Recording Review #67: Altered Ambience

Jóhannsson: Piano Works – From Englabörn. Alice Sara Ott, pianist. Deutsche Grammophon 486 674-4.

In an older edition of his Record Shelf Guide to Classical CDs and Audiocassettes (which, alas, I don't have at hand), Jim Svejda made this remark or something close to it: "For those who think that minimalism is the dim-witted musical rip-off that it probably is..." I seem to recall that this was in the course of praising John Adams as an exception to his dislike of the subgenre. Well, I wonder what he'd think of "ambient" music, which often makes minimalism (and especially post-minimalism) seem positively robust by comparison. I don't know what to make of it categorically myself. Is it art music? Is it classical music? (I'm pretty sure it should count as music.) But I do know what I like. 

Do I like the late Jóhann Jóhannsson's "ambient" (or ambient-adjacent) music? Yeah, sometimes. He was very adept at creating moods and, while I have not watched any dramatic productions that use his work, he usually accomplished what he set out to do musically, whether or not one takes it seriously. I'm a solid fan of his Orphée album, for instance. It shows that Jóhannsson knew how much he could repeat his slight ideas before losing the listener's (or at least my) goodwill. At other times I find his shtick a bit irritating, though. And I'm afraid the original Englabörn is an example. It isn't the melodic or harmonic ideas I find objectionable, it's the timbres of the instruments he uses there: grating and slightly pretentious. 

But here we don't have that problem, because the versions of three Englabörn pieces that Alice Sara Ott performs are for piano alone. Usually I am not terribly interested in arrangements, but this is one rare case where I think the arrangement improves upon the original. In experiencing these on the piano, we are not distracted by unfortunate timbral dressings. We can hear the bare pitch elements in better relief. And they hold up extremely well in the hands of Alice Sara Ott, whose silky sound is well suited to her task. 

It also helps that there are only three selections in this release, which together don't quite last 10 minutes. So we're not talking about a substantial investment of time. Actually, I could have named this review "'Ulta'ed Ambience." Because not only do we hear arranged versions of the original tracks, but I was also able to do a whole re-listen of this release while waiting for my wife to finish buying make-up at Ulta. Convenient, huh?

But seriously: optimally presented on the piano, this is attractive music. Maybe it's not the deepest or most complex stuff out there. Maybe Jóhannsson didn't quite have the melodic invention of Philip Glass. But it's satisfying if enjoyed for what it is. And Ott makes the venture so much easier. 

Verdict: Recommended

Scarlatti on the Piano: A Playlist

In a recent review, I remarked that we are "still living in the Wild West" of Domenico Scarlatti sonata recordings. One doesn't really get a sense of this until confronted with the task of making a playlist that includes all 555 works in the cycle. The impression only deepens when limiting oneself to piano (or pianoforte) performances. True, some sonatas have plenty of recordings featuring piano, especially favorites like K. 96 and K. 380. But, again as I quipped in that review, the body of Scarlatti's sonatas is a bit like the ocean: large parts of it are infrequently traversed. For selection after selection what one sees is a very limited choice featuring almost solely the same 1-3 pianists who have recorded whole (or almost whole) cycles, prominently Carlo Grante (on the Music and Arts label) and Christoph Ullrich (on Tacet). Both are fine pianists who consistently offer excellent performances. Then there are many wonderful installments in Naxos's nearly-complete series, featuring multiple pianists. But as I listened to sonata after sonata, it became clear to me that the differences between even these few performers were often very appreciable, and there is a whole lot of room for new interpretations by enterprising artists looking for ideal repertoire. True, a decent number of "big names" (Perahia, Pletnev, Weissenberg, Haskil, Hewitt, and especially Horowitz) have delved into the Scarlatti repertoire with stunning results. But in making this playlist it also became clear that their traversals have been quite limited. If I'm being negative, it's a collective indictment of skilled pianists everywhere that so much remains to be said in music that has been around for hundreds of years and consistently delights when it's tried. 

For this playlist, my selection criteria were simple: I tried to balance variety, availability, and (let's face it) my own taste. I soon tired of repetitive choices between Grante, Ullrich, and whichever Naxos performer happened to be at hand. (This is no fault of theirs!) I also tried to include as many Big Name performances as possible without simply picking them automatically. There are a fair number of self-published options available via Spotify and Apple Music, and I generally avoided these...especially since many sounded MIDI-derived or otherwise undistinguished. With that said, here are the 156 pianists I managed to include in my list: 

Alice Ader

Eteri Andjaparidze

Igor Ardašev

Martha Argerich

Racha Arodaky
Julius Asal

Emilio Aversano

Sergei Babayan

Andrea Bacchetti
MinJung Baek

Prisca Benoit

Daria van den Bercken

Kiki Bernasconi

Giulio Biddau

Sari Biro

Sveinung Bjelland

Virginia Black

Anthony di Bonaventura

Véronique Bonnecaze

Jeanne Bovet

Katia Braunschweiler

James Brawn

John Browning
Michelangelo Carbonara
Robert Casadesus

Gianluca Cascioli

Olivier Cavé

Vadim Chaimovich

Hae Won Chang

Pi-hsien Chen

Xueyuan Chen

Aldo Ciccolini
Maria Clementi

Federico Colli

Bice Horszowski Costa
Martin Cousin

György Cziffra

Lucas Debargue

Alessandro Deljavan

Nikolai Demidenko

Ece Demirci

Alberto Ferro

Terezie Fialová

Goran Filipec
Leon Fleisher

Homero Francesch

Benjamin Frith 

Marco Fumo

Sergio Gallo

Mathieu Gaudet

Walter Gieseking

Emil Gilels

Alon Goldstein 

Glenn Gould
Carlo Grante

Giuseppe Greco

David Greilsammer

Maria Grinberg

Duanduan Hao
Clara Haskil
Myra Hess

Angela Hewitt

Wataru Hisasue
Vladimir Horowitz

Chu-Fang Huang

Claire Huangci

Emanuil Ivanov

Jenő Jandó

Ivo Kahanek

Sang Woo Kang

Peter Katin

Sean Kennard

Eylam Keshet

Karel Kosarek

Käbi Laretei
Alicia de Larrocha

Dejan Lazić

Joanna Leach

Colleen Lee

Soyeon Kate Lee

Gabriele Leporatti

Michael Lewin

Carlo Lombardi
Beatrice Long

Kathleen Long

Andrea Lucchesini

John McCabe

Eri Mantani

Giovanni Mazzocchin

Barbara Meister

Charles Metz

Marcelle Meyer

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

Gabriele Micheli

Nina Milkina

Andrea Molteni

Sergio Monteiro 

Jurica Murai

Varvara Myagkova

Riccardo Natale

Francesco Nicolosi

Jacques Ogg

Pascal Pascaleff

Jaroslava Vernerová Pěchočová

Murray Perahia

Javier Perianes

Nikolai Petrov

Enrico Pieranunzi
Mikhail Pletnev

Georges Pludermacher

Ivo Pogorelich

Marianna Prjevalskaya

Anne Queffélec

Marcela Roggeri

Sonia Rubinsky 

Simone Sammicheli

Fazil Say

Konstantin Scherbakov
András Schiff

Barbora Krištofová Sejáková

Miroslav Sekera

Mordecai Shehori

Adam Skoumal

Inger Södergren

Mario Sollazzo

Vojtěch Spurný

Victor Stanislavsky 

Tamara Stefanovich

Bohumil Stehlík

Aniele Steininger

Gerda Struhal

Yevgeny Sudbin

Balázs Szokolay

Alexandre Tharaud

Maria Tipo

Dubravka Tomšič

Margherita Torretta

Fou Ts'ong
Christoph Ullrich

Alberto Urroz

Bruno Vlahek

Lev Vlasenko

Gottlieb Wallisch

Maria Walzer

Yuja Wang

Orion Weiss
Alexis Weissenberg

Daniel Wiesner

Jae-Yeon Won

Zhu Xiao-Mei

Artem Yasynskyy

Maurizio Zaccaria

Christian Zacharias

Evgeny Zarafiants

Carlo Zecchi

Aline Zylberajch

And here is the playlist: 

K. 1 in D Minor: Pletnev
K. 2 in G: Haskil
K. 3 in A Minor: Pletnev
K. 4 in G Minor: B. Long
K. 5 in D Minor: Horowitz
K. 6 in F: Haskil
K. 7 in A Minor: Clementi
K. 8 in G Minor: Pletnev
K. 9 in D Minor: Szokolay
K. 10 in D Minor: de Larrocha
K. 11 in C Minor: Szokolay
K. 12 in G Minor: Sudbin
K. 13 in G: Stefanovich
K. 14 in G: Hess
K. 15 in E Minor: Ullrich
K. 16 in B-Flat: Cousin
K. 17 in F: Schiff

K. 18 in D Minor: Grante

K. 19 in F Minor: Tomšič

K. 20 in E: Tipo
K. 21 in D: Sammicheli
K. 22 in C Minor: Grinberg
K. 23 in D: Casadesus
K. 24 in A: Pletnev
K. 25 in F-Sharp Minor: Horowitz
K. 26 in A: Frith
K. 27 in B Minor: Perahia
K. 28 in E: de Larrocha
K. 29 in D: Perahia
K. 30 in G Minor: Meyer
K. 31 in G Minor: Huangci
K. 32 in D Minor: Meyer
K. 33 in D: Horowitz
K. 34 in D Minor: Grante
K. 35 in G Minor: Haskil
K. 36 in A Minor: Gallo
K. 37 in C Minor: Frith
K. 38 in F: Ullrich
K. 39 in A: Horowitz
K. 40 in C Minor: Won

K. 41 in D Minor: C. Lee
K. 42 in B-Flat: Baek
K. 43 in G Minor: McCabe
K. 44 in F: Bjelland
K. 45 in D: Browning
K. 46 in E: Wiesner
K. 47 in B-Flat: Demirci
K. 48 in C Minor: Gallo
K. 49 in C: Zylberajch
K. 50 in F Minor: Carbonara
K. 51 in E-Flat: Pieranunzi

K. 52 in D Minor: Horowitz
K. 53 in D: Sammicheli
K. 54 in A Minor: Horowitz
K. 55 in G: Roggeri
K. 56 in C Minor: Sudbin
K. 57 in B-Flat: Ivanov
K. 58 in C Minor: Asal
K. 59 in A Minor: Gallo

K. 60 in G Minor: S.K. Lee
K. 61 in A Minor: Spurný
K. 62 in A: K. Long
K. 63 in G: Hewitt
K. 64 in D Minor: Tharaud
K. 65 in A: C.F. Huang
K. 66 in B-Flat: Grante
K. 67 in F-Sharp Minor: Molteni
K. 68 in E-Flat: S.W. Kang
K. 69 in F Minor: Hewitt
K. 70 in B-Flat: Stehlík

K. 71 in G: Ullrich
K. 72 in C: Tharaud
K. 73 in C Minor: Ts'ong
K. 74 in A: C. Lee
K. 75 in G: Cousin
K. 76 in G Minor: Huangci
K. 77 in D Minor: Pludermacher
K. 78 in F: Mantani
K. 79 in G: Tipo
K. 80 in G: S.W. Kang
K. 81 in E Minor: Shehori
K. 82 in F: Lazić

K. 83 in A: Ader
K. 84 in C Minor: Katin 
K. 85 in F: Ivanov
K. 86 in C: Gallo

K. 87 in B Minor: Hewitt
K. 88 in G Minor: Gallo
K. 89 in D Minor: S.W. Kang
K. 90 in D Minor: Grante
K. 91 in G: S.K. Lee
K. 92 in D Minor: Ullrich

K. 93 in G Minor: Deljavan
K. 94 in F: Skoumal
K. 95 in C: Colli
K. 96 in D: Horowitz
K. 97 in G Minor: Urroz

K. 98 in E Minor: Pogorelich

K. 99 in C Minor: Zaccaria
K. 100 in C: Ullrich
K. 101 in A: Cziffra

K. 102 in G Minor: Hao
K. 103 in G: Queffélec
K. 104 in G: Shehori

K. 105 in G: Debargue
K. 106 in F: Browning
K. 107 in F: Weissenberg

K. 108 in G Minor: Clementi
K. 109 in A Minor: Weissenberg

K. 110 in A Minor: S.K. Lee

K. 111 in G Minor: Grante

K. 112 in B-Flat: Zarafiants
K. 113 in A: Pletnev
K. 114 in A: Meyer
K. 115 in C Minor: Schiff

K. 116 in C Minor: Schiff
K. 117 in C: Ivanov
K. 118 in D: Francesch
K. 119 in D: Cascioli
K. 120 in D Minor: Goldstein
K. 121 in G Minor: Baek

K. 122 in D: Cousin
K. 123 in E-Flat: H.W. Chang
K. 124 in G: Zacharias
K. 125 in G: Perianes
K. 126 in C Minor: Jandó
K. 127 in A-Flat: Hisasue
K. 128 in B-Flat Minor: Perianes
K. 129 in C Minor: S.K. Lee

K. 130 in A-Flat: Deljavan

K. 131 in B-Flat Minor: Molteni
K. 132 in C: Tipo

K. 133 in C: McCabe
K. 134 in E: C. Lee

K. 135 in E: Walzer
K. 136 in E: C. Lee

K. 137 in D: Ivanov
K. 138 in D Minor: Molteni

K. 139 in C Minor: X. Chen
K. 140 in D: Hewitt
K. 141 in D Minor: Argerich
K. 142 in F-Sharp Minor: Z. Xiao-Mei
K. 143 in C: S.K. Lee
K. 144 in G: Ader
K. 145 in D: Browning
K. 146 in G: Szokolay

K. 147 in E Minor: Queffélec
K. 148 in A Minor: Wallisch
K. 149 in A Minor: Vlasenko
K. 150 in F: Ivanov
K. 151 in F: Ts'ong
K. 152 in G: Gallo
K. 153 in G: Grante
K. 154 in B-Flat: Keshet
K. 155 in B-Flat: Ullrich
K. 156 in C: Zaccaria
K. 157 in C: Gallo
K. 158 in C Minor: Stefanovich
K. 159 in C: Michelangeli
K. 160 in D: C.F. Huang
K. 161 in D: Browning

K. 162 in E: Horowitz
K. 163 in E: Ts'ong
K. 164 in D: Ts'ong
K. 165 in C: Gallo
K. 166 in C: Ullrich
K. 167 in F: Pascaleff
K. 168 in F: Sammicheli
K. 169 in G: Meister
K. 170 in C: Sollazzo

K. 171 in G: Hao
K. 172 in B-Flat: Debargue
K. 173 in B Minor: Pletnev
K. 174 in C Minor: Bacchetti

K. 175 in A Minor: Schiff
K. 176 in D Minor: Bacchetti
K. 177 in D: Weiss
K. 178 in D: Natale
K. 179 in G Minor: Ullrich

K. 180 in G: H.W. Chang

K. 181 in A: S. Lee

K. 182 in A: Deljavan
K. 183 in F Minor: van den Bercken

K. 184 in F Minor: Horowitz
K. 185 in F Minor: Perianes
K. 186 in F Minor: Grante
K. 187 in F Minor: Zaccaria
K. 188 in A Minor: Clementi
K. 189 in B-Flat: Gallo
K. 190 in B-Flat: Milkina
K. 191 in D Minor: S.W. Kang
K. 192 in E-Flat: Debargue
K. 193 in E-Flat: Perianes
K. 194 in F: Sejáková

K. 195 in F: Cousin
K. 196 in G Minor: Debargue
K. 197 in B Minor: Horowitz

K. 198 in E Minor: Horowitz
K. 199 in C: Hao
K. 200 in C: Braunschweiler

K. 201 in G: Horowitz
K. 202 in B-Flat: Zacharias
K. 203 in E Minor: Urroz
K. 204 in F Minor: Keshet
K. 205 in F: Carbonara
K. 206 in E: Perahia
K. 207 in E: Ullrich
K. 208 in A: Schiff
K. 209 in A: Schiff
K. 210 in G: Ts'ong

K. 211 in A: Debargue
K. 212 in A: Perahia
K. 213 in D Minor: Pletnev
K. 214 in D: Pletnev
K. 215 in E: P. Chen
K. 216 in E: di Bonaventura
K. 217 in A Minor: Micheli

K. 218 in A Minor: Cousin
K. 219 in A: Carbonara
K. 220 in A: Weiss

K. 221 in A: Ullrich
K. 222 in A: Zaccaria
K. 223 in D: Ivanov
K. 224 in D: Wallisch 
K. 225 in C: Rubinsky 
K. 226 in C Minor: P. Chen
K. 227 in B Minor: Frith
K. 228 in B-Flat: Ullrich
K. 229 in B-Flat: Hao
K. 230 in C Minor: van den Bercken
K. 231 in C: Hao
K. 232 in E Minor: Bonnecaze
K. 233 in E Minor: Weissenberg
K. 234 in G Minor: Colli
K. 235 in G: K. Long
K. 236 in D: Ivanov
K. 237 in D: Cousin
K. 238 in F Minor: Asal
K. 239 in F Minor: Mazzocchin
K. 240 in G: Ullrich
K. 241 in G: Ferro
K. 242 in C: Debargue

K. 243 in C: Pascaleff
K. 244 in B: Leporatti
K. 245 in B: Mantani
K. 246 in C-Sharp Minor: Sudbin
K. 247 in C-Sharp Minor: Perahia

K. 248 in B-Flat: Keshet
K. 249 in B-Flat: Ivanov
K. 250 in C: Grante
K. 251 in C: Ullrich
K. 252 in E-Flat: Pascaleff
K. 253 in E-Flat: Won
K. 254 in C Minor: Sekera

K. 255 in C: Won
K. 256 in F: Ts'ong
K. 257 in F: Struhal
K. 258 in D: Debargue
K. 259 in G: Tomšič

K. 260 in G: Horowitz
K. 261 in B: Jandó

K. 262 in B: Molteni
K. 263 in E Minor: Perianes
K. 264 in E: Zaccaria
K. 265 in A Minor: Weiss
K. 266 in B-Flat: Ardašev

K. 267 in B-Flat: Keshet
K. 268 in A: Steininger

K. 269 in A: Hao
K. 270 in C: Carbonara
K. 271 in C: Grante
K. 272 in B-Flat: Cousin
K. 273 in B-Flat: Ullrich
K. 274 in F: Bovet
K. 275 in F: Ivanov
K. 276 in F: Kosarek
K. 277 in D: Nicolosi
K. 278 in D: Södergren

K. 279 in A: Queffélec

K. 280 in A: Ullrich
K. 281 in D: Sejáková

K. 282 in D: Zylberajch
K. 283 in G: Pletnev
K. 284 in G: Pletnev
K. 285 in A: Baek
K. 286 in A: Filipec
K. 287 in D: Cousin
K. 288 in D: Spurný

K. 289 in G: Monteiro

K. 290 in G: S.K. Lee
K. 291 in E Minor: Brawn
K. 292 in E Minor: Aversano

K. 293 in B Minor: Baek
K. 294 in D Minor: Torretta
K. 295 in D Minor: Grante
K. 296 in F: Huangci
K. 297 in F: Ullrich
K. 298 in D: Grante
K. 299 in D: Murai
K. 300 in A: Costa
K. 301 in A: Yasynskyy

K. 302 in C Minor: Debargue
K. 303 in C Minor: Horowitz
K. 304 in G: Ts'ong
K. 305 in G: Ullrich
K. 306 in E-Flat: Ullrich

K. 307 in E-Flat: Pascaleff
K. 308 in C: Debargue
K. 309 in C: Struhal
K. 310 in B-Flat: Monteiro
K. 311 in B-Flat: Kennard
K. 312 in D: Carbonara
K. 313 in D: Scherbakov
K. 314 in G: Ullrich
K. 315 in G Minor: Fialová 

K. 316 in F: Vlahek
K. 317 in F: Grante
K. 318 in F-Sharp: Bjelland
K. 319 in F-Sharp: Horowitz
K. 320 in A: Pěchočová
K. 321 in A: Keshet
K. 322 in A: Haskil
K. 323 in A: Mantani
K. 324 in G: Goldstein
K. 325 in G: Greco
K. 326 in C: Weiss
K. 327 in C: Browning
K. 328 in G: Ullrich

K. 329 in C: Ullrich
K. 330 in C: Struhal
K. 331 in B-Flat: Monteiro
K. 332 in B-Flat: Cousin
K. 333 in D: Vlahek
K. 334 in B-Flat: Ullrich
K. 335 in D: Ullrich
K. 336 in D: Hao

K. 337 in G: Hao
K. 338 in G: Greco 
K. 339 in C: Grante
K. 340 in C: Sammicheli
K. 341 in A Minor: Monteiro
K. 342 in A: Lucchesini
K. 343 in A: Debargue
K. 344 in A: Nicolosi
K. 345 in D: Cousin
K. 346 in D: Yasynskyy
K. 347 in G Minor: Shehori 
K. 348 in G: Wallisch

K. 349 in F: Monteiro
K. 350 in F: Ullrich
K. 351 in B-Flat: Ullrich
K. 352 in D: Keshet
K. 353 in D: Greco

K. 354 in F: Monteiro
K. 355 in F: Kennard
K. 356 in C: Gieseking
K. 357 in C: Grante
K. 358 in D: Yasynskyy
K. 359 in D: Filipec
K. 360 in B-Flat: Scherbakov
K. 361 in B-Flat: Zaccaria

K. 362 in C Minor: Shehori
K. 363 in C Minor: Shehori
K. 364 in F Minor: Shehori
K. 365 in F Minor: Prjevalskya
K. 366 in F: Biro
K. 367 in F: Shehori
K. 368 in A: Struhal
K. 369 in A: Mazzocchin
K. 370 in E-Flat: Cousin
K. 371 in E-Flat: Bonnecaze
K. 372 in G: Kennard
K. 373 in G Minor: Sudbin
K. 374 in G: Sejáková
K. 375 in G: Monteiro
K. 376 in B Minor: Ogg
K. 377 in B Minor: Demidenko
K. 378 in F: Say

K. 379 in F: Ts'ong
K. 380 in E: Fleisher 
K. 381 in E: Zacharias
K. 382 in A Minor: Fumo
K. 383 in A Minor: Goldstein
K. 384 in C: Zacharias
K. 385 in C: Ullrich
K. 386 in F Minor: Perianes
K. 387 in F Minor: Biddau
K. 388 in D: Wiesner
K. 389 in D: Zaccaria
K. 390 in G: Hao

K. 391 in G: Browning
K. 392 in B-Flat: Ullrich
K. 393 in B-Flat: Cousin
K. 394 in E Minor: Schiff
K. 395 in E: Schiff
K. 396 in D Minor: Colli
K. 397 in D: Huangci
K. 398 in C: Shehori
K. 399 in C: Greco
K. 400 in D: Metz
K. 401 in D: Black
K. 402 in E Minor: Schiff 
K. 403 in E: Schiff
K. 404 in A: Pletnev
K. 405 in A: Debargue
K. 406 in C: Ciccolini
K. 407 in C: Monteiro
K. 408 in B Minor: C. Lee
K. 409 in B Minor: Ullrich
K. 410 in B-Flat: Ullrich
K. 411 in B-Flat: Bonnecaze

K. 412 in G: Zaccaria 
K. 413 in G: Yasynskyy
K. 414 in D: Stanislavsky
K. 415 in D: Grante
K. 416 in D: C.F. Huang
K. 417 in D Minor: Sudbin
K. 418 in F: Greco
K. 419 in F: Kahanek
K. 420 in C: Vlasenko
K. 421 in C: Andjaparidze
K. 422 in C: Scherbakov
K. 423 in C: Shehori

K. 424 in G: Ferro

K. 425 in G: Tipo
K. 426 in G Minor: Schiff
K. 427 in G: Schiff
K. 428 in A: Hewitt
K. 429 in A: Södergren
K. 430 in D: Gould
K. 431 in G: Rubinsky 
K. 432 in G: Tipo
K. 433 in G: Greco
K. 434 in D Minor: Biddau 
K. 435 in D: Mantani
K. 436 in D: Lewin
K. 437 in F: Haskil
K. 438 in F: Leporatti
K. 439 in B-Flat: Weiss
K. 440 in B-Flat: Ferro
K. 441 in B-Flat: Benoit
K. 442 in B-Flat: Filipec
K. 443 in D: Chaimovich
K. 444 in D Minor: Jandó
K. 445 in F: Sammicheli
K. 446 in F: Biro
K. 447 in F-Sharp Minor: Perianes
K. 448 in F-Sharp Minor: Perianes
K. 449 in G: Schiff
K. 450 in G Minor: Pogorelich

K. 451 in A Minor: Myagkova
K. 452 in A: Baek
K. 453 in A: Deljavan
K. 454 in G: Babayan
K. 455 in G: Y. Wang
K. 456 in A: Gaudet
K. 457 in A: Arodaky
K. 458 in D: Hao
K. 459 in D Minor/Major: Grante 
K. 460 in C: McCabe
K. 461 in C: Leach
K. 462 in F Minor: Perianes
K. 463 in F Minor: Ferro
K. 464 in C: Skoumal
K. 465 in C: Goldstein
K. 466 in F Minor: Horowitz
K. 467 in F Minor: Hao
K. 468 in F: Debargue

K. 469 in F: Debargue
K. 470 in G: Cavé
K. 471 in G: Katin
K. 472 in B-Flat: Tharaud
K. 473 in B-Flat: Wallisch
K. 474 in E-Flat: Horowitz
K. 475 in E-Flat: Schiff
K. 476 in G Minor: Benoit
K. 477 in G: Debargue
K. 478 in D: Mantani
K. 479 in D: Sudbin
K. 480 in D: Ullrich
K. 481 in F Minor: Horowitz
K. 482 in F: Filipec
K. 483 in F: Ts'ong
K. 484 in D: Ts'ong
K. 485 in C: Greco
K. 486 in C: Filipec
K. 487 in C: Pogorelich
K. 488 in B-Flat: Skoumal
K. 489 in B-Flat: Ullrich
K. 490 in D: Browning
K. 491 in D: Horowitz
K. 492 in D: Torretta
K. 493 in G: Monteiro
K. 494 in G: Frith
K. 495 in E: Tipo
K. 496 in E: S. Lee
K. 497 in B Minor: Carbonara 
K. 498 in B Minor: Kahanek
K. 499 in A: Ardašev
K. 500 in A: Ts'ong
K. 501 in C: Pascaleff
K. 502 in C: Zacharias
K. 503 in B-Flat: Monteiro
K. 504 in B-Flat: Grante
K. 505 in F: Ullrich
K. 506 in F: Ullrich
K. 507 in E-Flat: Milkina
K. 508 in E-Flat: Greco
K. 509 in D: Ullrich
K. 510 in D Minor: Shehori
K. 511 in D: van den Bercken
K. 512 in D: Baek
K. 513 in C: Schiff
K. 514 in C: Aversano
K. 515 in C: Petrov
K. 516 in D Minor: Schiff 
K. 517 in D Minor: Lombardi
K. 518 in F: Schiff
K. 519 in F Minor: Schiff 
K. 520 in G: Pletnev
K. 521 in G: Debargue
K. 522 in G: Monteiro
K. 523 in G: Zecchi
K. 524 in F: Grante
K. 525 in F: Horowitz
K. 526 in C Minor: Debargue
K. 527 in C: di Bonaventura
K. 528 in B-Flat: Kahanek
K. 529 in B-Flat: Pogorelich
K. 530 in E: Yasynskyy
K. 531 in E: Greilsammer
K. 532 in A Minor: Molteni
K. 533 in A: Gilels
K. 534 in D: Debargue
K. 535 in D: Laretei
K. 536 in A: Skoumal
K. 537 in A: Perahia

K. 538 in G: Grante
K. 539 in G: Katin
K. 540 in F: Ts'ong
K. 541 in F: Hao
K. 542 in F: Scherbakov
K. 543 in F: Kennard
K. 544 in B-Flat: Schiff
K. 545 in B-Flat: Schiff
K. 546 in G Minor: Molteni
K. 547 in G: Horowitz

K. 548 in C: Frith
K. 549 in C: Deljavan
K. 550 in B-Flat: B. Long
K. 551 in B-Flat: Bernasconi
K. 552 in D Minor: Weiss
K. 553 in D Minor: Grante
K. 554 in F: Monteiro
K. 555 in F Minor: Sammicheli

Here is the Spotify link to this playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vm0KeEUwwGWq76CZgXKkX?si=fMQ5bf-RRSmqqe4pU_aCDg

Feel free to copy this list to mix and match where you feel so moved. But also be careful: plenty of recordings have wrong K. numberings for certain sonatas. Even some of the more famous ones can be mislabeled: Horowitz's K. 54 is often given as K. 59, which is a different sonata. There are several traps for the unwary. If you see any errors here, please let me know. Thanks for reading!

Recording Review #66: Sumptuous Scarlatti

Domenico Scarlatti: Selected Keyboard Sonatas. Javier Perianes, pianist. Harmonia Mundi HMM902768. 

Here's another lesson in the value of repeat listens. My immediate impression on jumping right into the first sonata (K. 491, D Major) was "yuck, what is he doing!?" Compared to the steady, drier performance by Vladimir Horowitz that I was used to (see Sony SK 53460), Perianes's somewhat freer take initially came as a jolt. But I pressed on, and every subsequent selection in this well-chosen assortment of sonatas soothed my apprehensions...so much that when I went back to listen to K. 491 again I was significantly more amenable to what Perianes does with it. It took me a little while to embrace his vision for this music. I'm glad I finally did. 

What I eventually realized is that Perianes performs these works in an unapologetically pianistic manner, as opposed to following the commonly-adopted, neat-and-crisp approach that seems to carry the obligatory nod toward the harpsichord. The latter may be what I'm accustomed to, but the truth is that Perianes more closely realizes the implications of something I've long thought: Domenico Scarlatti had a strong proto-Romantic streak. It was Perianes's glowing performances of the slow numbers especially that helped convert me to his K. 491 and other quick ones. I've heard the famous K. 466 F Minor many times, but rarely so "nocturney" as it's played here. Other slow numbers with which I was less (or not) familiar – K. 185 (another F Minor) and K. 128 (one of just TWO Scarlatti sonatas in B-Flat Minor!) – come off similarly. 

Other highlights include the K. 492 D Major, which Perianes imbues with more color and life than in every other performance I remember hearing. Then there's perhaps the most famous Scarlatti sonata of all – K. 380 in E Major. I think I've already mentioned on this blog that the latter work reminds me of Christmas somehow. If I had heard it right after K. 491 during my first listen-through, I might not have had the heart to continue. But by this 13th track Perianes had basically won me over. It's still like Christmas to me, but maybe there are slightly different lights and ornaments on the tree. 

I've heard many Scarlatti albums by now, and a good deal of them contain a less-frequently-performed sonata that becomes a new favorite of mine. In this case the honor goes to the K. 193 E-Flat Major. What an amazing piece of different moods and hues! If I were to hunt down and listen (or re-listen) to other renditions of it, I feel confident by now Perianes's would more than hold its own. I'm grateful to him for showing me that there is plenty more to be experienced in performances of these 555 delights.  

Verdict: Highly Recommended

Recording Review #65: Haunting Hovhaness

 

Hovhaness: Violin Concerto No. 2; Works for Violin and Piano. Zina Schiff, violinist; Valerie Stark, pianist; Avlana Eisenberg, conductor; Salzburg Chamber Soloists. Naxos 8.559957. 

I won't pretend to have heard even half of Alan Hovhaness's 434 opuses. But I have heard enough to harbor a minimally provisional opinion: his music is indeed on the slight side, yet doesn't deserve the hate it gets. His large-scale works usually aren't really large scale works; they're often just a bunch of miniatures strung together. His themes are short and repetitive, which make for brief, monotony-warding movements. Those who demand Germanic development in their concertos and symphonies won't like Hovhaness's at all. But others (like me) who don't necessarily need to have this (despite what that Pedant of all Pedants Robert Simpson may have said), nor fully-breathed Romantic melodies, stand to enjoy some nice, often highly evocative music for what it is. 

That was my experience with this new disc from Naxos. All of the works on it are at least pleasant. I already don't remember the materials from the Second Violin Concerto, Op. 89a. But I remember that I liked it and wouldn't mind hearing it again. To varying degrees I'd say the same for most of the other offerings: Yeraz, the Khirgiz Suite, the Violin Sonata, 3 Visions of Saint Mesrob, Varak, and the arrangement of Hovhaness's Op. 1, Oror. As the recording's back cover states, these show a good cross-section of the composer's eclectic influences from East and West. But they dissipated quickly in my recollections soon after I listened to them. 

However, one work particularly caught my ear: Les baux, Op. 261, which receives its premiere recording. Here is what the liner notes say about it:

"The title stems from a Ligurian term for steep cliffs or rock promontories. Renowned for its historic medieval streets, charming squares, and luscious wine, Les Baux was a favorite destination in Provence for the mountain-loving composer. Hovhaness inches us to the edge of the mountain, where the dizzying, dazzling views command." 

There is something about Hovhaness and mountains that brings out the best in him, and leads to a point which I feel is instructive about the composer. Given the right extra-musical inspiration, he was capable of producing ear-worms that stay with you. Mysterious Mountain (Symphony No. 2) is at first glance just a modest little thing, but its evocations are rich. Les Baux, with its repeated violin melodies and chime-like arpeggio accompaniment in the piano, similarly got into my brain and stuck there after just a single hearing. Subsequent listens confirmed my strong attraction. It is gentle yet haunting music, and superbly captures the scene described above. Onto my Spotify playlist of favorite chamber pieces it goes! 

I love making discoveries like this. Les Baux doesn't impress me in the way that a Beethoven symphony or Verdi opera does. But the way in which it does so is a way I wouldn't want to be without in my musical life, similar to how I am often in the mood for my favorite pop bands over the classical repertoire which I make my living teaching and writing about. There are absolutely such subdivisions in my classical listening alone, and Hovhaness constitutes one of them. 

If you feel the same, give this disc a try. Les Baux might not be the ear-worm for you that it is for me. There may turn out not to be anything on this recording that is. But in that case I challenge you to keep exploring Hovhaness's music and see if you don't eventually alight upon something else that strikes you as special. 

Verdict: Recommended

Recording Review #64: Influences, I Guess

Influences. Mariam Batsashvili, pianist. Warner Classics 2173253517.

One way to repackage various but frequently recorded pieces is to claim some connection between them. In the case of Mariam Batsashvili's third Warner release, the idea is that these sonatas "and extras" are presented chronologically by composer in a way that shows connectiong threads. Or something. Here is Batsashvili's explanation: 

"Even though there are so many other sonatas which are fantastic, I chose these ones because they speak to me. The idea of Influences is that the listener will make links between the sonatas, and whilst hearing the character and signature of each composer, the evolution of sonata form and the development of music is audible." (See here for her entire interview discussing the recording.)

Okay, I guess. I think we can all agree there are many possible connections between Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Liszt. But Batsashvili speaks a bit broadly, if not vaguely, when it comes to identifying some. I kinda think she just chose these specific sonatas (and extras) mainly because she likes them. Which is fine, but it makes the Influences theme come across more as a marketing ploy than anything else. She's performing stuff she wants to; theme-wise, maybe we should just leave it at that and be content.

Of course, what matters more than the packaging is the playing. Here we have somewhat of a mixed bag to go along with the repertoire choices. We start with Haydn's sprightly D-Major Sonata, Hob. XVI:37. This is played well if not remarkably. Anyone merely wanting a solid performance will be entirely pleased. A slightly-too-staccato articulation at times goes against my taste, but this isn't a huge deal. Similar things could be said for Batsashvili's interpretation of Mozart's D-Major Sonata, K. 576, though I liked this performance a bit better because of a suitably rousing finale.

Given her propensity for Liszt (more on this in a bit), it's maybe surprising that Batsashvili's Appassionata Sonata by Beethoven isn't more fiery. I found it fairly well played, but too tame. The finale especially is sluggish and lackluster. Furthermore, if "influences" encompasses how galant-like she makes passages like the one starting at Measure 145 sound, perhaps this is a connection to Haydn (or before) we didn't need! Usually I'm glad when companies don't skimp on their discs' playing times. But at 83 minutes, this recording could have left out its Appassionata and elevated the whole business in so doing. 

But now we come to the best reason to purchase Influences: Batsashvili's Liszt. The winner of both the 10th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition (2014) and the International Franz Liszt Competition for Young Pianists (2011), she amply backs up her credentials as a Lisztian here. We get excellent performances of the first and famous third Liebesträume, as well as a solid La Campanella. However, the real prize is her Dante Sonata. This isn't the easiest work to bring off convincingly, but Batsashvili supplies the vividness, cohesion, and absolute sympathy required to do so. That alone is worth the purchase price. 

Verdict: Highly Recommended for the Liszt; Recommended for the Haydn and Mozart

New Reviews at Classical Candor

Classical Candor recently published two CD reviews of mine. The first (treating the latest Weinberg string quartet series installment from Chandos) is available here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2025/05/weinberg-string-quartets-volume-5-cd.html

The second review considers the latest Ruth Gipps orchestral music volume, also from Chandos: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2025/05/ruth-gipps-orchestral-works-volume-4-cd.html

I am significantly preoccupied with all sorts of projects at the present, which explains my lack of activity here. I will post as I am able. Thanks for reading!

New Review at Classical Candor

 My review of the new Sony Liszt disc, featuring Leif Ove Andsnes in Via Crucis and some assorted piano works, is now up at Classical Candor: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2025/04/liszt-via-crucis-solo-piano-works-cd.html