Nikolai Medtner; Maurice Ravel - Violin Sonatas (Vadim Repin; Boris Berezovsky)

Information

Composer: Nikolai Medtner; Maurice Ravel

• Ravel - Violin Sonata No. 2 in G major
• Medtner - Sonata Epica in E minor (Violin Sonata No. 3), Op. 57

Vadim Repin, violin

Boris Berezovsky, piano

Date: 1996

Label: Erato

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Review

The Medtner sonata is the principal work here. Of the three that he wrote the Third (Epica) is perhaps the most intricately worked and, at over 40 minutes, certainly the most substantial. At times it seems almost too long for its own good and for that reason it needs a very persuasive and masterly performance in order to project its strengths. Fortunately Vadim Repin’s and Boris Berezovsky’s performance here is about as persuasive as you can get – Repin is lyrical and passionate and has plenty of fiery temperament for this music, and he is ideally complemented by Berezovsky’s equally splendid playing. Much is made of the sonata’s lyrical and melodic abundance (the Scherzo is delivered with great panache) and Repin’s choice of tempo for all movements is expertly judged – compared to Alexander Shirinsky and Dmitri Galynin, Repin comes in faster in just about all movements; even so I still find the finale a little overworked and extended for the material.

The coupling of the Ravel Sonata is a rather curious one, and I am really not sure that these two sonatas sit well together despite the obvious contrast they may offer. Those with only an interest in the Ravel will probably content themselves with one of the many other fine, more aptly coupled recordings available, which is a pity, as Repin and Berezovsky are perhaps even more impressive here than in the Medtner. As a vehicle for Repin’s talent it shows what a marvellous colourist he is, what exceptional subtlety and nuance he brings to the music and, in the “Blues” movement especially, the sheer frisson he is capable of generating. One cannot understate the superb ensemble playing either, with Berezovsky perfectly atuned to every twist and turn of Repin’s playing.

In sum then, both of these performances are extremely recommendable, so if the coupling appeals this disc is an absolute must. The recorded sound throughout is very realistic and naturally balanced.

-- Michael Stewart, Gramophone

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Nikolai Medtner (5 January 1880 [O.S. 24 December 1879] – 13 November 1951) was a Russian composer and pianist. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory from 1891 to 1900, having studied under Pavel Pabst, Wassily Sapellnikoff, Vasily Safonov and Sergei Taneyev among others. His works include 14 piano sonatas, three violin sonatas, three piano concerti, a piano quintet, two works for two pianos, many shorter piano pieces, a few shorter works for violin and piano, and 108 songs including two substantial works for vocalise. His 38 Skazki for piano solo contain some of his most original music.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Medtner

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Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy. Born to a music-loving family, Ravel attended the Paris Conservatoire. After leaving the conservatoire, he found his own way as a composer, developing a style of great clarity and incorporating elements of modernism, baroque, neoclassicism and, in his later works, jazz. Among his works to enter the repertoire are pieces for piano, chamber music, two piano concertos, ballet music, two operas and eight song cycles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Ravel

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Vadim Repin (born 31 August 1971 in Novosibirsk) is a Russian and Belgian violinist who lives in Vienna. At the age of 17, he became the youngest winner of violin section of the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels. Repin has played under such leading conductors as Simon Rattle, Valery Gergiev, Mariss Jansons, Yehudi Menuhin, and has been a frequent guest at festivals such as the BBC Proms, Tanglewood, Gstaad and Verbier. He specializes in Russian music and French music, particularly the great Russian violin concertos, as well as 20th-century and contemporary music.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vadim_Repin

https://www.vadimrepin.com/

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Boris Berezovsky (born 4 January 1969) is a Russian pianist. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Eliso Virsaladze and privately with Alexander Satz. In 1990, he won First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition. Berezovsky has made recordings of the complete Beethoven Piano concertos for Simax, as well as records for Teldec, including solo discs of works by Chopin, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Mussorgsky, Balakirev, Medtner, Ravel and the complete Liszt Transcendental Etudes. With the Mirare Label, he has recorded the Rachmaninoff Préludes as well as complete Piano Concertos.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Berezovsky_(pianist)

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