[12/19/2010] "Loose ends": From Russia with love - music by Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky (continued)

The Gergiev-Vienna Philharmonic Firebird from the 2000 Salzburg Festival continues through the ballet's rousing conclusion.


Again, the missing CD of the Richter-Wislocki-DG Rachmaninoff Second Concerto was only the first issue with that much-loved old Richter Rachmaninoff LP. Given Richter's broad tempos in the concerto (the three movements time out at 11:13, 11:54, and 11:39), DG really had no choice but to spread the concerto out over a side and a half, and for a filler Richter recorded six Rachmaninoff solo preludes, four from the Op. 23 set of 12 and two from the Op. 32 set. (Only later in life, and even then grudgingly and only partially, did Richter give in to the contemporary compulsion for recording entire sets of individual pieces. Like earlier generations of pianists, he preferred to pick particular pieces that suited his purposes for particular occasions.) And while the concerto recording is totally first-rate, the preludes are even better -- they're kind of breathtaking, if not actually mind-blowing. I'm sure they've turned up on CD (Richter remains a prime seller), I don't have them. So now I've dubbed them from my LP.

On the assumption (not always justified) that the sequence of the preludes on the LP reflected the pianist's own preference, I've retained that order here. And to provide some context I've done something terribly unfair, and worse still done it not only for the second time but for the second time to the same fine artist. Back when we sampled Grieg's Lyric Pieces, I drew heavily on the British pianist Peter Katin's lovely Unicorn-Kanchana recording of the complete series, partly for its ready availability but also because the performances are consistently fine. Then for some of the pieces I butted him up against Arthur Rubinstein, whose performances simply have that extra dimension of imagination and flair.

Now I'm doing it to Katin again, pitting him head-to-head against Richter, in characteristic Richteresque form, for no better reason than that I happen to have Katin's Rachmaninoff Preludes on CD, making for relatively easy access. Obvious place to hear the difference: the G minor Prelude, Op. 23, No. 5. There's nothing to complain of in Katin's performance, but in Richter's note the striding yet finely graded and shaded vigor of the Spanish-rhythmed opening section, and then the unquenchable yearning of the aching central section, and finally the ethereal realm into which he lifts the piece as it works itself out. Probably many, if not most, pianists would like to do much the same thing. What sets Richter apart is that he: (a) has imagined it in such vividness, depth, and finesse, and (b) has the pianistic command and strength of purpose to make all of this happen.

RACHMANINOFF: Preludes for Piano

Prelude in C, Op. 32, No. 1
Sviatoslav Richter, piano. DG, recorded 1959
Peter Katin, piano. Carlton/IMP, recorded 1972

Prelude in B-flat minor, Op. 32, No. 2
Sviatoslav Richter, piano. DG, recorded 1959
Peter Katin, piano. Carlton/IMP, recorded 1972

Prelude in B-flat, Op. 23, No. 2
Sviatoslav Richter, piano. DG, recorded 1959
Peter Katin, piano. Carlton/IMP, recorded 1972

Prelude in D, Op. 23, No. 4
Sviatoslav Richter, piano. DG, recorded 1959
Peter Katin, piano. Carlton/IMP, recorded 1972

Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5
Sviatoslav Richter, piano. DG, recorded 1959
Peter Katin, piano. Carlton/IMP, recorded 1972

Prelude in C minor, Op. 23, No. 7
Sviatoslav Richter, piano. DG, recorded 1959
Peter Katin, piano. Carlton/IMP, recorded 1972

A SORT-OF "WEST COAST" FIREBIRD

When I began thinking about what turned into our Dec. 5 Firebird post, I began by pulling recordings off the shelf to consider for use. The first two that I pulled probably went "missing," and didn't turn up again until well after the piece was finished and posted, when they reappeared sitting peacefully on top of a TV cable box. Talk about a clever hiding place!

What I thought we'd do is make another composite performance of the complete Firebird, as we did in the original post with Ernest Ansermet's 1955 recording with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (first half) and Robert Craft's MusicMasters recording (second half). So here are music director Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the San Francisco Symphony (first half) and former Los Angeles Philharmonic music director (now conductor laureate) Esa-Pekka Salonen, though the orchestra he's conducting is the Philharmonia, in 1998, before he became music director in Los Angeles (1992-2009).

STRAVINSKY: The Firebird
[Again, the numbering within each of our "halves" of the ballet has no significance except to reflect the track points carried from the CDs.]

1. Introduction
2. Kashchei's Enchanted Garden
3. The Firebird enters, pursued by Ivan Tsarevich
4. The Firebird's Dance
5. Ivan Tsarevich captures the Firebird
6. The Firebird begs to be released;
Entrance of the 13 Enchanted Princesses
7. The Princesses play with the golden apples (Scherzo)
8. Sudden appearance of Ivan Tsarevich
9. Khorovod (Round Dance) of the Princesses
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, cond. RCA/BMG, recorded Feb. 25-28, 1998

10. Daybreak
11. Ivan Tsarevich, entering Kashchei's palace, sets off the Magic Carillon, thereby alerting Kashchei's Monster-Guardians, who capture him
12. Entrance of Kashchei the Immortal
13. Dialogue between Kashchei and Ivan Tsarevich
14. The Princesses plead for mercy
15. The Firebird enters
16. Dance of Kashchei's retinue under the Firebird's magic spell
17. Infernal Dance of Kashchei's subjects under the Firebird's magic spell
18. Berceuse of the Firebird
19. Kashchei awakens
20. Kashchei's death
21. Scene 2: Kashchei's spell is broken, his palace disappears, and the petrified knights return to life; General thanksgiving;
The marriage and coronation of Prince Ivan and the Princess of Unearthly Beauty as tsar and tsarina
Philharmonia Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen, cond. Sony, recorded 1988

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