Made in USA
George Gershwin (1898-1937)
Rhapsody in Blue (1924)
Amy Beach (1867-1944)
Variations on Balkan Themes, Op.60 (1904, rev. 1936)
Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Piano Sonata in E flat minor, Op.26 (1947-1949)
Earl Wild (1915-2010)
Seven Virtuoso Etudes after Gershwin (1954, 1976)
Claire Huangci (piano)
rec. 2024, Leibniz Saal, Hanover, Germany
Alpha Classics 1071 [78]
George Gershwin devised Rhapsody in Blue for Paul Whiteman Orchestra. They premiered it at the Aeolian Hall, New York on 12 February 1924, with the composer at the piano. It has since become an iconic example of American music – a combination of jazz, blues and ragtime in a masterpiece of crossover between classical/romantic and what then was pop. Over the years, numerous arrangements have been made, including well-known orchestrations by Ferde Grofé and transcriptions for piano duet. This is Gershwin’s arrangement for solo piano.
From the famous opening (clarinet solo) to the final peroration, Claire Huangci gives an urbane account of the Rhapsody. She seems to play at a relaxed pace yet this lasts just over fifteen minutes; many pianists take up to nineteen minutes. One never doubts her balance between the exigencies of jazz playing and high-blown Lisztian bombast. This splendid performance is faithful to Gershwin’s genius.
Amy Beach’s Variations on Balkan Themes are often regarded as her magnum opus. She wrote them in 1904 and premiered in 1905. There was a revision in 1936, when she was encouraged to make several cuts. I understand that she also produced an edition for two pianos as an abandoned attempt at orchestration; Hector Valdivia later completed it.
The liner notes tell us that Beach was fascinated by folk songs, especially those of Native Americans, and those brought across the Atlantic from England, Scotland and Ireland. Yet, this piece was based on songs from the Balkans, collected by the Reverand William Sleeper who was a missionary there. The preface to the score lists the “found” material from Serbia, Bulgaria and Macedonia. Not all the melodies are “ancient”. The central tune is O Maiko Moya [oh my poor country], which acts as a unifying theme. It reflects on Serbia’s history of occupation by foreign powers. Other tunes include Macedonia! Stara Planina, an “ancient hymns to the mountains”, and a dance tune Nasadil ye Dado [grandpa planted a little garden]. Highlights must include the magical Barcarola and the Allegro all’ ‘Ongarese.
While one may hear echoes of Chopin and Liszt in these pages, perhaps even Rachmaninov, this is not pastiche, but an outstanding synthesis of romantic styles. Beach has responded, at second hand, to the revolutionary activity in the Balkans against the Ottoman Empire with a work that is melancholy, on occasion lively and always virtuosic. Claire Huangci gives a glowing account of the Variations. I hope she will return to the recording studio and explore Amy Beach’s music in greater depth.
Remarkably, Samuel Barber’s Piano Sonata was commissioned by American Songbook composers, Irving Berlin and Richard Rogers. Yet the result can hardly be described as “popular”. As the booklet points out, in style and effect it is far removed from the Adagio for strings (1936) or the “dance rhythms” of Excursions for piano (1942-1944).
The Sonata’s first movement is penetrating and ominous. Did Barber employ twelve-tone techniques to create overly chromatic and tentative explorations? Suddenly its progress moves into a romantic humour before the opening mood returns in an enigmatically ending. The second movement, a “scherzo”, could be described as “light, elfin, [and] sardonic”. This is spicy and sparkling music.
The Adagio-mesto is introspective, with its ostinato underlying twelve-tone patterns. Yet there is a neoclassical feel here, in contrast to what has gone before. The finale deploys a complex four-part fugue “of fantastic difficulty”, according to Francis Poulenc. Here, amongst the dizzying mechanics of the fugue, Barber interposes an episode with “an American folk-dance flavour”. The sonata is a wonderful example of Barber’s fusion of tradition and innovation. Poulenc described it as “tragic, joyful, and lyrical in turn”. This recording explores all the emotional variety.
I have always been an admirer of American pianist Earl Wild, often regarded as one of the last in the trajectory of Romantic pianists. His performances projected passion, virtuosity and emotional depth. He was highly adept at transcribing classical music and jazz. His reimaginings included work of Baroque composers such as Handel and Marcello, as well as Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz and Gershwin. The liner notes explain that the latter connection was logical: in 1942, Arturo Toscanini invited Wild to be the soloist in a major recording of Rhapsody in Blue with the NBC Orchestra.
Wild transcribed the Seven Virtuoso Etudes after Gershwin in 1954. He revised the set and added another song in 1976. Starting with Gershwin’s “simplified” piano arrangements of seven of his songs, Wild has created encores that he would play at recitals: Liza, Somebody Loves Me, The Man I Love, Embraceable You, Lady, Be Good!, I Got Rhythm and Fascinatin’ Rhythm.
Wild’s technical wizardry includes dense block chords, rapid scalar passages, much use of arpeggios and counter-melodies. There are nods to Ravel, Liszt and Chopin, but it is always within the competence of nineteenth-century romanticism and later impressionism. One must note that these Etudes transcend any notion of technical exercises. They are all magical evocations of Gershwin’s originals. The present soloist has taken on the challenge of these extremely difficult pieces. She has produced an awe-inspiring account.
The American pianist Claire Huangci was born in Rochester, New York. She won the first prize and the Mozart prize at the 2018 Geza Anda Competition. Her resume states that she “continuously captivates audiences” with her “radiant virtuosity, artistic sensitivity, keen interactive sense and subtle auditory dramaturgy”” (Salzburger Nachrichten). With an especial interest in “unusual repertoire”, she explores a wide range of music, from Bach and Scarlatti to Bernstein, Gulda and Corigliano. She has performed at many important venues, including the Carnegie Hall, New York and the Suntory Hall, Tokyo.
The liner notes in English, French and German give a great introduction to the four pieces, setting them in the context of “American Classics”.
This is a brilliant, well-judged recital, which explores works both familiar and lesser known. Amy Beach’s piece was a new but rewarding experience for me. At every turn, Claire Huangci gives ideal performances of all this music in a clear and vibrant recording.
John France
Previous review: Philip Harrison (October 2024)
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