Nelson Freire (piano)
The SWR Recordings
rec. 1968-99
SWR Music SWR19161CD [3 CDs: 174]
The Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire who died in 2021 had some distinguished compatriots, including Magda Tagliaferro, Guiomar Noaves and Roberto Szidon, all sadly gone now. The wonderful Brazilian pianist Cristina Ortiz is happily still with us and there are several pianists of a younger generation making a name for themselves on the concert circuit today. Indeed, from South America generally and Argentina and Chile in particular, have come some sublime pianists. Freire himself formed a very successful duo with the Argentine Martha Argerich and they made several memorable records together.
He signed a contract to make records for CBS in 1967 and in the 70s signed for Telefunken (Teldec) for a brief spell. Things went a little quiet in the 80s but from the late 90s, he began to perform more and enjoyed an Indian Summer of success in his last twenty years. Decca made their first record with him in 2002 and he went on to record at least twelve others. This late blooming in the studio produced some real gems many of which were reviewed here: Beethoven ~ Schumann ~ Liszt. I feel Freire had a real affinity and connection with the music of the early Romantic period: Chopin and Schumann, especially. I was delighted to see this set appear, containing as it does a good deal of material unrepresented in the artist’s discography and plays to his strengths as a pianist across a range of periods and genres.
The central offering is a concert (or part thereof) from Mainz in 1999. The booklet notes are a little confusing as they appear to be under the impression the Chopin sonata is also from that concert. It clearly is earlier and is a studio taping. We also have concertante works from Chopin to Villa-Lobos taped at various locales from 1970 to 1999. The music spread over the three discs moves in a broadly chronological order of composition, too, which is nice. The notes do not tell us if the original Südwestfunk (SWF) master tapes exist and have been used as the source material but the sonics are vivid and clear and the remastering to CD is expertly done with minimal filtering.
CD1 begins with the Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante from a studio session in 1970. The solo Andante spianato is just adorable. Freire spins the lullaby with its accompanying arabesques magically. His touch is so gentle and songful; it is a great performance. The orchestra enter at 4:30 with the fanfares that herald the Polonaise. Freire shows off his playfulness and virtuosity in this varied section to stunning effect. Next comes the Piano Sonata No 2 from a couple of years earlier. Freire would have been just 24 at the time. He didn’t record this for CBS at the time, so this radio performance is welcome. The restless agitation of the galloping first theme contrasts with the songful serenity of the second and in just five and a half minutes Chopin shows us vistas of drama, tension and beauty only his vision could transpose to notes on a stave. Freire drives forward freshly and is commanding in the weight he brings to bear. His scherzo is similarly manly yet what lyricism he brings to the simple tune of the trio. The heart of the sonata though is undoubtedly the Marche funèbre. At 8:28 Freire is quite expansive in interpretation, more Rubinstein than Cortot you might say. It is a deeply felt account that is moving yet disturbing. He relishes the central trio that Chopin provides, so different in mood and feeling to the harsh austere grief that exists around it. Rubinstein in 1946 for Victor recorded one of my favourite versions. I hear many similarities between that and Freire here. The ghostly and, for me, baffling 75 bars that comprise the finale bring this great work of art to an end. This is a version I shall definitely return to.
Next, we come to the concert in 1999. We first hear the Scherzo No 4. Thirty-one years separate this performance from the sonata we just heard on the previous four tracks yet there is absolutely no diminishing of technique nor passion. This work is full of joy and exuberance and infused with poetry and style. Freire in his singing dolce style is warm and free. His rubato is used with delicacy and refinement in what I would call the bel canto manner (let us remember these were also the days in which Bellini and Donizetti were thriving in Italy). Everything Freire seems to do in Chopin and Schumann seems to be infused with song and I am sure this is the right approach to this music.
Schumann’s Fantasie in C dates from as early as 1836. It is one of his finest piano works and has a rich legacy on record that includes a couple of superb versions by Argentinian Martha Argerich and Claudio Arrau from Chile. This account from Brazilian Nelson Freire is full of light and colour. His leggiero is as usual exquisite and in this piece, the most substantial of the whole box set his mastery of chiaroscuro is masterful. The Fantasie is impassioned and highly original in structure. It is written well for the piano and over its three movements offers much in terms of expression. Schumann writing to his beloved 18-year-old Clara said it was the most impassioned music he had ever written. I am pleased SWR have selected it for inclusion as it complements the other Schumann we have from Freire on Decca. As an aside, I do have some suspicions the Fantasie may be a studio account. The booklet says it is from the 1999 recital but there is no audience noise and no applause. Whatever its provenance may be, I am glad it has surfaced.
The live recital ends with smaller pieces by Schumann, Brahms and the Estampes of Debussy most of which is new to the artist’s discography. The two Rhapsodies of Brahms date from 1879. They are both big works and perfect vehicles for Freire’s technique. Let us remember, that Freire was a highly experienced Brahms player. His 2007 double CD of the Piano Concerti with the Gewandhausorchester and Chailly (review) stands for me with the András Schiff (ECM) version (review) as the only truly indispensable readings of the last twenty years. I remember it winning the coveted Gramophone “Record of the Year” award on release. Freire’s Debussy is also successful. His 2008 Préludes Book 1 Decca CD impressed and here in these impressionist miniatures, he shows a sensitivity for the idiom that is entirely appropriate and effective. What style in La soirée dans Grenade, and in the final Jardins sous la pluie he paints the rainstorm scene with a palette Monet would surely approve of.
The final CD of the set contains three 20th-century works for piano and orchestra, all new to Freire’s discography. Scriabin’s Prometheus is given by the SWF SO of Baden-Baden under Dennis Russell Davies in 1979. I have little time for Scriabin’s egocentric writings and visions but I do enjoy his music, especially his early works. Prometheus is one great crescendo for an enormous orchestra. The pianistic contribution is significant but does not dominate the piece. The sound here seems a little recessed which is a shame, as the orchestration is so rich and importantly in this performance the optional choir is present.
Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain is one of my absolute favourites. Here, we hear Freire in 1970 with the same orchestra under Ernest Bour. In this work, the pianist is alive to the expressionist writing Falla gives to the instrument. The sonics here seem a little clearer than in the later Scriabin taping and there is a nice bloom to the orchestral sound. The performance accentuates the darkness and mystery in the work. Freire is articulate in his passage work and Bour accompanies delicately. Freire was still performing this neglected masterpiece many years later; I know this as I have a taping of a concert he gave with the Concertgebouw and Iván Fischer in 2012.
I am also fortunate to have another recording of the São Paulo SO’s debut at the Proms from that same year. Freire appeared at this concert with his compatriots in Villa Lobos’ Mômoprecóce. The SWR box set ends with the same work in a performance from Ludwigshafen in 1999. The work is based on smaller pieces for solo piano he wrote depicting a carnival procession as seen through the eyes of a child: the fantastic characters, costumes and dancing. The samba is used but there are other dance forms and plenty of variety of moods; the orchestration Villa Lobos deploys is impressively vivid. It is a fun piece and I was pleased to hear it again after many years in this successful rendition.
As well as investing in the artistry of Nelson Freire in his studio albums, Decca trawled the archives for unreleased material from the artist and in 2014 released a set called Radio Days followed in 2022 by Unreleased Recordings (review). These are worthy sets which are recommendable and stand alongside this new set in keeping the legacy of this great artist alive and well.
Philip Harrison
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Contents
Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante, Op 22 (1830-34)
• SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden/Ernest Bour
Piano Sonata No 2 in B-flat minor, Op 35 (1837-39)
Scherzo No 4 in E major, Op 54 (1842)
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Fantasie in C major, Op 17 (1836-38)
Arabeske in C major, Op 18 (1839)
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Two Rhapsodies, Op 79 (1879)
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Estampes (1903)
Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915)
Prometheus [The Poem of Fire], Op 60
• SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden/Kammerchor Karlsruhe/Dennis Russell Davies
Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)
Nights in the Gardens of Spain
• SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden/Ernest Bour
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
Mômoprecóce – Fantasy for piano and orchestra
• Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz/Theodor Guschlbauer
Recording dates:
12 November 1968 (Chopin-Sonata)
17 December 1970 (Chopin-Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante)
18 December 1970 (Falla)
9 November 1979 (Scriabin)
17-18 May 1999 (Villa-Lobos)
8 December 1999 (Chopin-Scherzo, Schumann, Brahms, Debussy)
