Leo Sirota (piano)
Piano Recital Volume 1
rec. 1952-62
Sakuraphon SKRP-LSA01 [75]
I first heard the playing of Leo Sirota (1885-1965) more than a decade ago on an obscure Dante two-disc CD release (Les Disciplines de Busoni, HPC054/55) featuring his 78rpm recordings made between 1924-1926 for the Homochord label. His only other commercial recordings were made in the 1930’s for Japanese Columbia including the world premiere recording of Stravinsky’s Petrushka arranged for piano solo.
After studying with Busoni in Vienna, Sirota ended up in Tokyo, where he lived from 1928 until 1946. After a sensational debut in the United States in 1947, he settled in the United States and became head of the piano department at the St. Louis Institute of Music. His vast repertoire included the complete Mozart and Beethoven Piano Sonatas as well as the entire solo works of Chopin. He broadcast weekly on the local radio station KFUO from 1951 until 1962 and many of those broadcasts were taped.
In the 1990’s, the pianist’s daughter Beate Sirota Gordon uncovered many of these broadcasts, some of which were restored and issued by the late Allan Evans on his small label Arbiter Records. In 2022, the Japanese label Sakuraphon took over the Leo Sirota Archives and issued two volumes to date. This review examines Volume 1.
The disc opens with Bach Prelude and Fugue in C minor (WTK Book 2) from a December 27, 1953 broadcast. The prelude (featuring both repeats) is tastefully played with plenty of color and clarity of lines. He does not away from using the sustaining pedal to vary the articulation. The four-voice fugue is marvelous. The subject entries are audible without being excessively accented and the pedal is used intelligently. Sirota had the Goldberg Variations in his repertoire, we can hope that a broadcast might surface one day. The listener should also seek out a reissue of the Samuil Feinberg (1890-1962) recording of the entire WTK set for Melodiya in the 1950’s.
Couperin’s heavily-ornamented La Favorite, tempo marking Gravement, sans lenteur (seriously, not too slowly) isa selection fromhis Ordre 3ème de clavecin in C minor containing a total of thirteen works for harpsichord, first published in 1713. As with most of the tracks on this disc, the exact recording date is unknown. Sirota’s refined balance of voices and ear for color serves the work well. There’s enough dynamic variation to main the listeners’ interest throughout the many repeats.
As the Gluck-Brahms Gavotte is just under four minutes in length it’s not surprising that it was a favorite amongst record companies during the 78 rpm era. I know it from the wonderful Josef Hofmann (1923) and Ignaz Friedman (1928) recordings and Sirota’s reading stands alongside them. The central section, with a pizzicato middle voice supporting the melody is especially delightful.
The Mozart 9 Variations on “Lison dormait“, are based on an Arietta from the opera Julie by the French composer Nicolas Dezède (1740-1798). Sirota’s rhythmic control and jeu perlé throughout are outstanding. The performance is convincing and makes child’s play out of the many pianistic difficulties (trills, broken octaves, and scales in double notes, to name a few). Momentum is preserved throughout, and unlike some of the more modern readings, the performance stays under the thirteen-minute mark.
One would have wished for a more interesting Beethoven Sonata selection given that Sirota had all 32 in his repertoire, however, the first movement of the Op. 27 No. 2 (better known as “Moonlight”) is delivered with great refinement. The triplets are exceptionally even and the upper voice melody is delivered with rare beauty. The listener could also seek out Josef Hofmann’s complete performance of the work in a similar vein, from a Cadillac Hour 1936 broadcast available on Marston Records.
The Hummel Rondo in E-flat is another Golden Age favorite; even Vladimir Horowitz had it in his repertoire for a season. We have fantastic recordings by Leschetitzky pupils Ignaz Friedman (1925) and Benno Moiseiwitsch (1930), which I would not want to be without. Sirota really captures the allegro scherzando indication. The extensive passagework is delightful and he does not shy away from observing many of the sudden fortes marked throughout the score.
The Schubert Moment Musical in F minor, Op. 94 No. 3 is the most well-known out of the six in that opus. It grew so popular in the 20th century that Leopold Godowsky made his own elaborate arrangement, transposed to F-sharp minor! Sirota plays the original with many interesting rhythmic inflections and stays faithful to the subdued dynamic markings (p and ppp). This 1962 broadcast stands alongside Moriz Rosenthal’s 1937 recording (made when he was 75) and even shares some of its unique rhythmic characteristics.
The formidable Mendelssohn Scherzo (marked presto) is dispatched with ease. The texture remains transparent despite the quick tempo. Sirota’s rendition stands up next to my personal favorites: Alfred Cortot (1923 acoustic) and Ignaz Friedman (1927).
The substantial Chopin Fantasie Op. 49 from a 1959 broadcast is a welcome inclusion. The many repetitions in this masterwork might create the danger of the music stagnating but fortunately this performance does not. Tempi are chosen intelligently and are on the brisk side compared to many modern readings. There’s plenty of drama and fire in this reading. I also would not want to go without the Vladimir Horowitz recording of this from a live 1948 Carnegie Hall recital.
The rarely heard three Chopin Eccossaise (published posthumously by Julian Fontana) are a real delight. The lightness of the passagework and rhythmic flexibility brings to mind some of the pianists of the old guard such as Paderewski.
Liszt’s Sonetto 47 del Petrarca often gets overlooked in favor of the wildly popular Sonetto 104. These were originally composed for tenor voice and piano before Liszt rewrote them for solo piano and in Années de pèlerinage II. It’s a delight to hear Sirota’s version of this gem from a 1954 broadcast. There’s a beautiful separation between the melody and accompaniment and Sirota stays true to the vocal nature of these works.
The Aufschwung from Schumann’s Fantasiestücke is another highlight of the disc. Sirota’s incredible dynamic range and creative phrasing really shine here. The two Brahms selections – Intermezzo Op. 117 No. 2 and the familiar Capriccio Op. 76 No. 2 are really quite magical and makes one wish for more Brahms recordings of his.
Rachmaninoff’s Polka de V.R. (recorded multiple times by the composer himself) is a wonderful ending to an incredible disc. Sirota clearly relishes all the contrapuntal elements (the work was dedicated to Leopold Godowsky) and delivers a performance of exceptional refinement.
As with any historical release featuring broadcast material, the sound quality varies but all of it is perfectly listenable. The remastering done by Sakuraphon does not overdo the noise reduction and allows the piano sound to come through with minimal distortion. The linear notes are extensive and make for good reading. I will be on the lookout for more volumes in the series, Volume 2 has already been issued and Volumes 3 and 4 (works of Mozart and Beethoven) are in preparation.
Michael Kaykov
Availability: Sakuraphon
Contents
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
The Well-Tempered Clavier Book II, Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 871
François Couperin (1668-1733)
La Favorite, Chaconne à deux temps (Livre I, Ordre III)
Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787)
Iphigenie en Aulide Gavotte (arr. Johannes Brahms)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
9 Variations on “Lison dormait”, K264/315d
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor “Moonlight”, first movement.
Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778 -1837)
Rondo Favori in E-flat major, Op. 11
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Moments musicaux in F minor, Op.94 No. 3
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Scherzo in E minor, Op.16 No. 2
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Fantasie in F minor, Op.49
3 Eccossaises, Op.72 No. 3
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Sonetto 47 del Petrarca, from Années de pèlerinage II, S.161
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Fantasiestücke, Op.12: II. Aufschwung
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Intermezzo in B-flat minor, Op.117 No. 2
Capriccio in B minor, Op.76 No. 2
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Polka de V.R.
