The compact collection
Rob Cowan on the best CD releases
Friday, 18 April 2003
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Rachmaninov's Third is the most ambiguous of romantic concertos, wistful in part, almost off-the-cuff at times, then erupting suddenly to thunderous rhetoric. It needs to sound restless, unpredictable, a far cry from the more orderly Second Concerto. Recent interpreters have homed in on disparate elements of the solo part, but Nikolai Lugansky follows Rachmaninov's lead with lightly tripping fingerwork and a crucial air of improvisation. His touch is often seductively gentle, and his facility in faster passages rivals Horowitz for clarity and rhythmic drive.
Rachmaninov's Third is the most ambiguous of romantic concertos, wistful in part, almost off-the-cuff at times, then erupting suddenly to thunderous rhetoric. It needs to sound restless, unpredictable, a far cry from the more orderly Second Concerto. Recent interpreters have homed in on disparate elements of the solo part, but Nikolai Lugansky follows Rachmaninov's lead with lightly tripping fingerwork and a crucial air of improvisation. His touch is often seductively gentle, and his facility in faster passages rivals Horowitz for clarity and rhythmic drive.
Sakari Oramo keeps the CBSO on its toes, though he's equally sensitive to the sombre complexion of Rachmaninov's scoring. Lugansky prefers the concise first-movement cadenza, and I liked the finale's broadened coda: so many performances make it sound like an awkward add-on. The coupling is an energised account of the First Concerto, again graceful, assertive and consistently dynamic. It is Lugansky's best record to date, no question.
I was interested to see that for its latest Maurizio Pollini Beethoven Sonatas CD, Deutsche Grammophon has thrown in a limited-edition bonus disc of "live" performances. The two additional versions are of the Appassionata and the exquisite F sharp Sonata, Op 78. And there are differences, principally the tension generated in recital, more pointed articulation at the climax of the Appassionata's first movement, and a stronger build-up as the Andante heads towards the explosive finale. It does beg the question: why not settle for a live cycle, "patching in" if and when necessary? Surely that would be both cheaper and, ultimately, more artistically successful. Still, this new programme finds Pollini (left) on fine form, strong-fingered as ever, relishing the rich harmonic world of Op 54 and bringing a wealth of varied nuance to the finale of Op 90.
Heard after Pollini's disc, Rosalyn Tureck's Well-Tempered Klavier seems positively pampered. So many dynamic levels surveyed simultaneously, one voice leading, while two or three others offer support from differing perspectives. As in her earlier set of Book I, Tureck balances Bach's poetry with architecture in Book II. Early in his career, Glenn Gould learnt much from Tureck, and there are times in these 1976 BBC sessions when she seems to be returning the compliment, strutting a clipped staccato and picking out contrapuntal lines. A brief interview with the late Michael Oliver completes an unmissable set.
Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 3 – Lugansky, CBSO/Oramo (Warner 0927 47941-2)
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Opp 53, 54, 78 & 90 – Pollini (DG 474 451-2)
Bach: 'The Well-Tempered Clavier', Book II – Tureck (BBC Legends BBCL 4116-2, three discs for price of two)
