Leslie Howard - Tchaikovsky: Piano Sonatas (1997) CD-Rip

Tchaikovsky only wrote one "official" piano sonata, the Grande Sonate in G major, Op. 37, but when he was a student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, he began an Allegro in F minor and completed a full sonata in C sharp minor, published posthumously as Op. 80. Leslie Howard, in the midst of his enormous Franz Liszt project, recorded all three works for Hyperion. Howard fleshed out the Allegro into a complete sonata allegro movement. The result is a movement that is solid, structurally and musically, much meatier than the Tchaikovsky character pieces that are more often heard, but still an immature work for the composer. It has dramatic tension that is relieved only momentarily, and never completely, in the development. The writing is fairly dense -- melodies are frequently played in octave -- Schumann-esque, and not as interesting as its ominous nature. The full sonata in C sharp minor also sounds less than mature for the composer, and borrows not only from Schumann, but Beethoven as well. In many ways, it does sounds like a work where Tchaikovsky was trying out larger, orchestral ideas, which would explain his re-using the Scherzo's theme in his First Symphony. Howard's playing doesn't quite bring out the orchestral colors, but the way Tchaikovsky constructs the tension and emotion of each movement helps evoke them. The second movement is an interesting construction of nocturnal, pensive melodic ideas and minimal, almost independent, accompanimental ideas. Howard gives it a delicate shading that suits it well. The Scherzo leads into the final movement, which receives the most criticism for its lack of Tchaikovsky's usual gift for melody, its relative lack of compelling emotion or drama, and an overall tendency toward empty ostentation. The Sonata, Op. 37, has even more in common with Tchaikovsky's symphonies and concertos than the C sharp Sonata, and is much more maturely constructed, if still more orchestral than pianistic. The Andante in particular -- another somewhat thoughtful movement that also has a bit of tension -- is concisely and effectively composed. The syncopation of the Scherzo is as attention grabbing as the opening chords of the finale. Howard is, as always, extremely thorough in his scholarship of these works, but also extremely musical in his execution of the music, putting it in the best light possible and passing on an excitement for Tchaikovsky's sonatas despite any shortcomings they may have.