Gary Graffman and George Szell play Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concertos No. 1 & 3

★★★★

   Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev, born April 23rd, 1891, was one of the greatest composers in first half of the 20th century and the leading figure of neoclassical style. For his symphonic and ballet music he was internationally recognized but earlier big steps toward success were his concertos. First violin concerto and three piano concertos he composed before he turned 30. After the First World War and revolution of 1917, he decided to build his career abroad, living in USA, Germany and in France. His name in Russian original: Сергей Сергеевич Прокофьев, was into transcribed into different languages in accordance to phonetics so people know him in various spellings as: Serge Prokofieff, Sergei Sergejewitsch Prokofjew or Sergei Prokofiev. His fame is so widespread that, regardless of spelling, everyone knows who we are talking about.
   His emigration has more artistic venture than political choice. In fact his migration was authorized by Soviet government. In 1920’s he was traveling in Americas and Europe as conductor and pianist but first of all he was active as composer and was trying to promote his works. In fact these journeys were not quite a good period for his creative activities. In time of economic crisis possibilities of artistic development were increasingly limited, and as one of exiles he was not feeling happy. He decided that he should return to his homeland and in 1936 he moved to Moscow for good. And how conducive for his creativity was this decision shows the list of his works in late thirties.

Gary Graffman and George Szell play Sergei Prokofiev (1976)

   In Sergei Prokofiev’s creative output concertos are highly appreciated. These works as well as symphonies and solo sonatas decided of his neoclassical style, although he was also criticized as too much formalistic thus undemocratic and not socialist. He finished 9 concertos and concerting pieces, two concertos for violin and orchestra, five piano concertos, concert for cello and Symphony-Concerto for cello and orchestra. The Concertino for cello and orchestra has two versions because it was finished independently by Dmitry Kabalevski and by Vladimir Blok. The Piano concerto No. 6 Prokofiev started in 1953 remains unfinished. Significant part of his work are nine sonatas for piano (next two remained unfinished). These work and many piano miniatures are great part of modern piano literature.
   The two pieces representing early period of Prokofiev creative work – Concerto No. 1 in D-flat Major Op. 10 and Concerto No. 3 in C Major Op. 26 – belong to the group of most famous piano concertos of 20th century. Gary Graffman made recordings of these concertos in March 1966 with George Szell conducting Cleveland Orchestra. These recordings were published together with Piano Sonata No. 3 in A Minor Op. 28 recorded in December 1962. The repertoire of this album Graffman has already recorded – Concerto No. 3 in 1965 with San Francisco Symphony under Enrique Jorda and Sonata No. 3 in 1956 for RCA. Also Szell has great experience with Prokofiev’s music – he recorded 1st Piano Concerto in 1963 with Rudolf Serkin. The album released by CBS in 1976 is a powerful exposure of most popular Prokofiev’s concertos. These perfectly adequate performances can be a reference for understanding Prokofiev’s works. Five years later this album was reedited in CBS Great Performances series. As it is compilation of previously published recordings, it deserves four stars for great interpretation and clear sound.

Szell conducts Wagner – Great Orchestral Music from “The Ring”

★★★★

   In the history of culture some artists were always confined to one kind of activity. Although most composers were many-sided, there were always musicians who limited their activity to narrow stream of formal or functional output. They were producing just the kind of work as an answer to social order. In 19th century with the division of labor came specialization and competitiveness. Composers started to follow their most successful works. From formal and social point of view Richard Wagner was such an artist. Miscellaneous works he composed in first years of his life did not bring him any success, so he had specialized in opera and musical drama. This was consistent with his idea of dramatic aspect of music theatre. He became famous as the great reformer in the field of opera.
   Opera in 19th century was extremely popular genre. One of effects of this success was many orchestral fragments of operas were included in concert repertoire as symphonic pieces. Especially popular were fragments of Richard Wagner’s works. Powerful orchestrations and elements of illustrative means are characteristic style features of this composer. Preludes and overtures from his early operas and symphonic images in later composed dramas, all fragments of Wagner’s instrumental music on the span next century became popular concert pieces. It was also the element of orchestra sound display. One of Wagnerian features was characteristic form basing on crescendos which he used in overtures and in many scenes. One of best choices showing Wagner’s music was Great Orchestral Music from “The Ring” published in 1982 in CBS Great Performances series (MY 36715).

Szell – Great Orchestral Music from “The Ring” (1982)

   Although this album was reissue of previously published recordings, this edition became very popular in eighties. It shows most famous excerpts of four dramas cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen shortly mentioned as “The Ring”. Opening fragment is Entrance Of The Gods Into Valhalla from Das Rheingold, followed by Ride Of The Valkyries and Magic Fire Music from Die Walküre. The closing piece of the first side is image of virgin wood painted with orchestral sound in Forest Murmurs from Siegfried. These excerpts show how powerful can be music creating imaginary. The program of this album is concluded with two fragments From Götterdämmerung. In Dawn And Siegfried's Rhine Journey orchestra exposes once again a crescendo with characteristic Wagner’s impetus and whole story is closed with Siegfried's Funeral Music And Final Scene from fourth part of tetralogy. Strong, powerful orchestral sound meets subtle, fine and precise fragments. Cleveland Orchestra conducted by George Szell sounds perfect and Wagner’s music let it show its sound possibilities.
   The Great Orchestral Music from “The Ring” choice has its own history. It was recorded at Cleveland Severance Hall in 1968 and published for the first time as Columbia Masterworks’ album Great Orchestra Highlights From “The Ring Of The Nibelungs” (MS 7291). It was highly appreciated and included in various medley editions of Wagner’s Greatest Hits. In 1973 it was included as third record of Columbia album Wagner Orchestral Music by George Szell an Cleveland Orchestra (D3M 32317) and in 1990 complete program of “Ring” excerpts was included in CBS compact disk compilation Wagner Without Words (MDK 46286) with Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde and Prelude to 1st Act of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. These recordings are the perfect example of great symphonic renditions of Wagener’s music, republished so many times, these tracks became standard way of understanding the orchestral imagination by Richard Wagner. Four stars is clear bargain for these still living performances.

George Szell – The Cleveland Orchestra – William Walton's Partita and Mahler's Tenth Symphony

   When in 1946 George Szell took the post of musical director of the Cleveland Orchestra, the artistic possibilities of famous band were far from ideal. For the orchestra still remembering good times of Artur Rodzinski and Erich Leinsdorf but weakened by the war limitations, critics and listeners had demanded decisive measures. Szell had to build the new orchestra, and he did it in ten years. Many musicians lost their jobs, while more others were hired. In effect he expanded and renewing orchestra in completely new manner. New Cleveland Orchestra was build gradually to have American type of powerful sound and European sensitivity of nuances and interpretative issues.
   In effect during the season of 1957/58 The Cleveland Orchestra was at the peak of its professional power. After the decade of building the team, exchanging musicians and expanding the group, there was virtually no symphonic work that could be too hard to play for this band. With more than a hundred handpicked musicians Szell was able to perform every symphonic composition with equal easiness. One of records giving a chance to observe the technical accuracy and artistic flexibility of the Cleveland Orchestra and conductor George Szell is the one presenting 20th century orchestral pieces by William Walton and Gustav Mahler, released in 1959 by EPIC (LC 3568).

George Szell – Walton – Partita, Mahler – Symphony No. 10 (1959)

   William Walton’s Partita is the result of polystylistic synthesis. It takes over some impressionistic ideas of orchestration colors and some technical solutions and neoclassic formal ideas of Prokofiev or Stravinsky. Neoclassicism is predominantly shown in construction of the work, which is planned as a three-part late 18. century sonatine form. Composed in London, November 28th, 1957, and dedicated for the Cleveland Orchestra it was premiered by the recipients in Cleveland in January 30th, 1958. Listening to this three part work makes it easy to understand why Partita was dedicated to the Cleveland Orchestra. The score of this composition demands absolute discipline in every parameter of the orchestral sound and for some bands it could be just difficult to perform.
   Walton’s Partita is orchestrated for different sets of orchestral instruments and in some fragments could be considered as a concert for virtuoso orchestra. First part Toccata (Brioso) shows some mobility and rhythmic agility giving surprising syncopated effects with constant movement of violins. In second movement Pastorale Siciliana (Andante comodo) melodic patterns are introduced by solo viola, than oboe, and raised by various wind instruments in reprise form. In Giga burlesca (Allegro gioviale) fast and highly energic melody with repetitions in small rhythmic values like in fast recitative gives orchestra one more chance for virtuoso passages.

Szell & Cleveland Orch. – William Walton – Partita (1958)

   The Tenth Symphony by Gustav Mahler was unfinished. The fragments, composed in 1910, remained unknown to 1924, when facsimile was published. Only two movements were progressed far enough to reconstruct a reliable score – first and third. This work was undertaken by Ernst Křenek and the same year premiered in Vienna. After war it was premiered in Erie Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Fritz Mahler, who was composer’s cousin, and published in New York. Recorded by George Szell with the Cleveland Orchestra it became a rarity in history of recorded music. According to Lewis M. Smoley (Gustav Mahler’s Symphonies: Critical Commentary on Recordings Since 1986. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1996, p. 260) this is the only recording conjoining these two movements. He also qualified this performance of Symphony No. 10 as “one of the best versions ever recorded”. Undoubtedly the metaphysical aura of the Andante – Adagio movement is quite touchable and Intermezzo (Allegro moderato – Allegro non troppo), which in original bears the superscription Purgatorio, is as grotesque as consequent and compact. This rendition makes this music so much alive, it meets as a complete piece.