Ever since being introduced to the piano music of Isaac Albeniz by a
talented fourth former at Coatbridge High School, Lanarkshire I have loved his music. There are
few pieces that do not impress, move or entertain me. Whether it is the
evocative proto-impressionistic works such as the massive Iberia, the
suite Espana or the early Six Short Waltzes I enjoy and
appreciate virtually every bar of music composed by this Spanish master.
Commentators often divide Albeniz’s music into three categories. The
early period included the accomplished ‘salon’ (disingenuous choice of
adjective) pieces that took Chopin, Liszt and Schubert as their exemplars. In
the late 1880s his aesthetic was influenced by Spanish nationalism and he absorbed
various folk music forms and rhythms. The final period was in the late 1890s
when Albeniz was working at the Schola Cantorum in Paris. Here, he was beholden
to the music of Ravel and Debussy, which was making an impact in the Capital and
began to inform his own music.
Isaac Albeniz wrote seven piano sonatas. Some allege that there were originally
a dozen examples. Unfortunately, only three have survived complete, plus as
couple of fugitive movements from the lost works: a ‘scherzo’ from the Sonata
no.1 and a minuet from Sonata no.7 (Could these have been included on this
CD?). It is hard to believe that there are only three recordings (including the
present disc) of these Sonatas in the current Arkiv catalogue.
The recital begins with the beautifully formed Sonata no.3, composed in
1886. The opening ‘allegretto’ is classically structured but presents a highly
romantic mood in both harmony and melodic development. This movement is
redolent of Chopin, and there is nothing wrong with that! I guess that the technically
demanding and complex finale (‘allegro assai’) looks towards the piano music of
Weber, whilst the middle ‘andante’ is a remarkably poetic piece presenting a
mood of peace and content. It has been noted that there is no ‘Spanish folk
music’ element in this work.
Piano Sonata no.4 was dedicated to
Albeniz’s ‘beloved Maestro’ and patron, Count Guillermo de Morphy. Morphy was a
polymath. Not content with being a Spanish aristocrat, he was a music critic,
musicologist, historian, educator, composer and politician. The opening
movement is a spacious ‘allegro’ combining rhythmic vitality with a sweeping
‘second subject’ with some felicitous lyrical moments. I guess that Chopin is
(again) the model here. The second movement ‘scherzo’ is a little fugue with a
dominating staccato figure. The ‘Minuetto’ is hardly a dance but more an aria
written in ternary form, with winning pianistic decorations. The concluding ‘Rondo’
is the main event. It has been described as Lisztian in its drive, technical
demands and vivid contrast between hard-hitting chordal passages and filigree
melodic ‘ornamentation.’
My personal favourite here is Sonata no.5,
completed in 1888. This four-movement work is a pure delight. The ethos is
high-flown romanticism balanced with controlled pianism. The Sonata has been
criticised for its structural imbalance: the opening movement is nearly as long
as the other three combined. For me this is no problem. The sheer poetry of
this movement overcomes any formal objections.
I have noted before, that anyone listening
to this Sonata with an ‘innocent ear’ would be hard pressed to come up with
Albeniz as the composer. There is not a hint of flamenco, tango or zortzico in
these pages. If the listener is looking for musical pointers, then Mendelssohn,
Grieg and Chopin must feature as inspiration.
The final movement seems to nod towards Scarlatti and fellow Spanish
composer Antonio Soler, without ever descending into parody.
Isaac Albeniz composed three Suite
Anciennes, all published in 1886-87. Sebastian Stanley has recorded the first two. Unusually, I guess for a
suite, they each have only two movements. They are lovely little works that are
well written and thoroughly enjoyable. Looking at the CD total timings, surely
the third Suite could have been ‘squeezed in.’ (But not at the expense of the remains
of the ‘lost’ sonatas!
The first of the two Suites consists of a ‘Gavotta’ and ‘Minuetto’. The
first piece contrasts a march-like opening and closing section with a lyrical
second section which has some delicious melodic elaborations. The ‘Minuetto’ is
once again written in ‘Lied’ form with a slower middle section.
In Suite Ancienne no.2, Albeniz has repristinated two dances that were of
Hispanic provenance: the ‘Sarabande’ and the ‘Chaconne’. These dances reputedly
originated in the Americas, crossed to Europe and were absorbed into the Baroque
musical psyche. Once again, Albeniz has reworked these ‘ancient’ forms using
the musical language of the late nineteenth century, without creating a
pastiche. Lookout for the lovely middle section of the ‘Chacona’.
I thoroughly enjoyed British pianist (of Spanish birth) Sebastian
Stanley’s recital of relatively rare Albeniz. The playing balances the
classical/romantic nature of these works. There is always a danger that these
sonatas and suites are regarded as little better than ‘salon’ music. This is
hardly fair, as Stanley’s sympathetic and imaginative account reveals. All
these pieces are available on the BIS and NAXOS cycles of the piano music;
however, I think that it is fitting to have these early pieces assembled on a
single disc. The liner notes are reasonable but could have given more technical
and historical details about each work. The Sonata no.3 is barely mentioned. I
would have liked a photo of the composer included in the booklet rather than
two insipid snaps of the pianist. The cover painting, ‘Pianist 1919’, by the
cubist forerunner María Blanchard (1881-1932) is a masterpiece.
Track Listing:
Isaac ALBENIZ (1860-1909)
Sonata no.3, op.68
in A flat major (1886)
Suite Ancienne no.1,
op.54 (1885)
Sonata no.4, op.72
in A (1887)
Suite Ancienne no.2,
op.64 (1886)
Sonata no.5, op.82
in G flat (1887)
Sebastian Stanley
(piano)
Rec. 13-14 March
2019, Westvestkerk, Schiedam, The Netherlands
PIANO CLASSICS PCL 10194
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.
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