Steven Osborne, 29/01/2016

Debussy : Masques
Debussy : Images, Book 2
Debussy : L'île joyeuse
Rachmaninoff : Etudes-tableaux, Op. 33, Nos. 2, (original) 3 & 5
Rachmaninoff : Etudes-tableaux, Op. 39, Nos. 2, 5, 8 & 9

Steven Osborne, piano

For a lunchtime recital, this one was packed pretty densely with remarkable, demanding and highly contrasted music.  To begin with, a group of Debussy pieces, all performed with a fine degree of transparency, and an excellent range of dynamics.  Speaking strictly personally, I've always thought that Debussy was giving goldfish too much credit in the flashing brilliance of Poissons d'or - they strike me as rather indolent fish, for the most part - but he obviously saw something else.  However, the really interesting aspect of the group was that Osborne book-ended it with Masques and L'île joyeuse.  These were composed as a pair, possibly meant to be compiled with D'un cahier d'esquisses to form a second Suite bergamasque.  That project never materialised, the pieces remained independent, and L'île joyeuse is much better known than the others.  Hearing it with its pendant, however, cast a fresh light on it, and Masques, with its frustrated, even angry strumming of a disappointed serenader, is its dark face.  They are both masks, perhaps, of tragedy in the night, and comedy in the day.

Despite the name, the tableaux to which Rachmaninoff alludes are never made clear; this is not really programmatic music, nor are they depictions of actual images like Mussorgsky's Pictures.  Nor is it clear of what aspects of pianism these are studies, in fact the pianistic demands in each and every one of them are redoubtable, and hardly limited to, or focused on any one particular technique.  Between the two sets, there are seventeen pieces in all, the great majority in the minor - and even when in the major, there's a minor tinge to it, as one could hear in Osborne's first and last selections.  They are an impressive sight, in recital, the full range of the keyboard put to use, a very wide dynamic range required, and a rich, multi-layered tapestry of sound that, eyes closed, seems impossible for only two hands to accomplish, but which Osborne laid out for us with deceptive ease.  From the shimmer of Op. 33/2, through the Dies irae-overshadowed Op. 39/2 to the vibrant conclusion of the martial Op. 39/9, this was a welcome opportunity to hear music that is not given as much exposure as it perhaps merits.

His recital being very warmly received, Osborne returned for an encore, and (in a first for me) offered the audience the choice of a Prelude by Debussy or by Rachmaninoff.  The vote went substantially in favour of the latter, and so the session concluded with the wonderfully lyrical Op. 23/4.

[Next : 11th February]