Rachmaninov: 24 Preludes
Boris Giltburg, piano.
Naxos Records 8.574025
Total Time:  79:55
Recording:   ****/****
Performance: ****/****

Boris Giltburg has been creating a steady stream of critically-acclaimed recordings ever since his initial signing with Naxos in 2015.  To date he has explored some Shostakovich, Beethoven, and, most notably, Rachmaninov of which he has gained a reputation as a premiere interpreter of the great Russian composer’s music.  Here he takes on Rachmaninov’s exploration of the grand tradition of exploring tonal harmony hearkening back to Bach and Chopin, and contemporary to Debussy’s preludes.

Rachmaninov’s preludes were composed across an 18-year period and for many are the pieces where one turns to explore the composer’s development.  The preludes of Op. 23 and the “Prelude in c#” from his Morceau de fantaisie, Op. 3 (1892) are all part of his more Romantic style while those of Op. 32 (1910) already are firmly moving into a more modernist world.  The pieces are all quite different in character even though some, perhaps the most popular of the set, have beautiful lyrical melodies.  It is clear from the way these works are structured that Rachmaninov was working off a specific plan that would essentially link the entire collection of preludes eventually.  Throughout we hear him exploring sonorities that would find their way into his orchestral music (i.e., bells) with works that are more abstract also next to those whose inspiration came from paintings or literature.  The Op. 32, no. 4 prelude has echoes of the second symphony in its dramatic flow, for example.

There are hundreds of recorded performances of the preludes, some gaining more attention than others, and it is generally the approach of the performer that helps make these pieces come alive beyond sheer pianistic virtuoso playing, although some of that is needed.  In the more popular Op. 3 prelude, Giltburg likes to have a lot of sustain that adds a rather dark quality to the music while also adding better contrast to the faster-paced section.  It is not quite dashed off, and it is a work that will likely be played by personal favorites, but Giltburg’s performance is convincing all the same recalling the composer’s own.  The Fazioli he performs on here has a very rich tone as well which certainly adds to the performance and sets up the listener for the intensity of what is to come.  These are carefully-conceived performances where each note seems to be given an equal weight against the notable melodic lines that are layered onto the often rich harmonies of the Op. 23 preludes (1901/03).  Once we are in to this set, especially the second prelude in Bb Major, we get a real sense of the sweep of the playing here with a rhythmic precision that is even maintained in the rubato moments throughout the music.  The fifth prelude in g minor has excellent, clear rhythmic pulse in the march sections and gorgeous romantic restraint in the lyrical section from which the other then grows out of for its return.  It's dreamier counterpart of Op. 32 is given an almost sublime performance here with its restraint and quietude and welcome pause from the intensity of moods that surround it.

At this point, one can easily recommend this latest installment of Giltburg’s Rachmaninov cycle.  It is stunningly recorded and the performances are equally inspired here.  The pianist also provides some excellent notes to help guide the listener more, which are especially helpful to those coming to the music for the first time, or even for the hundredth!  In some ways, Giltburg’s approach brings us a blend of intimacy with more moodiness than stormy intensity though the latter certainly raises its head from time to time.  The real triumph here is the very clear textural playing that he achieves.  There is also a sense of the longer trajectory of the collection not just the individual pieces as standalone.  This has its own impact and the general interpretive approach.  Most likely those who have come to love this music will have their personal favorites and this too will be a matter of taste, but it certainly moves to the top of recordings of this repertoire.

Music for Horn and Orchestra
Markus Maskuniitty, horn.
Martin Schopfer, Kristofer Oberg, Monica Berenguer Caro, horns.
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra/Sakari Oramo
Ondine 1339-2
Total Time:  59:08
Recording:   ****/****
Performance: ****/****

The French Horn began its life outdoors and when it finally made it into the orchestra its range was fairly limited.  Through most of the 18^th Century it was used to punctuate cadences.  Mozart explored the instruments capabilities in his horn concertos and by the time Beethoven began writing orchestral music, performers were beginning to also explore greater capabilities of the instrument.  Thus began its movement from a symbol of the outdoors and the hunt to one of romantic longing adding a unique color that would be explored fully throughout the 19^th Century.  In his debut recording for Ondine, Markus Maskuniitty has chosen four works from across a century of music for the instrument.  Maskuniitty has been principal horn for the Berlin Philharmonic and is principal horn for the orchestra that accompanies him here.  Sakari Oramo is their principal conductor and this continues to expand his quite diverse recorded repertoire.

Schumann often thought of the horn as the “soul of the orchestra”.  His most memorable use of them may be in his Rhenish symphony.  The addition of valves to the horn (patented in 1818) added to its expressive capabilities and Schumann was the first composer to compose a work that would explore this in his Konzerstuck for 4 Horns, Op. 86 (1849).  It is a fine concertante work cast in three connected movements that highlights some of the primary moods of the instrument: heroism, romance, and majesty.  The performance here pays close attention to the accents and captures the styles of the period very well with superb support from the orchestra.  Balance is also carefully nuanced.  The music still has that distant echo of Beethoven which is brought out by the precision of articulation and delineated forms.  The central movement begins to really bring us more lyricism and romantic sensibility.  Most impressive are the ways the four soloists match their sound as lines are handed off from one to the next.  There is also a real sense of love for the music which further helps lift it to a more engaging performance.  Schumann wrote two additional works for the new valve horn.  Of these, his Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70 (1849) has become a significant repertoire piece for the instrument.  In the late 1950s, the great Swiss conductor arranged the work for orchestra and subsequently recorded it.  That arrangement is revisited here in a stunningly gorgeous performance.  In fact, the Schumann performances here make one want to hear Oramo’s take on his symphonies as well.

The Morceau de concert, Op. 94 (1887) was written at the height of Saint-Saens popularity.  He would also composer three works for the instrument.  This one was dedicated to the horn builder Henru Chaussier (creator of his own Cor Chaussier).  Cast in three movements, one gets a real sense of Saint-Saens assured hand in orchestration that really comes out in the central slow movement.  The piece is in the grand romantic tradition.  Interesting aspects of the work include the way tone and notes are shaped by hand in bell placement.  This comes out well here, though the modern instrument likely allows for a smoother tone.  These subtleties though can still be heard in Maskuniitty’s performance.

Reinhold Gliere (1875-1956) is mostly known today for his ballet The Red Poppy.  His output includes a number of symphonic poems and three rather remarkable symphonies but his music was a bit overshadowed by the political turmoil of the Russian Revolution.  Unlike others who fled, Gliere remained in Russia carving out a life as an educator and continuing to composer works often approved by the state.  Later in his life, he began composing a number of concertos for various instruments.  The most famous of these, and his last completed orchestral work, is the Horn Concerto in Bb, Op. 91 (1951).  Written for Valery Polekh (1918-2006) the hornist with the Bolshoi Orchestra, Gliere’s work was modeled on Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and in many respects is a last glimpse of an era of romanticism and folkish influences that were part of the 19^th-Century Russian classical tradition.  For many this will be a wonderful discovery of an engaging concerto with colorful orchestral writing.  Unlike the earlier pieces on the album, the miking here is close enough to pick up some of Maskuniitty’s breathing, especially in the cadenza—which features some awesome low register playing.

Sometimes in recordings of works for soloist with orchestra the latter sort of takes a back seat often just reading through the music with a distant professionalism.  In this recording, it really feels like conductor and orchestra are working as hard as the soloist to bring us performances of great detail and shape that match Maskuniitty’s virtuoso performances here.  There is also a sense of joy in this whole interaction that often leads to some exhilarating music making.  It is even more impressive that this consistency exists for these recordings made between 2016 and 2018.  For those who love 19^th Century music and are expanding their own listening repertoire, this album should bring a lot of pleasure and bear up under repeated listening.