Customer Reviews

Medtner: Violin Sonata No. 3; Three Nocturnes; Fairy Tale

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If you are a pianophile, you have probably at least heard of Nicolai Medtner. This Russian master, a contemporary of Rachmaninoff, composed an extensive body of literature for his favored instrument, and though much of it remains esoteric repertoire, it is gradually gaining the positive reputation it deserves, thanks to some critically acclaimed recordings in recent years (such as Hamelin's set of the complete Piano Sonatas on Hyperion). Mednter's style is in fact quite different from that of Rachmaninoff; less brooding, more luminous, as well as being more discursive. Medtner was a consummate craftsman with a flair for counterpoint and a knack for creating highly original but cogent musical structures.

Medtner also excelled in chamber music, if the pieces on this CD (and its companion from Naxos containing the other violin-piano sonatas) are at all characteristic--as indeed they are. The Third Sonata, in particular, is nothing short of a masterpiece. How often does one hear a violin sonata as expansive and visionary as a Bruckner symphony? Yet this extraordinary work, over its 45-minute span, manages to cover a huge emotional terrain, from prayerful meditation (possibly reflecting the composer's recent conversion to Russian Orthodoxy), to a joyful abandon bordering on the orgiastic. Here is a piece with everything--sonata style, fugue, variation, peasant dances, Lutheran chorales, and (particularly in the Scherzo) passages that sound for all the world like Jewish wedding music in the vein of "Fiddler on the Roof"! Through some compositional alchemy these contrasting elements mange to coalesce into a unified whole.

After such a massive, an exhaustingly intense, exercise, it was wise to program three relatively insubstantial encores. The two "Nocturnes" and one "Fairy Tale" offer more gorgeous writing for both instruments, while aspiring more to charm the ear than engage the intellect. A fitting way to end a magnificent recital.

And "magnificent" is a fitting way to describe the artistry of Kayaleh and Stewart, who provide stunningly virtuosic playing throughout the demanding Third Sonata, while conspiring to enchant us in the three encores. The palpable electricity generated by these two young musicians evinces their strong advocacy of the composer's cause. They profoundly believe in the quality of this music, and after hearing the results of their collaboration--so do we!

Naxos has sometimes given us chamber music recorded in unpleasantly dry acoustic spaces, but not here. The sound on this CD (and its companion volume with the other two sonatas) is judiciously balanced, within a warm acoustic space, and makes just the right kind of visceral impact.

I can't imagine a finer rendition of this remarkable music. If you are a chamber-music aficionado, and/or enjoy exploring Russian byways, this disc is mandatory listening. It is also sufficiently inexpensive to justify taking a calculated risk. Do take it--you won't be disappointed.

Medtner's lovely, haunting, melodic works fall in between the high-Romantics of the nineteenth century and the Late Romantics of the twentieth. Having listened to his work over decades, I'm convinced that the reason he is not better known and highly valued is simply that his music is too beautiful for today's hurt-my-ears-please-hurt-my-ears critical bonzes. Medtner isn't schmalzy--just plain beautiful. Whenever I play his discs in the background at a dinner party, guests invariably ask, "Who's that?" This fine, fairly priced Naxos disc (I'd give Naxos a "Nobel Prize in Music" for the company's wonderful work over the years in bringing less-known composers back to life) is an excellent starting point for Medtner novices--if you don't like this, you won't like his other works. Personally, I'm fondest of the composer's chamber works, such as those presented here (do not miss the piano recordings from the last decade by Demidenko, either). And to be clear: I did not mean to suggest that Medtner is just background music: His work rewards serious listening. Buy this disc just to frustrate critics and theorists who believe that formal music should be ugly. Beauty's all right--really!

The Epica sonata makes this CD worthwhile. All the movements of the sonata sparkle with brilliance yet soothe with warmth. Much more than mere background music, the sonata entrances with a subtlety and profundity that rewards the attentive listener. The violinist and pianist both play beautifully together; neither of them take foreground but instead share the space and continue a dynamic dialog of melodies and harmonies.

Aside from the sonata, the other pieces on the CD are pleasant but nearly as stunning. The nocturnes have a tendency to fade into the background, and the Fairy Tale showcases violin technique more than compelling musical interpretation. Still, these pieces are pleasant; they just have the misfortune of following such a wonderful work in the first half of the CD.