Surely Anthony
Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow www.divine-art.co.uk/AS/goldstoneclemmow.htm are
Britain’s finest piano duo. They have made an impressive collection of
recordings for Divine Art Recordings www.divine-art.co.uk
to
which can be added a recent release of transcriptions of works by Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov (1844-1908).
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This new disc couples this duo’s earlier recording of Rimsky
Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Neapolitanskaya pesenka with a World
Premiere recording of the composer’s Symphonic
Suite ‘Antar’ often referred to as his Symphony
No. 2, all in piano duet (four hands) transcriptions.
Scheherazade, Op. 35 is
played here in the composer’s own piano duet version. No listener could fail to
be impressed by the fine opening of The
Sea and Sinbad’s Ship, with Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow bringing
a real weight to contrast with the beautifully delicate and poetic passage that
follows. They provide a lovely rhythmic sway as Sinbad’s ship takes sail with this
duo’s fine precision, bringing so much to this performance as does their silken
fluidity. There are some exquisite little phrases with the accuracy between
these players quite brilliant. They rise to moments of fine power, bringing a
breadth and grandeur that is impressive, beautifully pacing the music right up
to the lovely, gentle coda.
As The Story of the
Kalender Prince develops one is aware of so many fine colours that are
revealed, different with each player. There is a clarity and lightness of touch
with many passages that reveal this duo’s fine articulation. They slowly build the drama with finely
controlled rubato before a fine conclusion.
The Young Prince and
the Young Princess brings some lovely fluent playing, fine sweeps of sound
and terrific scales with a scented Eastern flavour. This duo bring a lovely variety
of colours and textures in the broader passages, full of atmosphere, conjuring
up so much of Rimsky Korsakov’s original orchestral brilliance with a lovely
little coda.
Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow pull out all the
varying moods and atmosphere of the final movement Festival at Baghdad – The Sea with some brilliantly played faster
passages. There is terrific accuracy here, lovely sweeps of music with a fine
authority and panache. Again they bring so many fine moments with lovely
colours, textures and rhythmic turns, the music positively glowing at times
before the very fine coda.
They receive a first rate recording from the Royal Northern
College of Music.
The arrangement for piano
4-hands of Rimsky Korsakov’s Symphonic
Suite ‘Antar’, Op. 9 (Symphony No. 2) was made by the composer’s wife Nadezhda Purgold and is given the World
Premiere recording here.
The opening of the first movement, The Desert - The Rescue - Gul-Nazar's Gifts, is developed
beautifully as a sense of mystery finally gives way to a lovely melody. The
music develops rhythmically, building to a brilliant moment finely played by
this duo, who bring a real depth to the textures. They handle all the sudden little
rhythmic phrases so well and deliver the flowing melodic passages with such
lightness of touch and finely judged forward flow. When Rimsky Korsakov overlays
both melodies this duo are a real joy in the way they take each theme. There
are some exquisitely delicate moments and finely coloured passages before a very
fine coda.
The Joy of Vengeance
rises dramatically, with these players revealing some fine harmonies. As they
forge ahead they reveal some lovely dissonant harmonies revealing this work to
be full of quite advanced ideas for its time, something not so obvious in the
orchestral original. Again their accuracy is superb, a quite stunning example
of piano duet playing. The coda receives some especially fine, subtle shading.
The Joy of Power brings
the timbre of Russian bells before a lovely melody arrives, these players
bringing soft, flowing delicacy that nevertheless glows beautifully. The music rises
full of breadth and melodic flow before a particularly fine passage where
rhythmic and melodic elements overlay.
There is a beautifully laid out opening to the final
movement, The Joy of Love - Antar's Death,
with exquisite phrasing and beautifully delicate phrases. This duo is terrific
in the way that they can slowly build such passages, subtly developing the
music right through to the coda when Antar dies.
Just as I often listen to Rachmaninov’s two piano version of
his Symphonic Dances so I will return
to this piano duet version of Antar
especially when played so finely as in this performance.
This brand new recording made in St. John the Baptist
Church, Alkborough, North Lincolnshire, England is first rate.
The Neapolitanskaya
pesenka (Neapolitan song) (after Denza), Op. 63 is here given in the version
for piano 4-hands by the composer and casts off any melancholy as this famous
tune races ahead, full of good humour and fun, these players obviously enjoying it immensely
with lively crisp playing and terrific flair.
There are excellent booklet notes from Anthony Goldstone
and, as ever, Divine Art’s production standards are first class with a nicely
produced booklet.
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