Balakirev: Piano Music (Complete) [Box Set]
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Composer: Mily BalakirevComposer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Composer: Hector Berlioz
Composer: Frederic Chopin
Composer: Mikhail Glinka
Composer: Alexander Taneyev
Composer: Zapolsky
Performer: Alexander Paley
Edition: Music CD
Format: Box set
CD Release Date: 2005-06-28
Music Label: Brilliant Classics
Music reviews of Balakirev: Piano Music (Complete) [Box Set]
Music Review: Enjoyable and historically important music by the founder of the "Russian Five," but get someone else's "Islamey"
Rating: 3 Stars
In addition to this piano music, Balakirev composed a respectable number of works in other media, among them two each of symphonies, piano concertos, a handful of overtures and tone poems, all very much worth hearing. He was one the great pianists of his era, and virtually founded the "Russian Five." Nevertheless, he was really more of a source of ideas for other composers. For example, he literally nagged Tchaikovsky into composing "Manfred," even supplying a program which went so far as to specify the tempos and tonalities Tchaikovsky should use!
Balakirev's piano music is very unevenly inspired, and a lot of it goes on a little too long for the quality of its material to sustain interest. There's also a lot of Chopin-diluted-with-water here, some of it containing more or less water than others.
But don't just take my word for it. In describing 22 out of 62 tracks, performer Paley's own notes unflinchingly repeat phrases like "mediocre salon piece", "I cannot say this is very successful", "nothing special", "absolutely mediocre", "more like background dinner music", "not very interesting", "nothing of interest", and even, "just junk!" The seven waltzes are described as "the worse (sic) part of his piano music," and, "a real challenge to make them interesting on a CD". He mentions Chopin's mazurkas, as "much shorter and much better than Balakirev's" (seven). I hope this doesn't discourage other customers from buying this set, but I would be less than honest if I did not mention Paley's own realistic and quite accurate assessments.
That out of the way, there are SEVERAL EXTREMELY IMPORTANT MASTERPIECES here that are required listening for anyone interested in the birth of Russian nationalism. Of course there is the gorgeous oriental fantasy "Islamey", one of the most difficult pieces in the virtuoso repertoire. Also of tremendous musical and historical importance are the masterful Sonata in B-flat minor, the transcriptions of Glinka and the slow movement of Chopin's Concerto in E minor (so beautifully recorded by Hamelin).
The sound is good, and Paley is adequate to the demands of 99% of this repertoire. However, his "Islamey" suffers by comparison to Brendel and Barere. Things begin well enough, but problems start in the tremendously demanding coda at about 7:15, where Paley has to slow down to get the notes. One can say this is only one piece out of six discs, but "Islamey" is one of the summits of the virtuoso repertoire. If a pianist assays a complete Balakirev, then his playing of "Islamey" had better be able to compete at the top level. Paley "gets through it,"--by the skin of his teeth--but the effort is audible.
As an assessment of Balakirev's music in general, it's worth quoting two passages of Paley's charming Russo-English: first, in connection with "Islamey," he says: "Usually with composers who write a lot you can see improvement in their development. But with Balakirev, his work did not improve with time. His early works are much better than later ones. Balakirev was a great pianist but he did not have enough talent to express himself only through music. He was a writer and organizer but 'Islamey' is 'Islamey'--musically it is a masterpiece".--absolutely true!
Later, Paley says, "Balakirev was fashionable in his time but did not develop or change as the times changed. All this music was like in a museum, even when it was written. When you listen to this music, your impression has to be like going to a wonderful museum and you don't have to look for anything else."
I think it might be added, take this music for what it is, and don't expect everything to be a masterpiece, although there certainly are some here. For fans of the Russian nationalists, this will be an obligatory purchase, and a set of interest to those curious about the rise of that movement. If Rimsky-Korsakov's orientalism and the Tchaikovsky piano music appeal to you, you will probably enjoy this.
My advice: don't get any of Paley's individual volumes originally issued on Ess.a.y. CD's--by the time you have bought ONE, you might as well get Brilliant's inexpensive complete set. There are few competing recordings of most of this repertoire, but supplement this set with someone else's "Islamey". Brendel's early recording for VOX is stupendous and very cheap.
Mazurkas CDs
- Styles > Classical > Ballets & Dances
- Polkas
- Waltzes
- Chamber Music > Quartets
- General
- Featured Composers, A-Z > ( B ) > Beethoven, Ludwig van
- Berlioz, Hector
- ( G ) > Glinka, Mikhail
- Forms & Genres > Concertos > General
- Etudes
- Fantasies
- Serenades & Divertimentos
- Short Forms > Character Pieces
- Impromptus
- Sonatas > Sonatinas
- Toccatas
- Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Lullabies & Berceuse
- Caprices
- General
- Historical Periods > Classical (c.1770-1830) > Forms & Genres > Chamber Music
- Romantic (c.1820-1910) > Forms & Genres > Chamber Music
- Vocal & Song
- Instruments > Keyboard > General
- Piano
- Sacred & Religious > General
- General
- Beethoven, Ludwig van - Works by Beethoven
- Berlioz, Hector - Works by Berlioz
- Glinka, Mikhail - Works by Glinka
Music Genres
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