Beveridge Webster plays Rachmaninoff

Someone was looking for Beveridge Webster playing just about anything and well, they are in luck. Webster hypnotically guides the listener through the Etudes Tableaux of the great Rachmaninoff on this mid 60's Dover issue.

From Wikipedia:

Rachmaninoff composed the Op. 33 Études-tableaux at the Ivanovka estate between August and September 1911, the year after completing his second set of preludes, Op. 32. While the Op. 33 Études-tableaux share some stylistic points with the preludes, they are actually very unlike them. Rachmaninoff concentrates in the preludes on establishing well-defined moods and developing musical themes. There is also an academic facet to the preludes, as he wrote 24 of them, one in each of the 24 major and minor keys. Rachmaninoff biographer Max Harrison calls the études-tableaux "studies in [musical] composition"; while they explore a variety of themes, they "investigate the transformation of rather specific climates of feeling via piano textures and sonorities. They are thus less predictable than the preludes and compositionally mark an advance" in technique. Like the piano études of Claude Debussy, Alexander Scriabin, Olivier Messiaen and György Ligeti, the Études-tableaux "summarize their composers' discoveries about the piano and how music for it should be written." Rachmaninoff initially wrote nine pieces for Op. 33 but published only six in 1914. One étude was subsequently revised and used in the Op. 39 set; the other two appeared posthumously and are now usually played with the other six. Performing these eight études together could be considered to run against the composer's intent, as the six originally published are unified through "melodic-cellular connections" in much the same way as in Robert Schumann's Études Symphoniques.

The Op. 39 set of Études-tableaux, written between 1916 and 1917 and published in 1917, was the last substantial composition written by Rachmaninoff while still in Russia, and it shows a marked departure from his previous work. Rachmaninoff had been listening keenly to his contemporaries Scriabin and Sergei Prokofiev, and had studied Scriabin's works to prepare a memorial recital in which Rachmaninoff himself played in Scriabin's honor. Though he was roundly criticized for his overly-analytical approach in his playing and overall lack of capturing the free-flying spirit that Scriabin had summoned so well in his own pianism, the compositional seeds resulting from his studying Scriabin's work had been planted. A melodic angularity and harmonic pungency appeared in these études as well as in his Op. 38 songs, which were written concurrently. The Op. 39 set is considered much more demanding technically than the Op. 33 set, and has been described as extremely virtuosic in its approach to keyboard writing, calling for unconventional hand positions, wide leaps for the fingers and considerable technical strength from the performer. Also, "the individual mood and passionate character of each piece" pose musical problems that preclude performance from those not possessing a tremendous physical technique.

Indeed, one must be a confident and technically assured musician to tacke these pieces and we need not worry where Beveridge Webster is concerned. His stylistic playing is beyond reproach and on display is the most tasteful of musicianship.

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Music from Columbia's Modern American Music Series

During the  1950's and 60's, Goddard Lieberson, Columbia Records longtime president, fostered a great project in which he knew little would be made back in actual sales. Columbia was awash in dollars, thanks to such well recorded, and selling, artists as Ormandy, Walter and Szell on the classical side and therefore could afford to indulge in a pet project by this sometime composer and well, recording visionary. Thus was born the "modern American Music Series, " a chronicle of the development of American classical composition from roughly the 1920's through the present era.

This particular issue, ML4987, is both an enterprising and entertaining one. First off, The Juilliard Quartet presents a convincing performance of Virgil Thomson's Quartet No 2. Admittedly, Thomson had, I think, a bit of a habit of taking ideas and using them over and over again in his compositions. One can at times hear phrases from "The River" or his "Symphony on a Hymn Tune" but no bother, when played by a crack ensemble like the Juilliard, the results are pure pleasure for the ear. The folksy tunes and strong tonal writing lend this quartet a certain freshness. Obvious to the listener is the enjoyment that the music brings to the excellent Juilliard quartet.

William Schuman, on the other hand, is far more probing and intellectual and I am delighted to have made the aquaintance of  his Voyage. If you know Schuman primarily by his orchestral works, this piano set will captivate because it presents an intimate side of Schuman that was not easily captured in his larger scale compositions. Esteemed pianist Beveridge Webster proves the ideal guide as he was a highly gifted interpreter of 20th century piano music. On this blog you will find Webster performing a marvelous recital of piano works by Stravinsky of which he was a noted interpreter.

I have some other lps of this series in the works, notably Carlos Surinach leading a performance of Antheil's Ballet Mechanique. I'll get to these down the road. As you know, I am rather "random" in my approach so as to keep you all constantly guessing! I will say that more Simon Barere is close at hand...

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Stravinsky played by Beveridge Webster

This was a great find, a two lp set, released by Dover in 1968 of important piano works, and arrangements, by Stravinsky. Played by the Beveridge Webster, these lp's fit conveniently onto one cd. This is an  indispensable recording for the fact that Webster was closely aligned with Stravinsky and these interpretations are probably as close to the composer's intent as is possible.

Beveridge Webster is a name that has been largely forgotten by the listening public. Though he lived a long life, into his 90's, his performing career gave way, rather early on, to the demands of teaching and adjudication. However, during his 20's through his 50's, he was in great demand as an intepreter and he premiered many works by American, as well as European, composers. Notably, his most famous premiere was that of Ravel's Tzigane, given when Webster was still a teenager! Webster was highly regarded as an artist that did his best to understand and interpret a composer's writing first and foremost. He was an honest musician.

Strangely, the piano works of Stravinsky are recorded few and far between. This is too bad since they are colorful, accessible, and wrought with genius. This particular collection belongs on your shelf.

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