Volume 7 Issue 9 - June 2002

Lortie has emerged as one of the top pianists of
his day and the Liszt project with Pehlivanian
coulcl_prove to be one of his greatest accomplishments.
TheConceno
No. 1 in E flat
Major is one of r
the most famous
concertos in the
piano literature.
It maintains
in,terest through
Liszt's use of
transforming
themes: a sort of state of constant development
in which the basic thematic material acts as a
seed and is worked in such a way as to transform
into something completely different. Lortie
executes with 'Perfection. His trademark sound,
subtle use of colour, strong rhythmic drive and
clever use of dynamics come through brilliantly.
There is ease to his playing that is inspiring. The
orchestra supports him without overpowering
and the two blend seamlessly.
The second work is the Concerto No. 3 in E
flat Major. This beautiful one movement work,
with simplicity not usually associated with the
music of Liszt, was never published during the
composer's lifetime. Lortie's sound is big and
DISCO\' ERIES
powerful. The orchestra executes virtuosic , distinction, never overloading the six works
passages cleanly and with a tight articulation recorded here with relentless "expressionist"
adding clarity to the thick textures. The horror. In fact, the inventive variety of Webern's
Concerto in A Major and the Concert orchestration becomes increasingly apparent as
Pathetique complete the disc.
the disc plays out. The most startling shift comes
Thereare only a handful of pianists worki~g between the disc's centerpiece, the glowering
today that can honestly demonstrate a complete Six Pieces, Op. 6, and Webern's Five Pieces,
understanding of the scores of Liszt as well as Op. JO, which with its celesta, violins, and flute,
the solo parts and how they interact. Lortie shows sounds almost frivolous in comparison.
this quality throughout the recording. The overall Through the
sound is very well balanced and extremely clear. movements of iU
Thisisadefinitemustforanycollection. Op. 6 Yuasa """"·~~:!::!'.:~::,1'.1.."'P"""'
Troy Milleker achieves a dramatic
continuity
that, at twelve
Anton Webern: Passacaglia; Symphony;
Five Pieces
Ulster Orchestra; Takuo Yuasa
Naxos 8.554841
minutes, seems
epic. The work
coils up to its
celebrated
funeral march -
The severe economy of Anton Webern's music itself an inexorable build-up of tension from its
is often equated with a bleak, enigmatic listening shuddering tam-tams to the fortissimo climax -
experience. A new Naxos release of the beforeitdissipates.Asimilarem'otionallogic
composer's collected orchestral works, only fifty- · shapes the opening Passacaglia, Op. 1, but is
three minutes long, fights that prejudice with an strangely lacking in Yuasa's performance of the
onslaught of symphonic colour.
two longer late.works, Symphony, Op. 21, and
Glenn Gould once wrote that the music of Variations, Op. 30.
Webern is not emotional but sensual. The Ulster Overall, however, the dueling concerns of form
Orchestra under Takuo Yuasa respects that and emotion are well balanced. Yuasa certainly
The first of a sertes of box sets/ :
that present an ideal introduction
to C1mada 's founding t•omposers
1md the breadth 1ind diversity
of their output.
48