Exile: Intermezzo; Burlesque; Nereid; In a Vodka Shop – Ashley Wass,
piano – [British Piano Music Series] Naxos 8.557439, 74:27 ****:
Like many composers better known for their orchestral music – in this
case his symphonic poems – the many piano works he wrote have been
neglected. The early part of his career involved many performances as a
pianist in both his own works and those of others. Bax’s First Piano
Sonata of 1910 is in a single 22-minute movement a la Liszt but
Scriabin’s piano music was his primary stimulus. His Second Sonata
comes from 1919 and seems to refer to WWI in its concern with “the
warring forces of light and darkness, ” according to the composer. The
four other shorter works are more impressionistic in style. The final
one – Vodka Shop – is a Russian pastiche written for a 19-year-old
female pianist to which he took a special liking. All these pieces are
worthwhile listening and at Naxos’ bargain price most anyone can
experiment a bit with such offbeat repertory without serious risk.
JOAQUIN RODRIGO Piano Music 1 = In the Shadow of the Crimson Tower;
Four Piano Pieces; Pastoral; Nostalgic Prelude; Two Lullabies; Four
Andalusian Pictures; Sounding of Farewell; Spanish Serenade; Ballet
Theme on the Name of a Young Girl; Distant Sarabande; Five Pieces of
the 16th Century; Fantasia in the Style of Ludovico’s Harp – Artur
Pizarro, piano [Spanish Classics Series] Naxos 8.557272, 69:27 ****:
Another series starting at Naxos devoted to the neglected piano music
of another composer. The blind composer was also a virtuoso pianist who
played both his own works and those of others. The 23 tracks here cover
a variety of styles, from short little miniatures to longer works. The
last movement of his Four Piano Pieces is a rare tribute to his native
Valencia, quoting a dance melody. Some of these works were written
during difficult times for Rodrigo and his Turkish wife (both seen in
the DVD documentary reviewed this month). Life for them was a challenge
in the 1930s but things began to change with the premiere of his
popular Concierto de Aranjuez in 1940. Pizarro is a dynamic pianist who
seems perfect for these modern but accessible selections.
– John Sunier
