Milhaud

Henryk Górecki is best known for his now, fortunately for us, fairly frequently performed 3rd Symphony "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs'. And while his other music is less often heard, even in the symphony halls, this recording gives the opportunity to experience yet another of this great Polish composer's major works - O Domina Nostra for soprano and organ.

Arabella Steinbacher is yet another obviously talented young violinist, but this enterprising release really throws down the gauntlet to the competition, showing how to be both brilliant and musically interesting. These three Milhaud concertos are all but unknown, but they give Steinbacher plenty of opportunity to display her glittering technique as well as emotional maturity. This may sound surprising given the composer, a member of Les Six and one often noted for his cool polytonal style, eclecticism, and emotional detachment.

Milhaud was an inveterate traveller who absorbed influences from many national styles.
The music here exudes infectious dance impulses, languid geniality, knockabout humour and joie de vivre. It may inhabit a limited expressive sphere, but providing you don't expect introspection or searching profundity you won't be disappointed. There's enjoyment at every turn, whether in the foot-tapping 'Brazileira', the Satie-esque simplicity of the 'Valse' from Lessonges, or the breezy music-hall atmosphere of Le boeuf sur le toit, with its wonderfully imaginative piano writing. The performances are exemplary.

Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva perform a stunning selection of French 20th-century music for piano four hands. Both Milhaud and Poulenc were members of Les Six, a band of composers who specialised in producing colourful, quirky and highly original scores. Milhaud’s Scaramouche epitomises the wit and joie de vivre of this approach and has become one of his most popular works – although at the time the composer nearly forbade its publication. Poulenc combined grace and sparkling humour with a nobility that reflected his desire for a ‘return to simplicity’. His Élégie was written ‘as if improvising with a cigar in your mouth and a glass of cognac on the table’, while the Sonata for Four Hands is full of finger-crossing intricacies, and at the heart of the Sonata for Two Pianos is an Andantino described by the composer as ‘a lyrical, profound outburst… It is piano without pretence, real piano where each instrument converses with the other in perfect understanding and without interrupting.’ Debussy’s evocative Nocturnes arranged by Ravel conclude the release.