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Sergei Prokofiev
Piano Concerto No. 1-3
Martha Argerich, piano
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Samuel Barber
Orchestral Works and Concertos
Leonard Slatkin, Charles Munch
Rimsky-Korsakov
Evgeny Svetlanov
Beethoven
Symphony No.9
Piano Transcription by Franz Liszt
Konstantin Scherbakov, Piano
Kronos Caravan
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Scherbakov completes his survey of Franz Liszt transcriptions of
Beethoven symphonies with the monumental Ninth Symphony.
Liszt’s megalomania only extended to attempting to transcribe
orchestral and choral forces to the piano, but not over-elaborating
on the score nor altering the structure of the music. As such, the
bare bones of the music may still be savoured even without
experiencing the colours of the orchestra or the warmth of the
chorus. That’s when a pianist’s imagination in phrasing and ability
to bring certain lines of the music to life becomes paramount;
anything less would be a meaningless run through.
To Scherbakov’s credit, his account of the Choral Symphony is
not only technically accurate but also captures the spirit of the
music. At 63 minutes, it is breezy and faster than most orchestral
recordings. The first two fast movements run like clockwork; he
observes the repeats and while there is some labouring involved, the
frenetic pace never lets up for a moment. The sublime slow movement
takes the shortest time – just over 12 minutes - to complete.
Presumably its longeurs are not as well sustained on the
keyboard as it usually is with an orchestra. There is a sense of
improvisatory freedom in Scherbakov’s reading as the movement
unfolds, and for moments, one does not miss the orchestra.
The proof of this pudding is surely in the choral finale, the
ultimate test of a pianist’s endurance, reserves, and the ability to
make a listener not miss the singers and chorus. Alas, even
Liszt could not conjure wine from water on this occasion! (His
son-in-law Richard Wagner’s own piano transcription does not
dispense with the singers, but presents a different set of problems
with balance.)
Scherbakov manages very well by varying the use of dynamics and
shadings throughout the movement. The Ode to Joy theme in its
first appearance and subsequent crescendo comes across luminously.
While a single piano line barely makes up for the opening baritone
solo, the struggle of the vocal quartet in their initial entry is
quite well captured. The “Turkish March” section and tenor’s solo is
taken very briskly – a daring decision – as the fugato that
follows is taken at an even more frenzied pace. Only a pianist with
supreme confidence in his abilities could pull that off!
The grand statement of the Ode to Joy by the chorus is a
comedown of sorts, largely due to the piano’s rather than pianist’s
limitations. However this is made up by the startling clarity in
displayed in the great choral fugue. The magical effect of its
carillon-like peals perhaps explains why this work is so regularly
performed near Christmas in Japan (as well as Singapore), and so
beloved. The coda is no less thrilling and Scherbakov delivers the
goods with much panache. I won’t be too surprised if someday he
chooses – like his famous compatriots Ashkenazy and Pletnev – to
take up conducting!
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