Pianist: Marco Rapetti
0:00 - 1. Allegro ma non troppo (op. 5 - 1881)
2:54 - 2. Allegro (op. 12 - 1886)
4:52 - 3. Con moto (op. 37 - 1895)
6:26 - 4. Allegro moderato (op. 40/1 - 1897)
8:26 - 5. Allegro (op.48/1 - 1899)
Lyadov and his style
Anatoly Lyadov (1855-1914 b. St. Petersburg) is one of the least played geniuses of Russian music. His neglect makes some sense given his stylistic choices. One of which is that he accepted conservatory education and western innovations, refusing to take such as radical a stance as "the five" when crafting his own music [1]. This kept him securely away from that camp. On the other hand, his love of counterpoint and western romanticism [1] placed him more in tune with the likes of Tchaikovsky, the Rubinstein brothers, and Taneyev. Unfortunately, Lyadov never achieved the widespread success of Tchaikovsky, the precise, scholarly brilliance of Taneyev or the exacting critical mind of the Rubinstein brothers. What Lyadov offers instead is, of course, unique. But even though Lyadov played a significant role in Russian music's retreat from nationalism [2], he is still often undervalued when compared to the other giants of his time.
Sometimes, Lyadov's music gets lost in the sea of Russian nationalist music because of how similar his music can sound to the ambient output of the time. Lyadov, much like Taneyev, formed a style based on a synthesis of Russian nationalist elements like folk music and church modes and more western elements like tight form, counterpoint, and the rich romantic inheritance passed down by Chopin and Schumann [1]. Fairy tales, literature, and Russian realist art also played a significant role in filling Lyadov's mind with inspiration [1]. As time went on and nationalism declined, Lyadov filled a stylistic void. As Glazunov and Arensky came to be known, Lyadov also arose a "founding member of this 'first generation' of symbolist composers" [3]. Late in life, he went on to be inspired by the French impressionists and by Scriabin, using the mystic chord in in some of his later works [1]. Throughout his career as a composer, Lyadov had a rich treasury of artistic influences to draw from, which lead to a varied and unique output but, most importantly, an output worth listening to.
Etudes
Like the rest of Lyadov's miniatures, these etudes draw influence directly from Chopin and Schumann.
1. Allegro ma non troppo (op. 5 - 1881) - A very breezy etude akin to Lyadov's preludes. At first, texture is often either homorhythmic, corresponding to each note in the right hand or occurring at the first not of the triplets. Eventually we see some more clever texturing with some contrapuntal elements thrown in (1:39). The short moment of lyricism at the end is a highlight. The light fingerwork at a brisk tempo coupled with some genuine virtuoso runs make this a thoroughly enjoyable etude.
2. Allegro (op. 12 - 1886) - There is not much setting this etude apart from Lyadov's other miniatures. The polyrhythms in the left hand help to emphasize the melody in the first note of the figurations, which Rapetti voices extremely well. This etude carries on the breezy atmosphere of the first.
3. Con moto (op. 37 - 1895) - Again, the melodic qualities are carried through by the interesting figurations. The top note occurs at a strange place, giving this etude a slightly off sound. The arpeggios that form the texture keep it grounded in familiarity.
4. Allegro moderato (op. 40/1 - 1897) - The first departure from the breeziness that characterize the first three etudes. The voices in the left hand counteract the relentless, quickly modulating thirds in the right hand to build a piece of contrasting motion and bright color. The texture is homorhythmic, but the rooted 8th notes, voiced properly, reveals melodicism emulating Chopin and prefiguring Bortkiewicz.
5. Allegro (op.48/1 - 1899) - Probably the most fun etude of the set. The texture here is also homorhythmic, but like the last etude, there is some countermelody to be found. Despite looking monotonous, there are moments of varying moods and surprising explosions of color (9:18).
Bibliography
[1] X. Zhang. A Study of the Piano Works by Anatol Lyadov. Doctoral Work. Arizona State University, 2018.
[2] M. Montagu-Nathan. A History of Russian Music. Sagwan Press. 2015.
[3] A. Masrow. “Contexts of Symbolist Music in Silver Age Russia 1861-1917”. Southern Methodist Univ. 2008.
16 авг 2024
