The Arabian Nights is an enormous collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled during the Islamic Golden Age. The core of the collection is the story of Scheherazade, an intelligent woman who tells captivating stories to her husband, King Shahryar, to postpone her execution. She weaves tales each night, leaving them unfinished so that the king spares her life to hear more. Well-loved stories include Aladdin's Lamp, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor. These tales are rich with themes of adventure, magic, love, and justice, often reflecting the culture and values of the medieval Islamic world.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was long fascinated by the “mythical orient.” His most popular work is the orchestral Symphonic Suite: Scheherazade, op.35 (1888). It was inspired by four stories from the Arabian Nights. The movements are: The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship, The Story of the Kalendar Prince, The Young Prince and the Young Princess and the concluding Festival in Baghdad - The Shipwreck on the Rocks. The texts of the underlying stories are easily discovered on the internet. The original features brilliant orchestration, exotic themes, and dramatic musical storytelling. It is a fine blend of Eastern influences with the Western symphonic tradition. The use of leitmotivs for Scheherazade and the Sultan gives continuity to the entire Suite.
The present pianist, Etsuko
Hirose has made a wonderfully evocative transcription for piano solo. It is
faithful to the impact and atmosphere of the original. Especially delightful is
the romantic The Young Prince and the Young Princess. And the final
movement describing the shipwreck, rises to a Lisztian power and drama.
Now the obvious question is of
appeal. Would the listener want to hear a piano version of this well-loved
work, or would they stick with one of the myriad recordings made of the
orchestral score. Two reasons why they should buy this CD. Firstly, I was
really listening to the music, and not just allowing it to wash over me. I
heard things in this performance that have eluded me over the past half
century. And, secondly, it is not just a transcription of the music, but a
faithful recreation. Hirose has developed a score that is truly pianistic.
Sergei Bortkiewicz (1877-1952) was a Ukrainian-born pianist and composer who later became an Austrian citizen. He studied at the Imperial Conservatory in St. Petersburg and later at the Leipzig Conservatory as a student of Alfred Reisenauer and Salomon Jadassohn. His work is exemplified by its romantic style, rich harmonies, and melodic beauty. He wrote numerous piano pieces, including concertos, preludes, etudes, and sonatas, which are admired for their technical demands and expressive depth. Sadly, despite some revival on disc in recent years, Bortkiewicz's works remain relatively unknown, except to enthusiasts of the genre.
I am beholden to the liner notes for information about Bortkiewicz’s Oriental Ballet Suite: Thousand and One Nights, op.37. It was published in 1928 as a piano solo but was later orchestrated by the composer. Speaking of his time in Constantinople, Bortkiewicz recalled: “One suddenly feels transported to ancient times, one forgets the present and believes that one is experiencing a fairy tale from 1001 Nights come to life. It would be too much to describe all the beauties of this fairytale like country.” The Suite is presented in ten contrasting movements. The opening Caliph Haroun-al-Rashid reflects this potentate’s power with fanfares whilst The Story of the Poor Fisherman evokes the magic of the genii out of the bottle. The Dance of the Young Girls is wistful, dreaming, perfect, and the Oriental Dance fairly zips along, with a lovely reflective trio section. ‘Hammer Horror’ sonorities infuse The Enchanted Castle which is followed by a melancholy tribute to Zobeide and her two sisters, the latter of whom were turned into black dogs. The track listing titles the seventh movement as a Dance of Mourning; however, the score gives it as a Dream Dance. There is little grieving in these pages. It is possibly the loveliest number in the suite. The Three Sisters return with a lively Allegro with its chattering progress reflecting on the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree, and the Golden Water. A Bacchanal, which is not too wild and drunken leads into The Wicked Magician Escapes from the Bottle. This is full of dramatic pianistic effects bringing the Suite to an end.
Japanese classical pianist Etsuko Hirose began playing the piano at age three and performed Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 26 at six years. After studying in Paris, she won first prize at the 1999 Martha Argerich Competition, launching her solo career. She has also ‘received the guidance’ of Alfred Brendel, Marie-Francoise Bucquet and Jorge Chamine. Hirose has performed at prestigious venues worldwide, including the Kennedy Center in Washington and the Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Her interpretations of Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt are particularly acclaimed by critics for their depth and sensitivity.
Helpful liner notes are included, in English only. There is a long resume of Etsuko Hirose’s distinguished career.
I enjoyed this disc evoking the delights of a Thousand and One Nights and their heroine, Scheherazade. The pianist has created lovely performances of enchanted music that will appeal to lovers of fairy tales of all ages.
Track Listing:Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)
Symphonic Suite: Scheherazade, op.35 (1888), arr. Etsuko Hirose (b.1979)
Sergei Bortkiewicz (1877-1952)
Oriental Ballet Suite: Thousand and One Nights, op.37 (pub.1928)
Etsuko Hirose (piano)
rec. 2-4 September 2024, Théâtre Georges-Leygues, Villeneuve-sur-Lot, France
Danacord DACOCD 985
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