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Notes & Reviews:
All four works on this disc rely on existing compositions, with titles that more or less specifically refer to this fact. In the case of Rachmaninov’s Corelli Variations, it is the famous theme used by Corelli in his violin sonata La Follia which undergoes a radical pianistic treatment taking it through all the sonic and atmospheric possibilities offered by the instrument. With his celebrated transcription of Bach’s Chaconne, Ferruccio Busoni had a very different aim, wanting to shed new light on the work without actually changing it. As he himself wrote, Bach taught him ‘to recognize the truth that good, great and universal music remains the same, regardless of whatever means through which it resounds.’ A virtuoso pianist, Busoni nonetheless had recourse to great skills in writing idiomatically for the instrument, and turned his transcription into a truly pianistic work. Ravel’s collection of waltzes was composed as a nod to Schubert, who in 1823 had written two collections of waltzes, the Valses nobles and Valses sentimentales. In no way is it possible to call the work a pastiche, however - in it Ravel shows the range of his musical palette, in a manner that caused Debussy to call his ear ‘the most refined that has ever existed’. Finally, Stravinsky’s Three movements from Petrushka is the composer’s arrangement of music from his own ballet, commissioned by Arthur Rubinstein. The origin of the music to Petrushka was in fact a sketched work for piano and orchestra, and the later arrangement was therefore to an extent a return to the original concept. The result is a virtuoso piece, in which an almost percussive approach to the instrument is combined with lightning-quick changes in atmosphere and sound. Freddy Kempf has previously recorded no less than ten highly acclaimed solo discs for BIS, of which the latest also contained a series of legendary piano works, namely Mussorgsky’s Pictures, Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit and Balakirev’s Islamey - according to Gramophone’s reviewer ‘a formidable program formidably played... This is "live" virtuosity with a vengeance, with absolutely no hint of a safety net.’
BBC Music Magazine
this is a colourful and enjoyable account [of Petrushka], well-characterised and full of dynamic contrast...fans of Kempf need have no qualms about acquiring this release.
Classic FM Magazine
Kempf opens with a beautifully-voiced and judiciously-paced view of Rachmaninov's Variations...he finds a meltingly silvery touch for the Ravel Valses (exquisite) before a return to the Russian repertoire that he plays so well, leaving us, thrillingly, in no doubt that the piano is a percussive instrument.
Gramophone Magazine
In Rachmaninov's Corelli Variations, Kempf distinguishes himself for assiduous, well-integrated tempo relationships between movements, and the easy command and intelligent, symphonically orientated delineation with which he shapes the composer's thick textures...Kempf's glittering technique, supple touch and extroverted demeanour in Stravinsky's Three Movements from Petrushka bring out the music's balletic roots
International Record Review
Kempf follows [Bach's] text faithfully, allowing each variation to shape the movement without sounding forced...[He] shows an impressive range of organ-like colour along with a pointillism that suits quick passages well...The scene of 'Shrove-Tide Fair' is a roller-coaster ride under Kempff's fingers, driven by a motoric energy that many pianists would find difficult to sustain over eight-and-a-half minutes.
london24.com
Kempf's command of the immense pianistic range to be found in Rachmaninov's keyboard music clearly has few equals, and this set delivers at a stroke several jaw-dropping performances
The Telegraph
this spirited live performance is to be welcomed. James Gilchrist makes a stylish Jephtha, adequately supported by Scandinavian soloists. But the best singing comes from the Collegium Vocale Gent, which is stunning in the magnificent choruses.
Recording information: Nybrokajen 11 (The Former Academy of Music), Stockholm, (07/2010).
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Works Details
Rachmaninov, Sergei : Variations on a theme of Corelli, Op. 42 - Performers: Freddy Kempf (Piano); Freddy Kempf (Piano)
- Running Time: 13 min. 54 sec.
- Period Time: Post Romantic
- Written: 1931
Busoni, Ferruccio : Chaconne, transcription for piano in D minor (after J. S. Bach, BWV 1004), KiV B24 - Performers: Freddy Kempf (Piano); Freddy Kempf (Piano)
- Running Time: 14 min. 10 sec.
- Period Time: Post Romantic
- Written: 1893
Ravel, Maurice : Valses nobles et sentimentales - Performers: Freddy Kempf (Piano); Freddy Kempf (Piano)
- Running Time: 14 min. 22 sec.
- Period Time: Modern
- Form: Waltz
- Written: 1911
Stravinsky, Igor : Movements (3) from Pétrouchka - Performers: Freddy Kempf (Piano); Freddy Kempf (Piano)
- Running Time: 15 min. 3 sec.
- Period Time: Modern
- Written: 1921
