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Site review by Polly Nomial August 5, 2008
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
Lovely playing marred by a recording that takes place in a less than ideal acoustic.
Liszt's transcriptions of songs are rightly legendary and (if one will permit alliteration) legion, although the most often heard tend to be from Schubert rather than the two examples of Mendelssohn on display here: "Auf Flügen des Gesanges" and "Die Loreley". In both songs, Liszt's arrangement is very 'straight', putting his consummate skills of the keyboard at the service of Mendelssohn rather than utilising the song as a vehicle for mere virtuoso display and it is in this spirit that Tanski plays; a clean and beautiful rendition of a gorgeous song. The "Variations sérieuses" of Mendelssohn are more volatile in nature and Tanski revels in the contrasts of the work, bringing out the high drama and the lyricism in equal measure - very satisfying playing indeed.
Then comes the mainstay of piano repertoire: Schumann's Fantasie Op.17. There are other accounts of this work on SACD but this musically far outshines those I have heard to date (Schumann, Liszt - Pedro Burmester and Schumann: Piano Works - Nicolas Bringuier). Tanski allies a deep understanding to first class pianism, producing a range of emotions within this work that few match let alone surpass. He successfully captures both the broad sweep of this marvellous work and yet finds time to point details in an entirely natural fashion. Like other artists of stature, he has the insight to outline where he is going from the outset so the closing passages really do feel like a homecoming.
Then comes the discs unique content: a transcription of Mahler's "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen" by Tanski himself. Even if the listener has not ventured outside of Mahler's symphonic output, the melodies will be highly familiar, although the timbre of solo piano playing them will not! Good though Tanski is as both transcriber and pianist, there is a limit to the tone colours of a piano that cannot begin to match that of the palette deployed by Mahler in his orchestrations which ultimately becomes frustrating. A very interesting experiment though.
The one factor I find consistently frustrating is the acoustic in which the piano is located. Presumably (the booklet does not say) the photo in the booklet is from the recording venue and alarms were ringing from the moment one glimpsed the amount of polished marble on display. True to expectations, the aural picture is harsh (verging on the strident) together with a very washy sound thanks to the repeated reflections from the walls. A great shame that really detracts from the otherwise fantastic achievement that this disc represents.
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Copyright © 2008 John Broggio and SA-CD.net
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Review by mgm May 20, 2008 (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
From the top, this is another multichannel 2+2+2 disc produced by MDG and to the point; the sound is clear and transparent providing well with well defined musical lines as executed by Claudius Tanski. The piano is a 1901 Steinway model D No. 100398; with a very fast action which seems to be very flexible, however the sound is not as powerful as one might expect from a modern grand such as a Fazioli F308, a Bösendorfer 290 or even a modern Steinway.
The first selection by Mendelssohn: On Wings of Songs is a simple, unpretentious, unambitious, but lively piano arrangement by Liszt of the eponymous song, delicate and fresh…a forever mesmerizing song. Tanski’s keyboard technique is superb; he plays for the music rather than for the audience and lets the music sing with a very delicate touch. For example in Mendelssohn’s Variations sérieuses, op. 54 in Track 2 beginning at 5:20 and in a subsequent passage beginning at 8:07 shows him as an accomplished pianist able to convincingly demonstrate that Mendelssohn did not write piano music only for the right hand as many have voiced here and there. Moreover, this right and left hand interplay effect can also be heard at the beginning of Track 4, and in Track 5 beginning at 2:03, with some marvelous delicate keyboard touch and judicious pedal work.
Tanski is able to make the sharps sharper and deep notes deeper; his keyboard technique allows for the left hand not only to produce the expected bass notes but to add as well wonderful syncopation to the right hand melodies with just the right amount to make the songs sing as they should. In general, there is a bit of a playful devil in Tanski with his almost improvisatory approach – just my feeling – which may be derived from his known ability for piano arranging and transcriptions. Tanski is full of energy and optimism in Schumann’s otherwise gloomy three part fantasy (Tracks 3-4-5) – here it sparkles and sways – he lulls us into a realm of rapt spirituality while with Mendelssohn and Mahler he takes us by the hand into poetry evoking luminous awakenings with songs that will soar high, so high that will touch the face of the Gods…much like a prayer.
Tanski’s own transcription of Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Track 7 to 10) is a wonderful rendition of a crucial work which Mahler experts always have thought to have been conceived originally in 1896 for solo piano and low voice (baritone or mezzo) to reappear in its final full orchestral form in 1897; please take note of the particular marvelous poetic tone in Track 10 beginning at 3:10. I think Tanski had overtly much interest in Schumann and Mahler’s psychology and emotional catharsis but also showed a commitment to display extremes of dynamic range and the deadly accuracy of his keyboard technique. Altogether this disc reveals a pianist of great expressive genius who nonetheless allows the music to speak for itself making music that is always searching for mood and meter.
Let’s move now to the sound, pure sound that is. A cautionary note here is necessary, although MDG in all their 2+2+2 recording booklets clearly state that lesser height speakers could be used up front (Speakers 5 and 6) seating well above speakers 1 (LF) and 2 (RF), after repeated auditions of four different 2+2+2 discs I have come to the conclusion that if better speakers are used the 3D ambient effect is indeed greatly enhanced. Employing in this case two full range speakers for 5 and 6 makes for a substantial improvement in the overall sound to great effect and I certainly recommend that, however difficult that might be to achieve, for example: how to hoist and stabilize two big and heavy speakers as in my particular case, some 70 inches (2.1 meters) off the floor – not an easy task but worth the trouble. Moreover, if I use two smaller 2- way speakers the bass notes and pedal points in Track 3 beginning at 6:50 provide very little air; with the full range speakers the notes seem to hang a lot longer radically improving the acoustic impact. Such is the case that if and when turning up the overall gain by only 3 decibels the sound becomes so powerful from the lows to the sharps that even listening from another room in my house, at one point more than 30 feet away with doors and walls in between, the resultant sound impact becomes spectacularly palpable…verging on the addictive.
Throughout all these auditions I have asked myself the following question: how can I go back or accept less. I still don’t know the answer to this conundrum and for a reviewer this is a real dilemma, and not an easy one to resolve assuming the overall neutrality one is supposed to exhibit. This musical engraving format continues to evoke nothing but wonderment on my psyche – it also revives the feeling that not all is lost with the predicted soon to be “moribund” classical recording industry. Multichannel 2+2+2 gives me high hopes that not all is lost yet thanks to MDG for their efforts in producing true audiophile sound. Highly recommended and a true audiophile demonstration disc.
John Nemaric
Final words: MDG's discs using 2+2+2 (a Swiss invention) are truly 3D sound with the highest transparent instrumental sound image I have ever experienced, thus get my highest rating. My system, my listening room and my ears are no longer on trial, mission completed…successfully. By the way, MDG was never on trial…they are serious, very serious on everything they do and I believe that just about everything they do is to be relished.
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