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Presto News - 30th May 2011Beethoven's Diabelli Variations from Paul Lewis |
 Over recent years Paul Lewis has built a reputation as one of the greatest pianists of our time, and a significant amount of that success must go down to his superb performances and recordings of the works of Beethoven. His recordings of the 32 Piano Sonatas (2005-7) won him numerous awards including the Gramophone Record of the Year (2008), and last year he became the first pianist ever to play all five Concertos during one Proms season. The CD release of the Concertos also achieved similar rapturous praise from all around the world. It is therefore not surprising that he has now turned his attention to Beethoven’s one other truly great piano work – the Diabelli Variations.  Paul Lewis Written between 1819 and 1823 the Diabelli Variations post-date all the Concertos and most of the Piano Sonatas. He was prompted to write them by the composer and publisher Anton Diabelli, who had written an unassuming little waltz theme and asked a number of composers (including Schubert and Hummel as well as Beethoven) to all compose one variation on it. Diabelli’s plan was to then collect them into a single volume and publish them (I guess mainly as a promotional tool for his publishing company). Beethoven rather exceeded the brief writing 33 variations and in the process created one of the supreme masterpieces of the piano literature – in fact pianist Alfred Brendel goes as far as to describe it as “the greatest of all piano works”. It is an incredible work, not least because it departs so radically from what was previously expected in a set of variations. As Brendel writes in his book Alfred Brendel On Music: “The theme has ceased to reign over its unruly offspring. Rather, the variations decide what the theme may have to offer them. Instead of being confirmed, adorned and glorified, it is improved, parodied, ridiculed, disclaimed, transfigured, mourned, stamped out and finally uplifted” As you would guess a successful interpretation needs to be able to mix dramatic intensity with calmness and poetic beauty. It requires a massive dynamic range and a wide variety of colours. Meanwhile the pianist must never lose sight of the bigger picture but must be able to bring out the character of each variation individually. Paul Lewis really excels in this music whether it is the humour of Variation X, the exuberance of Variation XVI, or the grief of Variation XXIX. The fugues are carefully and clearly constructed, and Beethoven’s meticulous articulation and dynamic markings watchfully followed and where appropriate strongly emphasised. It is a really impressive performance. With technically mastery taken for granted, it is all about communicating the drama and poetic beauty of the music and here Paul Lewis is right up there with the very best on record. Very highly recommended.
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 Beethoven: Diabelli Variations, Op. 120Paul Lewis (piano) |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
Listen - sound samples available for this itemNew Releases30th May 2011 |
This is just the pick of the recent releases. The New Releases and Future Releases pages are always available for browsing all the new and forthcoming releases. |
 Haydn: The Seasons (Sung in German)Miah Persson, Jeremy Ovenden & Andrew Foster-Williams, London Symphony Chorus & London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin DavisIn 2009 LSO Live released an acclaimed recording of Haydn’s Creation conducted by Sir Colin Davis. For his next release Sir Colin returns to the music of Haydn with a superb cast of young singers for his later oratorio The Seasons. |
 Cavalli: ArtemisiaLa Venexiana, Claudio CavinaAlthough Cavalli has been known as a composer of Venetian seicento sacred music, it is his prolific contribution in the field of opera – where he became one of the leading figures involved in the development of commercial opera companies from the 1640s onwards – that has been receiving greater attention from artists in more recent times. And it is with a dramma per musica in Artemisia from the mid 1650s, with its tale of love, deceit and honour and the upholding of the virtues of the Venetian Republic (all this richly captured by the expressive style of Cavalli), that Cavina has chosen to contribute to that fresh look at Cavalli’s music on this new recording from Glossa. |
 Palestrina Volume 1The Sixteen, Harry Christophers2011 sees the first recording by The Sixteen devoted entirely to Palestrina. The disc marks the start of a new project which will result in a series of new recordings exploring a selection of the composer’s vast output, and a Choral Pilgrimage tour. |
 Respighi: Violin Concerto in A majorChamber Orchestra of New York ‘Ottorino Respighi’, Salvatore Di VittorioAlthough Respighi’s reputation rests on the justly celebrated trilogy of Roman tone poems, he also wrote a number of distinguished works in other forms. His unfinished First Violin Concerto in A major (1903) was recently revised and completed by composer/conductor Salvatore Di Vittorio, who directed its première in 2010. |
 Vaughan Williams: The Garden of ProserpineJane Irwin (mezzo-soprano), Mary Bevan (soprano) & Leigh Melrose (baritone), Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra & The Joyful Company of Singers, Paul DanielVaughan Williams completed The Garden of Proserpine in 1899 and the work was begun in 1897 or 1898. For the twenty-something composer, it was a first attempt at a large-scale work, 489 bars long (at 24 minutes) for soprano soloist, chorus and full orchestra. Given that Vaughan Williams had only produced a handful of songs and some chamber pieces by this date, it is an impressive achievement that, in the closing pages, achieves that combination of radiance and nobility that is so characteristic of this composer in his later works. This is a premier recording. |
 Florent Schmitt: Psaume 47, La Tragédie de Salomé & Le Palais hantéSão Paulo Symphony Orchestra and Choir, Yan Pascal TortelierFlorent Schmitt was well known as a critic and composer during his lifetime, but his compositions fell into neglect after his death. Difficult to pigeonhole, he has been called everything from conservative to neo-romantic to revolutionary, and Dutilleux wrote of him that he ‘gave back to the French school certain notions of grandeur’. The three works on this CD are all remarkable in their own ways – for their rhythmic exuberance, their rich and varied orchestration, their imaginative use of traditional harmonies, and in the case of Le Palais hanté and La Tragédie de Salomé for their exploration of the dark side of humanity. |
 Casals EncoresAlban Gerhardt (cello) & Cecile Licad (piano)This sensational new release from German cellist Alban Gerhardt recaptures the novelty of the much-loved encores performed by Pablo Casals. Spanish-born Casals was universally recognized as one of the world’s greatest cellists and had a vast repertoire of intimate encores which were adored by his audiences. The disc features transcriptions of works by many notable composers including Fauré, Chopin, Saint-Saëns, Boccherini and Wagner. |
 Dvorak: Symphonic Variations & Symphony No. 8London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles MackerrasSir Charles Mackerras and the London Philharmonic Orchestra shared a musical heritage spanning 45 years and this live recording of Dvorák’s Symphonic Variations and Symphony No. 8 from 1992 pays tribute to a partnership that exuded a joy and vivacity in music making. |
 BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 28th May 2011 |
Building a Library - Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings, Op. 31 |
 First ChoiceChristoph Prégardien (tenor), Ib Lanzky-Otto (horn), Tapiola Sinfonietta, Osmo Vänskä |
Disc of the Week |
 Beethoven: String Quartets Nos. 3, 5 and 16Artemis Quartet |
Watch - String Quartet No.16 in F major, Op. 135: Lento assai e cantante tranquillo and short interviewsYour details will be used only in accordance with our Privacy Policy. |
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