Pianist Clare Hammond
http://clarehammond.com obtained a double
first in music at Cambridge University before undertaking postgraduate study
with Ronan O’Hora at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and with
Professor Rhian Samuel at the City University London. In 2014 she was paired
with French pianist Anne Queffélec on the Philip Langridge Mentoring Scheme run
by the Royal Philharmonic Society.
She has been featured on BBC Radio 3’s Hear and Now and CD Review
programmes and, in January, makes her fourth appearance on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune. In 2012 her live recital
broadcast of Ravel’s Le Tombeau de
Couperin from the Wigmore Hall was chosen as one of BBC Radio 3’s
highlights of the month while in 2014 she recorded music by Sibelius and Rangström
as part of a BBC Symphony Orchestra studio concert for BBC Radio 3’s Afternoon on 3.
Hammond’s involvement in centenary celebrations for composer
Andrzej Panufnik in 2014 saw the release of her acclaimed first disc for BIS
Records entitled Reflections.
Now from BIS Records
www.bis.se comes
Clare Hammond’s recital entitled Etude featuring works by Sergei Lyapunov,
Unsuk Chin, Karol Szymanowski and Nicholai Kapustin.
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| SACD BIS - 2004 |
Clare Hammond opens
her recital with three of Sergei Lyapunov’s (1859-1924) 12 Études d'exécution transcendante, Op. 11.
With No. 4. Térek Allegro impetuoso
(1900) Clare Hammond immediately holds the attention as she builds the
music from the depths, revealing a clarity despite Lyapunov’s dense textures. When
the little, very Russian theme emerges each time, it is a lovely moment. She
provides some especially fine playing as the étude develops. She brings
expansive, languid, beautifully limpid delicate phrases and a fine touch to No. 5. Nuit d’été Lento ma non Troppo (1900)
in a lovely performance, finely paced, allowing the music to rise naturally
before a beautifully realised coda. Rippling volatility arrives in No. 6. Tempête Allegro agitato molto (1897) with
lovely phrasing that enhances this pianist’s fine sense of individual line with
a fine strength in the more dynamic passages.
Next Hammond gives us South Korean composer, Unsuk Chin’s (b.1961) www.boosey.com/composer/unsuk+chin Piano Études
(1995-2003). Piano Étude No. 1, ‘In
C’ reveals a composer who has taken the influences of modernist composers
such as Ligeti with whom she studied, and formed a style that brings spectacularly
fine structures, at times dissonantly melodic, yet always surprising to the
ear. Messiaen also loosely comes to mind, yet this is wholly engaging,
individual music brilliantly played.
Piano Étude No. 2,
‘Sequenzen’ rises up from the lower keyboard, gaining in tempo and dynamics
until breaking out into an energetic, rhythmically complex passage. There is a
more thoughtful passage before the energy returns with playing that is, by any
standards, phenomenally good.
Piano Étude No. 3,
‘Scherzo ad libitum’ runs around in little phrases that at first appear
fragmented but soon the ear catches a cohesion and structure. The music is
playful in nature, something which this pianist picks up on, building to some
terrific overlaying of lines before gently skipping to a conclusion.
Intricate little scales and motifs rush around in the Piano Étude No. 4, ‘Scalen’ with Hammond
bringing an intoxicatingly fine, delicate touch to a brilliantly executed coda.
With the Piano Étude No. 5, ‘Toccata’
little bouncing phrases slowly overlay each other leading the toccata forward
before rising to a very fine coda. A terrific study, brilliantly played.
A certain fragmentation of motifs opens the Piano Étude No. 6, ‘Grains’, however,
Chin cleverly develops the motifs, almost imperceptibly. Hammond’s fine ability
to hold an overall structure allows this music to reveal the subtle forward
movement, the little surges that overall give a propulsion as well as an arch
like structure as it falls to the coda.
For those that listen with an open ear this is eminently
approachable music. It is good that BIS have taken care over the times between
tracks so that the right amount of silence is allowed.
Karol Szymanowski’s
(1882-1937) 12 Studies, Op. 33 (1916) follow
with No. 1. Presto moving off quickly
with a subtle melody emerging out of the textures and some very fine terrific
playing indeed. The exotic, scented harmonies of No. 2. Andantino soave are beautifully realised with beautifully
coloured textures.
The brief No. 3.
Vivace assai quickly builds to a fine coda before No. 4. Presto where Hammond’s fine delicacy is apparent, beautifully
phrased, subtly coloured. There is an exquisitely wrought No. 5. Andante espressivo, full of nostalgia with rich broad
phrases and a direct, forthright No. 6.
Vivace.
No. 7. Allegro molto,
with its little leaps and rhythmic changes is surprisingly modern in feel,
relating somewhat to Unsuk Chin’s creations. A languid No.8 Lento assai mesto follows, atmospheric and thoughtful with Hammond
bringing a lovely gentle, rhythmic lift to the music. No. 9. Animato brings more little rhythmic motifs before a rather brooding
passage, Hammond revealing the fleeting character of the piece.
The turbulent No. 10.
Presto has a subtle rubato and fine forward momentum before No. 11. Andante soave where again Szymanowski’s
languid harmonies are finely brought out, the loose structure held perfectly.
Finally No. 12. Presto, densely
textured as the presto moves quickly forward, with this pianist maintaining a
very fine clarity, subtly rising in stages to a fine coda.
The Russian composer Nikolai
Kapustin (b.1937) www.nikolai-kapustin.info
brings jazz influences to his Five Études in different intervals, Op.68
(1992). No. 1. Allegro: Étude in minor seconds is terrific with a rollicking
theme that has jazz, even rag time elements, brilliantly played and terrific
fun.
No. 2. Allegro: Étude
in fourths and fifths retains a similar feel but with a more serious vein. Clare
Hammond holds the structure together brilliantly as the music varies in rhythm
and tempi with overlaid musical lines. No.
3. Animato: Étude in thirds and sixths is another terrific piece with
difficult rhythms and a lovely broad theme that momentarily appears out of the
texture, not to mention a slight Latin feel.
Some terrific dissonances arrive with No. 4. Vivace: Étude in major seconds as the music hurtles ahead
with sudden rhythm and tempo changes, Hammond picking up on the subtle rhythms
brilliantly before leading to a more jazzy feel towards the end.
No. 5. Animato: Étude
in octaves has a broader, freer feel with many different rhythms and
flourishes wonderfully realised by Hammond who gives a phenomenally fine
performance, bringing a fine breadth, flow and panache as the music leads to
its almost Gershwinesque coda.
This is a first rate imaginative recital with some
remarkable playing from Clare Hammond. She is very well recorded at Potton
Hall, Suffolk, England.
There are excellent booklet notes by the pianist.
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