Nikolay Karlovich MEDTNER (1880-1951) NAXOS (Rock Records) 8.553390
Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, op.50
Piano Quintet in C major, op.posth.KONSTANTIN SCHERBAKOV piano
Ewald Danel · Milan Tedla violins
Zuzana Bourová viola
Jozef Podhoransky cello
Moscow Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Igor GolovschinThis review is kindly sponsored by Rock Records.
[62'54"] budget-priceby Johann D'Souza
After hearing Konstantin Scherbakov (right) in the live performance of Medtner's Piano Concerto No.1 (Click here for review), there was no doubt in my mind that he was well-suited to take on the task of this concerto. Scherbakov (to those who do not know him) is the first Rachmaninov Competition winner. However, his accolades do not stop there: he has won prizes at the Montreal Competition and also the Busoni competition. A humble man (having met and spoken to him) I think he will be a pianist to watch out for in the future.
Scherbakov has received some very favourable reviews for his playing in the works of Godowsky (Marco Polo) and Respighi (Naxos - both the Piano Concerto and Solo Piano Works). He has already recorded the Piano Concertos Nos.1 and 3 by Medtner, which Naxos will probably release soon.
Medtner's Piano Concerto No.2 is dedicated to Rachmaninov. Personally I think there is no better way to show one's appreciation of mutual friendship than to compose a concerto and dedicate it to one's mentor. Liszt is the other composer who through the inspiration of others' compositions did transcriptions of their works for solo piano. Rachmaninov on the other hand returned this compliment by composing the Fourth Piano Concerto and dedicated it to Medtner as a gesture of appreciation.
The work is truly inspirational in many aspects, with chords having shades of the old master Rachmaninov himself. It is also interesting to note that Medtner's ancestry is both German and Russian and these elements can be heard, although the Russian characteristics are more predominant, with its demand for great technical virtuosity.
I would not like to say that there are just traces of Rachmaninov but have to say that if one heard this without knowing that it was by Medtner (left), one would think that they had found one of the manuscripts of a lost Rachmaninov concerto! However while Rachmaninov's concertos tend to exude a certain tension Medtner's Second Concerto fringes on neither being here nor there, although it is interesting to note that he did write this concerto after years of going through pain and suffering. This was mainly due to the death of his brother whom he was deeply close to, the death of his mother and the constant moving due to war. Scherbakov's playing is never in doubt with his superfluous filigree and dangerously-safe playing which is very characteristic of Russian pianists (they are technically faultless).
The second movement, a Romanza, has so many characteristics similar to the compositional style of Rachmaninov which when echoed here is pretty effective. He uses the strings to echo off before there is a brief moment of what looks like a cadenza. However what is a bit disappointing is the accompaniment. I just feel that the orchestra could have taken the pace a little slower and a little p (soft). Instead there are points when the piano is fighting hard in a struggle to be heard. Medtner was an excellent pianist with a good technique, having won First Prize at the International Rubenstein Competition in Vienna. Therefore it is not surprising that his works also exude a certain need for a certain level of technical competency.
What I particularly enjoyed was the use of the trumpets in the beginning of the third movement which is also very characteristic of scoring for trumpets in the Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2. The orchestral accompaniment for the piano has many shades that are also found in Tchaikovsky's music. There is a great deal of running passages starting in the upper registers of the piano, with staccato chords descending back and forth. This allows the orchestra to echo the main melody using a short motif on the strings and woodwind. Each has an opportunity to imitate the main melody of the piano. However I find that the sound in the recording leaves the pianist playing an accompanying role, deeply overshadowed.
Having never heard the Piano Quintet, the opening bars straight away hit me with the words "I've heard that somewhere!" It was not long after that I realized the similarity to Rachmaninov's orchestral work The Isle of the Dead. The opening passage by the violins is so similar that I straight away thought this was a transcription for piano and string quartet. The secondary theme is that of the Dies Irae from the Requiem Mass. This had haunted Rachmaninov (right) throughout most of his life, and he must have expressed this to Medtner who in my opinion must have been greatly influenced by it as well.
The piece is tranquil in nature and Scherbakov takes the slower passages with self-restraint. While the piano part plays a significant role, it is the blending with the quartet in a manner where neither the strings nor the piano want to dominate that makea this an interesting and mellow work. Once again I have to admit that Naxos have once again outdone themselves with this partnership. An interesting comparison to this piece is on Hyperion (CDA 66744) with Dmitri Alexeev and the the Budapest Quartet.
If you are in Singapore, this disc is available at or can be ordered from Tower Records (Pacific Plaza & Suntec City), Borders (Wheelock Place) or HMV (The Heeren). You can also order it easily from Sing Discs (Raffles City).
Johann D'Souza has this penchant for guerilla warfare and openly admits that Rambo Part 1 is his all-time favourite, but he also loves Rambo II and Rambo III.
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168: 17.5.98 ©Johann D'Souza
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