ALMOST AS ONE

As a contemporary and countryman of Rachmaninoff, and likewise a virtuoso pianist, Medtner is seen but dimly by us today. The answer probably lies in the music, which generally takes a less impassioned view of things, and melodic material is severer in manner. But in technical mastery of his romantic language no weakness is evident, and I suspect that the all-too-common vicissitudes of writing music and getting performances played a part in getting nowhere.

The second violin sonata sweeps along like a schooner under full sail [listen - track 5, 10:55-11:35]. It has a manner commanding respect for the certainty of presentation and development, and the listener's musical instincts accept and enjoy - assuming he has some feeling for this rich fare....

Generally his principal themes are a touch curious in effect, less obvious than from a dyed-in-the-wool romanticist. I at first felt this as a possible weakness - no intense romantic ardour - yet Medtner finds this a natural ingredient in his way of putting material through development. By the end of a good soaking in the sonata I was elated by the very quality of every tiny part used in building the music into complete movements. Yes, at times questions spring to mind, not really of weakness, just a touch of commonplace. But each falls into place as the scheme becomes familiar.

When I got to the the short pieces, I unwisely assumed them as fillers to get the record up to a realistic duration for a CD. Not so. Medtner has a canny touch for pieces 4-6 minutes in length [listen - track 12, 00:48-01:19]. The tunes are a better blend of melodic grace supported by delicious twists of harmonic subtlety. A short piece intensifies the effect.

All this would have drowned in a choppy sea if the players had lacked understanding of the music. They play almost as one and display the music superbly through its many moods and colours.

To listen to the aural illustrations in this review, you may need to download RealNetworks' realplayer G2.