov clearly does,
and absorb the different character of Debussy’s works as if by osmosis,
from the melancholy of Feuilles mortes to the quirky “Général
Lavine” - eccentric and lampooning of London’s pride in the
Hommage à S. Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C. Yes indeed, there is great
fun to be had here as well as a kind of total immersion in the shimmering
imagery and seriousness of expression in these works which can sometimes make
a rainy day seem even darker and wetter. The Feux d’artifice
with which the cycle finishes is like an entire re-birth - we can all start
re-thinking our Debussy after this recording, and the goalposts and boundary
markers have all been picked up and moved yet again.
Beautifully presented in stylishly minimalist monochrome and provided with
excellent booklet notes by Jürg Stenzl and a personal comment by Alexei
Lubimov, this is a set to treasure and avoid getting covered in coffee stains
and fingerprints at all costs. It commands respect and oozes quality on all
fronts, and I’m already shortlisting it for disc of the decade, let
alone the year.
Dominy Clements
Very special indeed.
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