Orli Shaham - Brahms: Piano Sonatas, Op.117, Op.118 & Op.119 (2015) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

CD1
01. Klavierstücke, Op. 118: I. Intermezzo in A Minor. Allegro non assai, ma molto appassionato
02. Klavierstücke, Op. 118: II. Intermezzo in A Major. Andante teneramente
03. Klavierstücke, Op. 118: III. Ballade in G Minor. Allegro energico
04. Klavierstücke, Op. 118: IV. Intermezzo in F Minor. Allegretto un poco agitato
05. Klavierstücke, Op. 118: V. Romanze in F Major. Andante
06. Klavierstücke, Op. 118: VI. Intermezzo in E-Flat Minor. Andante, largo e mesto
07. My Inner Brahms, An Intermezzo
08. Impromptu No. 3 in G-Flat Major, Op. 90
09. Romanze No. 2 in F-Sharp Major, Op. 28
10. Berceuse in D-Flat Major, Op. 57
11. 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117: I. Andante moderato
12. 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117: II. Andante non troppo e con molto espressione
13. 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117: III. Andante con moto

CD2
01. After Brahms "3 Intermezzos for Piano": I. Allegro con molto appassionato
02. After Brahms "3 Intermezzos for Piano": II. Delicatamente con molto espressione
03. After Brahms "3 Intermezzos for Piano": III. Adagio espressivo
04. Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: I. Praeludium
05. Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: II. Allemande
06. Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: III. Corrente
07. Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: IV. Sarabande
08. Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: V. Menuet I, Menuet II
09. Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: VI. Gigue
10. Sechs kleine Klavierstücke, Op. 19: Leicht, zart-Langsam-Sehr, langsame-Rasch, aber leicht-Etwas rasch-Sehr langsam
11. Klavierstücke, Op. 119: Intermezzo in B Minor. Adagio
12. Hommage à Brahms für Klavier: I. Engelsflügel 1
13. Klavierstücke, Op. 119: Intermezzo in E Minor. Andantino un poco agitato
14. Hommage à Brahms für Klavier: II. Hafenkneipenmusik
15. Klavierstücke, Op. 119: Intermezzo in C Major. Grazioso e giocoso
16. Hommage à Brahms für Klavier: III. Engelsflügel 2
17. Klavierstücke, Op. 119: Rhapsodie in E-Flat Major. Allegro risoluto



Throughout her impressive international career, the pianist Orli Shaham has displayed her unwavering passion and exceptional understanding of the music of Johannes Brahms. Admired for her interpretations of both standard and contemporary repertoire, she places Brahms’s late works for solo piano – his most intense and beautiful music – as the keystone of a collection of music history’s most amazing compositions.

Orli Shaham surrounds these masterworks with compositions that specifically inspired the romantic master: works by J.S. Bach, Chopin and Schumann. Her commitment to living composers led her to commission Avner Dorman and Bruce Adolphe to compose works purposefully influenced by Brahms. As luck would have it, Australian composer Brett Dean’s recent Hommage à Brahms für Klavier, fits neatly into this collection.

This is Orli Shaham’s second commission from the young Israeli-American composer Avner Dorman; the first was in 2010 for the Hebrew Melodies collection she recorded with her brother, the violinist Gil Shaham. She gushes about Dorman’s After Brahms, describing it as “ingenious, sensuous, and powerful.” Orli’s admiration for Bruce Adolphe began when she was a student in his theory class at The Julliard School, “Adolphe’s voice as a composer and as a theorist, with his deep understanding of how composers put together great music, makes him the perfect compliment for this Brahms project”. This release also includes the world premiere recording of Brett Dean’s Hommage à Brahms für Klavier. Written for pianist Emmanuel Ax, Dean conceived the work as three interludes to be played between Johannes Brahms’ Three Intermezzi Op.119.

Orli’s love, affection and understanding of Brahms pervades this recording in abundance. The recording opens with Brahms Op.118, the A minor Intermezzo full of bravura and confidence the torrent of arpeggios getting the recording off to a flying start. The Chopin, Schumann and Schubert offered here from Orli displays, what is an enviable technique, to perfection – the delicacy of touch is clearly evident, along with her ability to carry and sustain melodic line and shape, a technical facility many pianists can but dream of, her powerful gift of intimacy ever drawing the listener in.

Orli Shaham is renown for commentary during her concert performances, talking audiences through her concert programmes, but here the listener can hear that every work recorded is meant: Adolphe’s My Inner Brahms, follows Brahms’ Op.118, No.6 on CD1 as Adolphe’s work draws it’s theme from this. There is no other place on the recording for Dorman’s 3 Intermezzos than to open CD2, the impact of his Allegro con moto demanding attention, his 3rd Intermezzo amazingly Bachian in approach, setting up nicely Partia No.1 which follows. Brett Dean’s Hommage à Brahms nestles beautifully into Brahms’ Op.119, the Australian composers voice clearly evoking a style and approach of Brahms, but with very much his own and distinctive contemporary voice.

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