Music Review: Susan Chan, Irina Feoktistova, Sally Pinkas, and Ann Schein - Music For Classical Piano - Page 3

His writing represents a technical challenge to even the most accomplished pianists. Sally’s own album notes for this collection explain, ‘the emotionally charged content of Schumann’s music required the performer to reach beyond the technical, and into the spiritual realm’.

The collection opens with the five movements that comprise the energetic piece “Faschingsschwank Aus Wien, Fantasiebilder, Op. 26”, written in 1839. In many ways it is somewhat representative of the emotional upheaval that Schumann was experiencing during his late twenties. Translated as “Carnival Prank From Vienna” the first movement of the work is unusually long and includes a quote from the "Marseillaise" within its many alternating themes.

The following three movements are surprisingly short in comparison. The melancholic “Romanze”, leads towards the intricate “Scherzino”, and finally the stormy “Intermezzo”. Of the finale the album notes, written by the artist herself, inform us that the piece is somewhat unusual in its construction. She says, 'the harmonic structure design of the finale is in sonata form, suggesting a reversed large scale sonata structure for the entire cycle, starting with the rondo and ending with the sonata, instead of the other way around’.

Next she performs “Piano Sonata in F-sharp minor, op. 11”. Written in Leipzig over a period of four years it signifies a time when Schumann met and fell in love with Clara Wieck. This is, in fact, the first of only three pieces that he wrote for the piano. Vast in scale and epic in ambition the eleven minute “Finale” represents a major technical challenge for any pianist. It is one that Sally Pinkas rises to expertly.

The nine part cycle “Waldszenen”, or "Forest Scenes", completes this beautifully performed album. It was written in Dusseldorf during what was Schumann’s last productive period (1848-1849). The composition represents a journey into a deep and mysterious forest. The musical contradictions contained within are totally absorbing as each section unfolds and takes us further along the path leading into the magical wood.

For this Sally Pinkas adds, ‘Schumann weaves an intangible web of nostalgic reminiscences in Waldszenen, whose striking aspect lies in its juxtaposition of the heartfelt and the obscure.’

Please also see my earlier review of a previous release featuring Sally Pinkas.

Carter, Copland & Patitucci – Ann Schein (MSR 1321)
Ann Schein’s latest release sees her paying homage to American composer Elliott Carter, who reached the grand old age of 100 in December 2008. For this she performs his wonderful "Piano Sonata" in two movements which was written between 1945-1946.

Ann has personally known Carter for many years and has a deep love, admiration, and understanding of his work. Their relationship is a story very well told by her within the album's cover notes.

Article Author: Jeff Perkins

Jeff is a writer who lives in France. He writes CD/DVD box sets, music reviews and has had a book published about David Byron of Uriah Heep. He is 'busy' exploring the music of Europe with his wife Debbie and dog Dylan. It's Dylan that does the writing of course. …

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