My one Boris Berezovsky anecdote is that I once acted as page-turner
at a recital he gave at the Dr. Anton Philipszaal in The Hague.
At the brief pre-concert preparations there was a dauntingly
huge ring-bound work by someone like Medtner. He took the score,
said “of course, we won’t be playing all of this” and after
a brief inspection, unexpectedly ripped out a huge wodge of
paper from the middle. “Don’t worry about any gaps, I know it
really…” That’s my kind of musician – I’ve been a fan ever since.
Berezovsky’s great reputation is well earned, and he is now
considered as one of the most powerful virtuoso pianists of
his generation, as well as a musician with gifts of deep insight
and uniquely personal sensitivities. Many of his recordings
have been given the highest awards in Europe, and, like the
back catalogues of other great pianists such as Martha Argerich,
the time for adding a ton of marvels to your collection in one
fell and not-too-costly swoop has never been better.
CD 1
Berezovsky’s Chopin is terrific – his Etudes warmer
in expression but no less impressive than Mauricio Pollini’s
classic Deutsche Grammophon recording of 1975. Berezovsky was
only 23 when he made these recordings, but you wouldn’t take
these to be the work of anyone other than in the prime of their
artistic development.
CD 2
The Chopin/Godowski Études disc was Tony Hayward’s ‘Recording
of the Month’ (see review),
and this is indeed a staggering performance with that feeling
of a unique and special event. The Chopin Études are
well known, and executed with Berezovsky’s usual panache and
musicality. These originals are then followed by their transcription,
Godowski’s treatment as often as not making it sound as if the
single pianist, brilliant and superhuman enough, has suddenly
been transformed into more than one, sometimes a multitude of
pianists.
CD 3
This Schumann disc is reviewed here
by Christopher Fifield. I’ve come across some remarkable Schumann
recordings in recent years, and of the Davidsbündlertänze
that of Alessandra Ammara (see review)
has been one of the most special. Berezovsky’s playing is no
less expressive in this work, but isn’t quite as enquiring.
Ammara seems to have a personal connection and narrative attached
to every note, whereas Berezovsky is less deliberately poetic.
His is a more overtly spectacular ‘concert-pianist’ view, but
one with plenty of nuance and refined subtleties. The imagination
is sparked, but the shapes are more of woods and glades rather
than the complex fragrances and hidden thorns of an elaborate
rose garden. Of the Piano Sonata No.2 in G minor Op.22
it is Angela
Hewitt’s recording I’ve kept closest to hand as a reference.
Berezovsky is again more masculine in his approach, though Hewitt
is by no means any kind of softie. I can hear Berezovsky’s interpretation
as an opera for piano – turbulent drama in Act I, followed by
the tenderness of a soliloquy. Comic relief is palpable in the
intermezzo which precedes the final hectic ensemble in which
each character returns to say their piece, the whole tale concluded
in breathless unity, a final magical revelation and betrothals
all round. The Toccata is a showpiece in which Berezovsky
is more than merely impressive, with every inner voice thrown
forward with lightness of touch, and the whole with plenty of
shading and transparency through the melee of notes.
CD 4
There are a few pretty staggering recordings of Liszt’s Études
d’exécution transcendante around, and the names Claudio
Arrau and Georges Cziffra are likely to pop up in any discussion
of the complete set. The latter of these names falls under ‘historical’
recorded quality, and Berezovsky’s recording has to be one of
the best around – squarely confronting even great achievements
such as Leslie Howard’s Hyperion recording as part of their
massive complete set or on CDA66357. The Teldec sound is effectively
concert-hall in perspective though the Hyperion recording is
set in an even more resonant acoustic; Howard’s playing, while
terrific, giving the impression of being a bit more pedal-heavy.
His melodic shaping is less convincing to my ears than Berezovsky,
who still manages to sing triumphantly over something impossibly
richly scored like the fourth Mazeppa etude. Transcending
the technical demands of these pieces and creating genuine musical
experiences with each is something we need, and Berezovsky’s
playing is breathtakingly audacious as well as full of colour
and imagination. I’ve not always been in love with this repertoire,
but this recording has finally awakened me to its vast potential.
CD 5
This brings us more Liszt, and the two piano concertos. I bow
in my lack of expertise in this repertoire to Michael Cookson,
whose review
of the Barenboim/Boulez recording is a rich resource of references.
As part of such a richly rewarding set as this box I feel there
is little to complain about in these recordings, though there
are caveats. The piano balance sometimes drowns out the orchestra
and is beyond realistic expectations. Berezovsky is however
more distinguished than the Philharmonia Orchestra in both of
these concertos, the accompaniment for which is very good, but
too remote to whip up much excitement. Berezovsky’s playing
is again tremendous: warm and expressive where it counts, and
sharp as a needle with even the most technically demanding passages.
If you are looking for this coupling in a more convincingly
rich and unified picture and as a more expansive counterfoil
to the intensity of the Teldec experience then Arnaldo Cohen
and the Sao Paolo orchestra on BIS-SACD-1530 is as good a recording
as any, though I will admit that Berezovsky is the more ‘alpha’
sounding of the two pianists. The Totentanz is excellent
in this recording, grimly dark throughout, and pretty terrifying
at the outset. The bonus track of Schubert’s Wanderer-Fantasie
I can take or leave; Liszt’s vision with orchestra not really
being an improvement on the original piano solo version, at
times turning a white-knuckle ride of the imagination into something
really rather corny, though the New York Philharmonic and Kurt
Masur make a convincing enough case.
CD 6
Berezovsky’s vivid sense of drama and contrast suits Mussorgsky’s
craggy Night on the Bare Mountain to the ground. His
sense of the piercing chill of the howling and swirling winds
is unerring, keeping a human element within the elemental experience
but without let-up in that sense of danger inherent in a good
performance of the piece. You would expect him to shine in an
all-Russian recital, and the emotional turmoil of Rachmaninov
is an assault on even Mussorgsky’s powerful statement. It’s
not all butch power-playing, and the extremes of contrast in
Op. 39 No. 7, Lento in C minor bring moments
of Erik Satie-like simplicity against massive boulders of chords.
Anatoly Liadov is a less familiar name, and the first two of
the three Preludes here are lyrical and tenderly romantic.
Medtner’s Fairy Tales are anything but child-like in
aspect, and Berezovsky keeps a stern hold on the composer’s
wonderful harmonic progressions no matter how many notes he
takes to state them. Balakirev’s spectacular Islamey
concludes a remarkable and immensely satisfying recital to which
is impossible give real justice in one paragraph.
CD 7
This represents is another meeting of titans, and you would
expect the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 to be something
of a highlight of the collection. Very good it is indeed in
parts, though the overall recorded sound is more warm and woolly
than I expected – you keep wanting to turn up the volume to
hear what’s going on, and finding out that this makes little
difference. Martha Argerich’s recording has its own problems
(see review),
but with at times dodgy wind intonation and ensemble from the
Ural Philharmonic Orchestra is still ultimately preferable.
As a budget alternative I’ve rarely heard better than Nikolai
Demidenko on Hyperion.
It’s good to have the much less well-known Khachaturian Piano
Concerto in D flat major, though the pungency of rhythm
at times suffers in that woolly acoustic picture. Berezovsky’s
solo part is urgent and fascinating and blisteringly intense.
It’s when you compare this to the more vibrantly recorded though
impossibly echo-bound Chandos version with Constantine Orbelian
on CHAN8542 that you realise how tremendous Berezovsky’s performance
is. By comparison you find yourself ‘waiting around for something
to happen’ with the Chandos recording. This Teldec version isn’t
a perfect recording, but is certainly a performance very much
worth having.
CD 8
Less frequently performed than some of his other piano works
but full of fascinating writing, Rachmaninov’s Variations
on a Theme of Chopin is given a grand outing here. Opening
with a broader statement than Idil Biret on her fine Naxos recording,
8.554426, Berezovsky is more abstract and poetic, probing as
well as virtuoso. He misses out the 12th and 14th
variations – something which Rachmaninov allows for in the score.
The Piano Sonata No. 1 is also magnificent, symphonic
in scale and ambitions, aspects of the music which Berezovsky
reflects in a noble performance. Referring to Idil Biret again
on 8.553003, the Teldec recording obtains more clarity, and
Berezovsky is less free with Rachmaninov’s phrasing and rhythmic
integrity, giving us a greater sense of flow in general. His
drive in the final Allegro molto is also more impressive.
CD 9
There are plenty of special recordings of Rachmaninov’s Piano
Concerto No. 3 around, and the one which is paired with
that Tchaikovsky recording with Martha Argerich mentioned on
CD 7 is an old favourite. Berezovsky’s performance is even more
large-scale, and whatever your reference might be, this is a
deeply satisfying recording, with the Philharmonia Orchestra
on top form - delivering sonorities and a passion which remind
me of Tchaikovsky in comparison to the more Schumann-like RSO
Berlin with Argerich/Chailly. The whole thing is given a startlingly
vibrant recording. The timings between these two recordings
are very similar, with Berezovsky only taking a good deal more
time over the solo in the first movement to make his a good
two minutes longer. The Op.23 Préludes which fill up
the rest of the programme are all gorgeous, particularly No.
10 in G flat major, which emerges from nothing, like a
gondola emerging from silent mists.
CD 10
This disc is ably described in Michael Cookson’s review
of this all-Hindemith programme. As he concludes, this music
should hold no fears for listeners less keen on ‘modern’ music.
True, the counterpoint of Ludus Tonalis does demand
a different kind of concentration, but Hindemith’s sense of
tonality and clarity of melodic phrasing create some remarkable
fugues, all expressed with appropriate vigour or expressive
restraint by Boris Berezovsky. The earlier Suite ‘1922’
is a cracking piece, and full of that quirky theatricality of
the period – classical music straining against the new influences
of an age of machines and consumer dance music. Berezovsky’s
touch is perhaps a mite heavy on occasion here, but there is
no avoiding the conviction behind the notes.
To conclude, this is a set not to be missed, though for some
strange reason Teldec have opted to leave out Berezovsky's excellent
1994 Ravel disc which included Gaspard de la nuit and
a remarkable La Valse - an omission to be lamented.
The collection does have something of a bargain feel, with skimpy
and generalised booklet notes and just the one photo for all
disc sleeves. These are however made in sturdy cardboard, and
come in a decently constructed clamshell box.
Dominy Clements
Full contents list
CD 1
Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849)
12 Études, op.10 [29:43]
12 Études, op.25 [31:53]
3 Nouvelles Études, op. posth. [6:44]
rec. Teldec Studio, Berlin 1991
CD 2
Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Selection of Études with transcriptions by Leopold GODOWSKY
(1870-1938)
Op.10 No.1 in C major – Godowsky transcription ‘Diatonisch’
[4:14]
Op.10 No.2 in A minor – Godowsky’s second transcription ‘Ignis
Fatuus’ [3:22]
Op.10 No.4 in C sharp minor – Godowsky transcription for left
hand [4’37]
Op.10 No.5 in G sharp major – Godowsky transcriptions in C major
‘Study on White Keys’ and in A minor ‘Tarantella’ [5:40]
Op.10 No.6 in E flat minor – Godowsky transcription for left
hand [7:23]
Op.10 No.12 in C minor – Godowsky transcription for left hand
in C sharp minor [5:36]
Op.25 No.1 in A flat major – Godowsky’s second transcription
[5:16]
Op.25 No.5 in E minor – Godowsky’s second transcription in C
sharp minor ‘Mazurka’ [6:35]
Godowsky transcription of Op.10 No.5 and Op.25 No.9 combined
in G flat major ‘Badinage’ [1:34]
Godowsky transcription of Op.10 No.11 and Op.25 No.3 combined
in F major [2:46]
Godowsky: Alt-Wien (Triakontameron, No.11) [2:00]
Godowsky transcription of Waltz Op.64 No.1 in D flat major ‘Minute’
[3:19]
rec. live, The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk, 19-20 April 2005
CD 3
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Davidsbündlertänze Op.6 [38 :01]
Sonata No.2 in G minor Op.22 [17:22]
Toccata in C Op.7 [6:46]
rec. Teldec Studio, Berlin, May 1992
CD 4
Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Études d’exécution transcendante, S139 [60:26]
rec. Teldec Studio, Berlin, May 1995
CD 5
Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, S124 [17:11]
Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major, S125 [19:40]
Totentanz, S126 [16:00]
Philharmonia Orchestra/Hugh Wolf
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) arr. Liszt
Fantasy in C major, D760 ‘Wanderer-Fantasie’ [21:04]
New York Philharmonic/Kurt Masur
rec. Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Aldburgh, December 1994 (Liszt)
and Avery Fisher Hall, New York, 1997
CD 6
Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839-1861)
Night on the Bare Mountain [11:12]
Sergey RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
4 Études-Tableaux Op. 39 [19:22]
Anatoly LIADOV (1865-1914)
3 Preludes [5:27]
Nicolai MEDTNER (1880-1951)
Fairy Tales [16:40]
Mily BALAKIREV (1837-1910)
Islamey [7:48]
rec. Teldec Studio, Berlin, 1994 & 1995
CD 7
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Piano Concerto No.1 in B flat minor, op. 23 [32:01]
Aram KHACHATURIAN (1903-1978)
Piano Concerto in D flat major [30:06]
Ural Philharmonic Orchestra/Dmitri Liss
rec. Philharmonic Great Hall, Ekaterinburg, 20-23 February 2006
CD 8
Sergey RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
Variations on a Theme of Chopin, Op.22 [27:31]
Piano Sonata No.1 in D minor, op. 28 [38:58]
rec. Teldec Studio, Berlin, 1-5 March 1993
CD 9
Sergey RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, op. 30 [42:21]
Philharmonia Orchestra/Eliahu Inbal
5 Préludes, Op.23 [16:42]
rec. Watford Town Hall, July 1991
CD 10
Paul HINDEMITH (1895-1963)
Ludus tonalis (1942-43) [53:42]
Suite 1922, Op. 26 (1922) [17:50]
rec. 23-24 February 2006, Philharmonia Great Hall, Ekaterinburg,
Russia.
Boris Berezovsky (piano)
TELDEC 2564 66468-4 [10 CDs: 68:16 + 54:32 + 62:10 +
74:03 + 60:34 + 62:07 + 66:31 + 59:04 + 72:11]
Boris Berezovsky (piano)