Re: A comparison of 2 versions of Alkan's "Quasi-Faust"

On Oct 22, 5:58 pm, Bob Lombard <thorsteinnos...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Interpretations:


Another to acquire, the 1973-74 EMI Abbey Road studios recording,on an
Arabesque Recordings label LP ( ever transferred to cd ?), is Alkan
specialist Ronald Smith's reading, with his own liner notes.

His second movement is at 12:57.

" An iron discipline controls and contains the black,satanic forces
that sweep through this gigantic movement....The climax is reached in
an electrifying return with the pianist's hands constantly crossing
themselves,almost symbolically, as the Faust motif becomes locked in
mortal conflict with volleys of of furious leaping octaves.Alkan now
applies the brakes in an imposing build -up of orchestral sonority
crowned by four huge arpeggii.At once all is hushed for the strangest
and most complex passage in all 19th century piano music.The chant
motif heard complete for the first time forms the basis of "exorcism"
by fugue, its strongly modal character adding to the
timeless,disembodied atmosphere as voice after voice enters.The
final,extraordinary combination of six parts in invertable
counterpoint plus two extra voices and three doublings--eleven parts
in all-- initiates the entry of "Le Seigneur" ( the Lord) depicted by
an open fourth-- the outlying notes of the chant-- above which
celestial bells peal triumphantly.The final pages complete the sonata
scheme in a magnificant peroration in which the warring elements---
even the Devil himself--are held captive by the omnipresent chant
motif." Copyright Ronald Smith,1974.

And you dont have this work, or Smith's reading ?!

Rugby
.

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