Franck: Premier Duo a quatre mains sur God Save the King / Deuxieme Duo a quatre mains sur Lucile de Gretry / Extraits de Hulda
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CD Details
Composer: Cesar FranckPerformer: Daniel Blumenthal
Performer: Jacob Bogaart
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1994-09-16
Music Label: Koch Schwann
Music reviews of Franck: Premier Duo a quatre mains sur God Save the King / Deuxieme Duo a quatre mains sur Lucile de Gretry / Extraits de Hulda
Music Review: Captivating Franck rarities
Rating: 4 Stars
There is a limited selection of Franck piano recordings out there nowadays. Perahia, Paley, and Hough have contributed widely to elevating Franck's status as a powerful and effective piano composer. But many Franck recordings seem to lack the excellent piano transcriptions and arrangements of his works. The Marco Polo label did a tremendous job with Alexander Paley's recording of Alfred Cortot's piano solo transcription of the Violin Sonata and Harold Bauer's various arrangements of the Pastorale and some others. This particular recording with Daniel Blumenthal and Jacob Bogaart is quite remarkable and unfortunately hard to find. But the works contained herein are very enjoyable, especially for the Franck fan. As far as the performers are concerned, I feel Blumenthal and Bogaart make a wonderful piano duo and they play these works with all the necessary virtuosity and passion.
The Premier Duo for Four Hands on "God Save the King" is Franck's Op. 4. It's a peculiar composition because the majority of the music explores original Franckian material before launching into the famous "God Save the King" theme. Franck expounds on some interesting musical ideas for a good 10 minutes, actually. The music is reminiscent of Liszt and delightfully melodic. The last 4 minutes contain an ecstatic but brief set of variations on the "God Save the King" theme. Thalbergian decorations and Lisztian forte passages run rampant to seal the piece off as a decent virtuoso excursion. I wouldn't call it "salon music" because of the strange 10 minutes of original music. And let's face it, Franck takes a memorable tune and celebrates it with attractive pianistic effects. In short, it's good music.
The Duo for Four Hands of Gretry's Lucile Op. 17 is a startlingly appealing romp. Its theme is somewhat similar to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" and sounds more like a Rossini comic opera overture. The music is actually based on thematic material from a quartet in Gretry's opera, Lucile. As such, this piece tends to sound light and sparkling. Nonetheless, it is endearing and exciting. Don't expect a Prelude, Choral and Fugue; this is not so serious, but still worthy of being recorded.
The rest of the CD focuses on operatic transcriptions of Franck's own opera, Hulda. Franck fans rejoice because no other label or performer has championed this. The Entr'acte pastoral is outstanding. The music is solemn, reflective, and suddenly transcendent. The dissonances are strangely un-Franckian at first. But before you know it, the genius of this french composer reveals itself through the glorious harmonies and climactic ending. This is definitely one of the highlights of the CD after the Op. 4. As a piece for piano duo, it just works. Melancholy music like this needs the reverberating chords and the beautiful tones of the piano. The next piece, Chanson de l'hermine, is rather short but beautiful with its repeating melody and intense drama. Indeed, this is another highlight of the disc. Next up is the Marche Royale, which is not as superficial as it may sound at first. The piece is rhythmically unique and has some unusual accents. Musically, the work is not that memorable but still a fascinating look into Franck's varying composing style.
The last work is a symphonic poem from this opera. The CD notes best describe it as music "depicting the battle between winter and spring. It is in five movements which form a self-contained symphonic suite within the opera, with a formal unity which owes much to the ease with which Franck, now in the full flower of his maturity, handles variation form. After the introduction, with its evocative and contrasted timbres, comes the Danse de l'Hiver, which has overtones of Grieg; particularly successful is the poetic progression by which the somewhat modal theme of Spring ousts the more rustically rhythmic one of Winter. The Danse des elfes, with its rhythmic delights, serves as a scherzo, while the slow movement is the Danse des ondines, a theme and variations. The lively Ronde generale recapitulates the essentials of what is altogether a most successful ensemble of ballet music." In my view, the work is spectacular and emotional, and quite suited to the piano four hands. The battle between Spring and Winter is effectively illustrated by the sonorities and dynamics of the piano. Overall, there is a mix of haunting and jubilant music here that deserves more recognition.
Bottom line: There are Franck works here that you won't find on any other recording. Indeed, the Op. 4 and Op. 17 are rarities and the operatic transcriptions of Hulda are curiously neglected. Blumenthal and Bogaart are a masterful piano duo and they always play with the appropriate pathos. The music is not breathtaking enough to rank 5 stars, and Franck beginners should really look to the more famous pieces instead of experimenting with this recording. I recommend the Franck cohorts to pounce on this disc right away, though. These are basically world premiere recordings.
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