| REVIEWS: athene 23025 Scarlatti Sonatas (J. Leach) | |
Dominico Scarlatti was only able to cast off the shadow of his deceased father Alessandro, when he moved to Spain in 1729 at the age of 44. Up to that point he had only composed a few vocal works; he now focused on the harpsichord. Therefore, all the harpsichord sonatas were composed in the last twenty years of his life. Within the familiar two-part form, Scarlatti creates a micro universe of musical facets. It ranges from influences of Spanish folk music, ceremonial music with timpani and trumpets to virtuosic showpieces of which some, with their passage work and progressive modulations, do not only reach forward to the classical period, but even seem to foretell musical development beyond. An example for this can be found in the Sonata K461. The pianist portrays the modulations in subtle colours on the Stodart piano. She gives the virtuosic passages of Sonata K113 a vibrant balance without straining for effects. By comparing the contrasting sonatas, Joanna Leach’s versatility and intelligence is made clear; for instance in both minor Sonatas K466 and K481, as well as in the earlier K209. She explores the melodic depth of them with feminine restraint and sensitivity, creating poignant moments. The Sonata K466 Andante benefits from the slightly ringing, ethereal sound of the instrument. In K209 she brings out the cheerfully light hearted hunting sounds, but also not ignoring the underlying nuances. In comparison with well known recordings of illustrious colleagues, the thoughtful balance of Leach’s playing is striking. A consistent vibrancy distinguishes her interpretations in which a dynamically differentiated and multi-faceted playing becomes apparent. In comparison to romanticized interpretations of, for example, Horowitz who sometimes uses rubato, her performances as well as the tone of her piano are always in the range of clear to bright, opening up a new vision of the compositions. Other recordings in contrast seem sometimes slightly rough or exaggerated, for instance on the also remarkable CD of Ivo Pogorelich. The experienced performer [Joanna Leach] meditates over these sonatas, like Glenn Gould did in his late recording of the Goldberg Variations. No note is played in haste, no repeat remains meaningless. Comparable to acknowledged reference recordings, these interpretations present the sonatas by Scarlatti free from artificial drama or even technical awkwardness. The only regrettable thing is that Joanna Leach has not recorded the other 539 sonatas. MUSICAL POINTERS: Leach's performances are characterised by clarity of thought and texture; they are intimate, measured, satisfying. Their neat musicality lacks the last grain of virtuosity. Many Scarlatti ‘favourites', such as Kk380 and Kk491 are to be found on the disc. Some intellectual sleight of hand is usually necessary to link a period instrument contingently available with what is recorded, since the connection is by definition post hoc . In this case, one could easily argue that Scarlatti wrote demonstrably virtuosic, display pieces, and wrote them in a context of domestic performance (it is well known that his keyboard sonatas were principally written for Princess Maria Barbara of Portugal , who became Queen of Spain). The square piano clearly gives a suitably intimate sound, and its light action suits the rapidity of the notes. Great pianists of the past, such as Horowitz, who frequently programmed Scarlatti, themselves favoured light pianos. As the booklet explains, Leach was originally a performer on modern pianos, but found period instruments suited her approach. The Athene label, which is now part of the Divine Art stable, was a way of setting down her distinctive and thoughtful interpretations, among which her Haydn and John Field are especially well regarded. Good modern recorded sound, and Divine Art's usual crisp presentation. We also learn from the notes that Joanna Leach's long and distinguished career has been seriously threatened by illness; her determination to continue recording is all the more to be commended. THE CONSORT: At the recent FIMTE symposium in Spain, Michael Latcham presented a paper on the keyboard instruments at Scarlatti’s disposal (both harpsichords and pianos), in which he encouraged us to consider the idea that maybe the royal family and court members chose an instrument according to their mood and its availability. Latcham added that we might select our instruments the same was, now, as then. Joanna Leach admits to choosing some of her favourite pieces for this CD and certainly she has as much justification for playing them on a Stodart square of 1823 as many other pianists do upon a Steinway of the 2oth or a Fazioli of the 21st century. I don’t, however, believe that because this early 19th century instrument is closer to the 18th century, that makes it more suitable – it still represents another era. Whether you turn up for a Wigmore Hall recital a minute after it has finished or an hour too late, you have still missed the experience. However, in the accompanying booklet, Leach provides some interesting facts about performances of Scarlatti by 19th century composers and performers such as Clara Wieck (Schumann’s wife), Brahms and Horowitz. She quotes Chopin exhorting his pupils to play Scarlatti and predicting that the sonatas would yet be popular with concert audiences. This has certainly proved to be true, and even if we question whether there is need for yet another Scarlatti recording, this is certainly something a little bit different, which gives rise to an interesting speculation upon how Chopin and others experienced Scarlatti’s sonatas. The CD also demonstrates the gallant elements in Scarlatti’s style. We know that after the publication of the Essercizi in London, during the winter of 1738/9, Scarlatti’s sonatas were taken up by English musicians and dilletanti, and they continued to be collected and published in London well into the 19th century. Since the square piano would have been the most common domestic instrument in England, Leach conveys to us the sounds of that time. It is always interesting to see how performers choose to order the play-list but, for easy reference, the 16 Scarlatti sonatas on offer are, in Kirkpatrick’s numbering: K1, 9, 25, 27, 54, 64, 113, 198, 208, 209, 380, 461, 466, 481, 491 and 492. I am frequently surprised at Mediterranean performers who play Scarlatti with what I can only describe as a British stiff upper lip. Joanna Leach cannot be accused of this; she plays with great flexibility, but although she uses a wide dynamic range and dynamic accents to good effect, for me there is not enough articulatory accent, and thus a tendency for the sonatas to lack excitement and bite. Joanna plays expressive dissonance beautifully but she never stamps her foot! Examples are to be found in sonata K.461, where the helter-skelter effect of the runs in the outer sections are sacrificed to a scalic efficiency in order to serve the touching development section with its essential and rightly-placed rubato, and in K.491 which, nevertheless, seems tired, with an intermittent slackness of rhythm and occasional pre-beat trills. That said, in K.113, for example, Joanna demonstrates her sheer ability to share her enjoyment with the listener. The Iberian flair and raw, almost coarse and sometimes cruel, emotion is something that assaults us in the cante hondo and the later flamenco, along with the rhythmic energy and drive of the Andalucian folk dance. Scarlatti absorbed all this into his sonatas, which call for more than mere knowledge of these influences, as Joanna mentions in her accompanying notes. It is accent and articulation, along with understanding of gesture that lends such feverish and urgent excitement to, in Dean Sutcliffe’s words, “the vividness of the now”. Joanna Leach gives us playing that is intensely and exquisitely expressive. Her response to melodic shape and harmonic meaning, her delicacy of touch and total commitment to the piano that she has chosen is outstanding, and exactly what one might hope to have heard from only the very best performers in the early 19th century. In fact, this may be a truly “authentic performance” of Scarlatti as he was viewed in the 1820s. Here is a performer who is immersed in the music of that period, and she casts as persuasive light upon some of the rarer slower sonatas – K.466, 54 and the heart-wrenching 481. In K.25, the crossed-hand figure is presented in a pleading voice and, in many of the sonatas, Joanna opens our ears in quite a fresh way to the often overlooked, fragile beauty of the treasures within. In his book of 1832, Tales of the Alhambra, Washington Irving describes the Court of Lions: “The court is laid out in flower-beds and surrounded by light Arabian arcades of open filigree-work, supported by slender pillars of white marble. The architecture, like other parts of the palace, is characterised by elegance rather than grandeur, speaking of a delicate and graceful taste and a disposition to indolent enjoyment.” Irving’s romantic sensibility seems completely at one with that of Joanna Leach in her interpretations of Scarlatti’s sonatas, and her CD offers many of the delights to be found in Irving’s classic book.
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