ECM New Series debut for Lisa Smirnova, playing Georg Friedrich Händel’s Eight Great Suites (1720), also known as “The Eight London Suites” or “Suites de Pièces pour le Clavecin”, major pieces in the keyboard literature, too rarely brought together on disc. The 1720 edition of suites (HWV 426-433), published by the composer himself, is amongst the most important collections of Handel’s early works. Handel’s early biographer John Mainwaring noted that the “fullness and activity of the inner parts” of these keyboard works ensures that “few persons are capable of doing them justice”. Smirnova who has worked extensively on the Eight Great Suites, rises comprehensively to the challenge, on the modern piano, in these recordings made at Schloss Goldegg in Austria.
Georg Friedrich Händel: Die Acht Grossen Suiten
Lisa Smirnova
- CD 1
- Suite No. 2 F Major HWV 427
- 1Adagio03:30
- 2Allegro02:08
- 3Adagio01:44
- 4Allegro02:00
- Suite No. 8 F Minor HWV 433
- 5Prelude. Adagio01:50
- 6Allegro02:47
- 7Allemande03:13
- 8Courante01:35
- 9Gigue02:11
- Suite No. 4 E Minor HWV 429
- 10Allegro03:09
- 11Allemande02:15
- 12Courante02:04
- 13Sarabande04:39
- 14Gigue01:57
- Suite No. 5 E Major HWV 430
- 15Prelude01:38
- 16Allemande04:22
- 17Courante01:46
- 18Air - Double 1-503:49
- CD 2
- Suite No. 3 D Minor HWV 428
- 1Prelude. Presto01:13
- 2Allegro03:05
- 3Allemande03:44
- 4Courante01:43
- 5Air - Double 1-508:37
- 6Presto04:27
- Suite No. 6 F Sharp Minor HWV 431
- 7Prelude01:31
- 8Largo02:32
- 9Allegro02:00
- 10Gigue. Presto02:48
- Suite No. 1 A Major HWV 426
- 11Prelude01:50
- 12Allemande03:20
- 13Courante02:23
- 14Gigue03:01
- Suite No. 7 G Minor HWV 432
- 15Ouverture03:09
- 16Andante03:09
- 17Allegro01:32
- 18Sarabande02:47
- 19Gigue01:27
- 20Passacaille03:56
Smirnovas Stilgefühl, ihr Umgang mit Phrasierungen und Verzierungen; ihr Sinn für natürlich wirkende Tempi und eine Klangvorstellung, die alle Kompaktheit meidet, stattdessen das Klavier als ein Instrument des Zusammenklangs schwingender Saiten erfahrbar macht; all das verleiht dieser Aufnahme einen unverwechselbaren Charakter. (...) Die bekannten Variationen zum Beispiel, mit denen die fünfte Suite abschließt, geraten so in ihrer feinen Motorik zur mit Sicherheit heitersten und selbstverständlichst fließenden Interpretation unter den diversen Einspielungen der letzten Jahre. Als `Grobschmied-Variationen´ sind diese Variationen bekannt. Doch bei Smirnova ist es eher die Feinmechanik eines faszinierend inenandergreifenden Uhrwerks, die hörbar wird: in den Klangschatten, die über das rhythmische Perpetuum mobile hinwegziehen, den spielerisch auf- und abtauchenden MIttelstimmen, den zauberhaft pointierten Echos und den hervorleuchtenden Verzierungen.
Martin Wilkening, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The diversity of Handel's works, especially popular ones such as the Messiah, Royal Fireworks and Water Music, has tended to overshadow his keyboard compositions. These are few in number, compared to the output of his contemporary JS Bach - yet in their era, Handel's were the more widely disseminated and performed, a reflection, perhaps, of his "mixed goût" synthesis of European styles. He shared with Bach, however, the habit of recycling sections from his earlier works. Lisa Smirnova here performs the so-called "Eight London Suites" with great sensitivity and poise - the first movement of the Suite No. 2 opens with the most startlingly delicate of trills - and subtle differentiation between the various Gigues, Allemandes, Courantes and Sarabandes whose abundance reflects the suites' origins in contemporary dance forms.
Andy Gill, The Independent
Das düster-wolkige Cover täuscht: Händels Klaviermusik ist ein Feuerwerk an klarer, beschwingter Vielfalt, heitere Aufklärung in klingender Gestalt. Lisa Smirnova hat die vier- bis sechssätzigen, häufig fugierten Stücke fünf Jahre lang geübt, bevor sie sich an die Aufnahme machte. Das Ergebnis kann auch als Plädoyer dafür gelten, wie fesselnd solch absolute Musik auf dem modernen Flügel klingt.
Johannes Saltzwedel, KulturSpiegel
Die in Moskau geborene Pianistin Lisa Smirnova entdeckt für ECM in Händels "Acht Großen Suiten" ein "Universum von zeitloser Schönheit" und zeigt: Diese Werke stehen Bach in nichts nach.
Tobias Schmitz, Stern
Smirnova spielt in der Kategorie von Glenn Gould, jeder andere Vergleich wäre unstatthaft. (…) Ernst, Tiefe, Spritzigkeit, Witz, Charme: Smirnova spielt uns schwindelig vor Vergnügen.
Wolfram Goertz, Rheinische Post
Sviatoslav Richter and Andrei Gavrilov shared a recording of the complete Handel keyboard suites some 30 years ago. Yet, for most concert pianists this music remains on the fringes of their repertoire.(...) Taken on their own terms, as Lisa Smiernova´s vivacious account of the Eight Great Suites reminds us, they´re a treasure trove of Handelian wit and humanity. Purists will certainly need to take them on Smirnova´s terms, too. Although she engages with period practice (pianist and early keyboard specialist Robert Levin was one of the teachers), she´s no slave to it. (...) Her urbane, joyful sophisticated playing, which teems with buoyant gigues, elegant dances and vivacious fugues, is alive with purposefulness and poetry. (...) Her Allemande in the Suite in E even pinpoints a thematic hint of the `Harmonious Blacksmith´ variations which follow, and are thrilling. Handel with care? Undeniably. And with captivating flair in spades.
Paul Riley, BBC Music Magazine
ECM New Series debut for Lisa Smirnova, playing Georg Friedrich Händel’s Eight Great Suites (1720), also known as “The Eight London Suites” or “Suites de Pièces pour le Clavecin”, major pieces in the keyboard literature, too rarely brought together on disc.
The 1720 edition of suites (HWV 426-433) is amongst the most important collections of Händel’s early works. Published by the composer himself, with the special authorization of George I, it includes works from both his Hamburg and English periods, all revised by Händel, right through the printing process.
If the rich diversity of Händel’s entire oeuvre has long since overshadowed his reputation as composer of keyboard works, in his lifetime Händel’s popularity as player-composer was second to none. As Uwe Schweikert observes in the liner notes, “In quantity alone Händel's Suites and the Six Fugues or Voluntarys do not brook comparison with Bach. But the number of prints and handwritten copies disseminated throughout the whole of Europe far exceeds those of Bach or Scarlatti, demonstrating the esteem that Händel's harpsichord music enjoyed among his contemporaries. In his day Händel was considered not only a master of Italian opera, English oratorio and organ improvisation, but also 'one of the very greatest masters in technique and keyboard performance'. The esteem accorded to Händel the harpsichord virtuoso was matched by the admiration bestowed on his compositions for this instrument.” Early Händel biographer John Mainwaring (1724-1807) noted that “Of his talents in composing for a single instrument, we need no better proofs than are given us in his Harpsichord-lessons. (…) Händel's have one disadvantage, owing entirely to their peculiar excellence. The surprising fullness and activity of the inner parts, increases the difficulty of playing them to so great a degree, that few persons are capable of doing them justice. Indeed, there appears to be more work in them than any one instrument should seem capable of dispatching.”
Lisa Smirnova rises to the challenge, on the modern piano. She had been working rigorously on the 8 Great Suites for five years prior to undertaking this recording – begun at Austria’s Schloss Goldegg in 2007 – making many discoveries along the way.
The 1720 edition of suites (HWV 426-433) is amongst the most important collections of Händel’s early works. Published by the composer himself, with the special authorization of George I, it includes works from both his Hamburg and English periods, all revised by Händel, right through the printing process.
If the rich diversity of Händel’s entire oeuvre has long since overshadowed his reputation as composer of keyboard works, in his lifetime Händel’s popularity as player-composer was second to none. As Uwe Schweikert observes in the liner notes, “In quantity alone Händel's Suites and the Six Fugues or Voluntarys do not brook comparison with Bach. But the number of prints and handwritten copies disseminated throughout the whole of Europe far exceeds those of Bach or Scarlatti, demonstrating the esteem that Händel's harpsichord music enjoyed among his contemporaries. In his day Händel was considered not only a master of Italian opera, English oratorio and organ improvisation, but also 'one of the very greatest masters in technique and keyboard performance'. The esteem accorded to Händel the harpsichord virtuoso was matched by the admiration bestowed on his compositions for this instrument.” Early Händel biographer John Mainwaring (1724-1807) noted that “Of his talents in composing for a single instrument, we need no better proofs than are given us in his Harpsichord-lessons. (…) Händel's have one disadvantage, owing entirely to their peculiar excellence. The surprising fullness and activity of the inner parts, increases the difficulty of playing them to so great a degree, that few persons are capable of doing them justice. Indeed, there appears to be more work in them than any one instrument should seem capable of dispatching.”
Lisa Smirnova rises to the challenge, on the modern piano. She had been working rigorously on the 8 Great Suites for five years prior to undertaking this recording – begun at Austria’s Schloss Goldegg in 2007 – making many discoveries along the way.
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