Rachmaninov: Etudes-Tableaux; Corelli Variations; Six Poems

• Main performer: Alexander Melnikov
• Booklet languages: French, English, German
• Libretto languages: French, Russian, English, German
• Time: 74:29
• Release Date: 2008

Review

Freed of the earlier set of Six Études-tableaux, Op. 33, with which they are usually coupled, Rachmaninov's Nine Études-tableaux, Op. 39, are revealed to be the peak of the composer's output for solo piano. They transcend even the headiest technical demands of the earlier Études-tableaux or preludes, and the palpable melancholy of their tone exceeds even the earlier Morceaux de Fantaisie and Moments Musicaux. One can sense Czarist Russia in their shimmering harmonies and glittering textures, and also feel the horror of the war and the imminence of the Revolution in their despairing melodies.

Only the greatest pianists survive when they take on the Op. 39 Études-tableaux, and Russian pianist Alexander Melnikov not only survives but wins. With a transcendental technique and a fiery temperament, the young Russian conquers Rachmaninov's super virtuoso writing with panache. The strength of his sonorities and the flexibility of his phrasing reflect fearlessness in even the toughest passages.

The coupling of Rachmaninov's Six Poèmes, Op. 39, with Melnikov accompanying soprano Elena Brilova make this recording even more attractive. Written at the same time as the Études-tableaux, the Poèmes breathe the same melancholic air and exude the same despair. And as domineering as his playing of the Études-tableaux had been, Melnikov's performance here is much more collaborative, supporting Brilova with unbending firmness that is still attentive to her needs. Brilova's s tone may be a tad on the shrill side for some listeners, but her emotional intensity puts across the fin de siècle dissipation.

As a bonus, the disc concludes with Rachmaninov's Variations on a theme by Corelli, Op. 42. Although only three opus numbers later than the Études-tableaux, the Variations date from 1931. In their brittle harmonies, spiky textures, and edgy tempos, the Variations are worlds removed from the Poèmes and the Études-tableaux, but at least in Melnikov's performance, they retain the earlier works' sense of despair -- but distilled to their essence. As in the Études-tableaux, Melnikov's playing is bravely heroic, and, as before, he succeeds in surmounting the notes with extraordinary gusto. With the trademark clean, clear sound of Berlin's Teldec Studio, this disc is mandatory listening for anyone interested in the repertoire or the composer. ~ James Leonard, Rovi

Performances

Composer	Title	Time
Sergey Rachmaninov	Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 39	41:06
Sergey Rachmaninov	Songs (6) for voice & piano, Op. 38	16:15
Sergey Rachmaninov	Variations on a Theme of Corelli, for piano, Op. 42	17:08

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