Rachmaninov & Tchaikovsky - Romances
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Label: Pentatone
Cat No: PTC5186866
Format: CD
Number of Discs: 1
Genre: Vocal/Choral
Release Date: 25th August 2023
Contents
Works
Songs (6), op.4Songs (6), op.8
» no.5 The Dream
Songs (12), op.14 » no.1 Fate
» no.7 Believe me not, Friend
» no.11 Spring Waters
Songs (12), op.21 » no.4 They Answered
» no.5 Lilacs
» no.7 How fair this spot
Romances (6), op.6 » no.5 Pourquoi? (Otchevo)
» no.6 None but the Lonely Heart
Romances (6), op.16 » no.5 Qu'importe
Romances (6), op.27 » no.1 At bedtime
Romances (6), op.28 » no.3 Why did I dream of you?
Romances (6), op.38 » no.2 It was in early spring
» no.3 Amid the Din of the Ball
Romances (6), op.63 » no.5 The fires in the rooms were already out
» no.6 O Child! Beneath Your Window
Romances (6), op.73Romances (7), op.47
» no.6 Whether the day reigns
Romances (12), op.60 » no.12 The mild stars shone for us
To forget so soonArtists
Piotr Beczala (tenor)Helmut Deutsch (piano)
Works
Songs (6), op.4Songs (6), op.8
» no.5 The Dream
Songs (12), op.14 » no.1 Fate
» no.7 Believe me not, Friend
» no.11 Spring Waters
Songs (12), op.21 » no.4 They Answered
» no.5 Lilacs
» no.7 How fair this spot
Romances (6), op.6 » no.5 Pourquoi? (Otchevo)
» no.6 None but the Lonely Heart
Romances (6), op.16 » no.5 Qu'importe
Romances (6), op.27 » no.1 At bedtime
Romances (6), op.28 » no.3 Why did I dream of you?
Romances (6), op.38 » no.2 It was in early spring
» no.3 Amid the Din of the Ball
Romances (6), op.63 » no.5 The fires in the rooms were already out
» no.6 O Child! Beneath Your Window
Romances (6), op.73Romances (7), op.47
» no.6 Whether the day reigns
Romances (12), op.60 » no.12 The mild stars shone for us
To forget so soonArtists
Piotr Beczala (tenor)Helmut Deutsch (piano)
About
Star tenor Piotr Beczala presents a selection of romances by Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, together with the acclaimed lied accompanist Helmut Deutsch. The romance was the most popular musical genre in nineteenth- and early-twentieth century Russia, practised by professionals as well as amateurs. Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov both enriched this genre with their lyricism and melodic invention.
Elevated by Deutsch’s splendid accompaniment, Beczala delivers these songs with a great sense for the Slavic idiom and meaning of the words, combined with colourful lyricism and italianità, perfectly fitting the Russian and cosmopolitan musical language of these two masters.
Piotr Beczala is one of the most sought-after tenors of his age, both on the opera and concert stage. His Pentatone debut album Vincerò! has been one of the most successful and critically acclaimed opera recital albums of the last few years. During the 2021 Opus Klassik Awards, Piotr Beczala was crowned as Singer of the Year for this exceptional recording. Pianist Helmut Deutsch is a first-class song accompanist, working together with the greatest vocalists of today. He makes his Pentatone debut.
Elevated by Deutsch’s splendid accompaniment, Beczala delivers these songs with a great sense for the Slavic idiom and meaning of the words, combined with colourful lyricism and italianità, perfectly fitting the Russian and cosmopolitan musical language of these two masters.
Piotr Beczala is one of the most sought-after tenors of his age, both on the opera and concert stage. His Pentatone debut album Vincerò! has been one of the most successful and critically acclaimed opera recital albums of the last few years. During the 2021 Opus Klassik Awards, Piotr Beczala was crowned as Singer of the Year for this exceptional recording. Pianist Helmut Deutsch is a first-class song accompanist, working together with the greatest vocalists of today. He makes his Pentatone debut.
Sound/Video
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1Rachmaninov: 12 Romances, op.21: 4. They Answered
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2Rachmaninov: 12 Romances, op.21: 5. Lilacs
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3Rachmaninov: 12 Romances, op.21: 7. How Fair This Spot
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4Rachmaninov: 6 Romances, op.4: 1. Oh No, I Beg You, Forsake Me Not!
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5Rachmaninov: 6 Romances, op.4: 2. Morning
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6Rachmaninov: 6 Romances, op.4: 3. In the Silence of the Secret Night
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7Rachmaninov: 6 Romances, op.4: 4. Do Not Sing, My Beauty
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8Rachmaninov: 6 Romances, op.4: 5. Oh You, my Field
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9Rachmaninov: 6 Romances, op.4: 6. How Long, my Friend
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10Rachmaninov: 12 Romances, op.14: 1. I Wait for Thee
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11Rachmaninov: 12 Romances, op.14: 7. Believe Me Not, Friend!
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12Rachmaninov: 12 Romances, op.14: 11. Spring Waters
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13Tchaikovsky: 7 Romances, op.47: 6. Does the Day Reign?
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14Tchaikovsky: 12 Romances, op.60: 12. The Gentle Stars Shone For Us
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15Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.63: 5. The Fires in the Rooms Were Already Out
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16Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.63: 6. O Child! Beneath Your Window
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17Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.6: 5. Why?
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18Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.6: 1. None but the Lonely Heart
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19Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.16: 5. So What?
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20Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances & Songs, op.27: 1. At Bedtime
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21Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.28: 3. What For?
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22Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.38: 2. It Was in the Early Spring
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23Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.38: 3. Amid the Roaring Ball
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24Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.73: 1. We Sat Together
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25Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.73: 2. Night
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26Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.73: 3. In This Moonlit Night
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27Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.73: 4. The Sun Has Set
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28Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.73: 5. Amid Sombre Days
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29Tchaikovsky: 6 Romances, op.73: 6. Again, As Before, Alone
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30Tchaikovsky: To Forget So Soon, TH94
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31Rachmaninov: 6 Romances, op.8: 5. A Dream
Europadisc Review
Earlier this week the Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition announced the controversial decision to ban all Russian music from its imminent 2023 competition amid the continued conflict in neighbouring Ukraine. Whatever the rights or wrongs of their decision, on a purely musical level we must be thankful that the Polish tenor Piotr Beczała hasn’t implemented a similar embargo. Following the success of last year’s verismo-themed Vincerò!, he returns to the Pentatone label for a recital of Russian songs – or ‘romances’ – by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, this time partnered by his frequent collaborator, the experienced Lied pianist Helmut Deutsch.
What the Lied was to German musical Romanticism and the mélodie to the French, the romance was for the Russians, covering a wide range of literary subgenres including dramatic ballads, lyrical monologues and sentimental salon romances. And although these days Russian music’s profile is dominated by the symphonic and operatic genres, in the 19th and early 20th centuries it was the Russian art song that was most popular, with the public, publishers, and composers (for whom it was often a useful money-spinner). These were works that could be performed by professionals in concert, but also by accomplished amateurs at home (just as Lieder were in Germany).
Although Tchaikovsky was initially dismissive of the genre, from the late 1860s onwards he produced a substantial number of songs, and while financial necessity was certainly a factor, there are signs that, once he began, he soon became alert to the artistic possibilities of the romance. The second half of Beczała’s disc is given over to Tchaikovsky, and includes some of his most popular romances, beginning with ‘Does the Day Reign?’ which, after a wistful opening, launches into torrents of full-blown Romantic passion. Beczała may be inching into his late 50s, but unlike some of his operatic colleagues he is at the peak of his game, and he and Deutsch throw themselves with wonderful abandon into this music, though coupled with superb technical control. The gentler numbers (such as ‘The Fires in the Rooms Were Already Out’) are delivered with wonderful delicacy, and listeners will surely be pleased at the inclusion of the once wildly popular ‘None but the Lonely Heart’ which is especially rapt.
Another highlight is ‘Amid the Roaring Ball’, Beczała in tender voice, and Deutsch marvellously attentive. Only one set of Tchaikovsky romances is given complete, the 6 Romances, op.73 (1893), dedicated to Nicolai Figner who had created the role of Hermann in The Queen of Spades three years earlier. These settings of verses by the young Daniil Rathaus (with whom the ageing Tchaikovsky seems to have been rather taken) raise rather dilettantish effusions to an altogether higher emotional level, and (as Philip Ross Bullock observes in his liner notes) provide a rare instance of a self-contained cycle rather than merely a set of songs from which to pick and choose. They are a particularly welcome inclusion here.
With their even more demanding piano parts, Rachmaninov’s romances take the genre to a more technically exacting level, and both Beczała and Deutsch are fully equal to the challenge. The disc opens with another immersive song, ‘They Answered’ (op.21 no.1), which really hits the ground running, but equally striking is the translucent delicacy of ‘Lilacs’ and the transport of ‘How Fair This Spot’ (nos. 5 and 7 from the same set). The 6 Romances, op.4, may constitute less of a cycle than Tchaikovsky’s op.73 of the same year, yet Beczała savours their variety, and the evocative orientalism combined with intense emotion of no.4, the popular ‘Do Not Sing, My Beauty’, is beautifully conveyed. In the lower register, Beczała’s voice has an almost baritonal quality, yet the ringing fearlessness with which he attacks the heady climax of no.6, ‘How Long, my Friend’, is a thrilling moment that brings the set to a powerful conclusion.
Both performers clearly respond to the vividness of Rachmaninov’s nature evocations (the rushing turbulence of ‘Spring Waters’ being a prime example), but it is the ecstatic quality of their emotional engagement that is a constant delight – intensely felt, yet never at the expense of technical control and musical security. Placed after the Tchaikovsky songs, it is Rachmaninov’s ‘A Dream’, op.8 no.5, that brings this disc to its spellbinding conclusion. For those wanting to explore beyond the headline-grabbing symphonies and concertos this Rachmaninov anniversary year, this illuminating disc of Romances is now a top recommendation. As Beczała himself notes, ‘We both strongly feel that the work of these two great composers belongs to world culture – they are landmarks in the history of music that belong to all of us and go far beyond national boundaries.’
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