NOVEMBER 2023 | Iberian Impressions | Paulo Oliveira | Odradek ODRCD429
NOVEMBER 2023 | Iberian Impressions | Paulo Oliveira | Odradek ODRCD429BY RAY PICOT
Iberian Impressions, is the impressive debut album by the Portuguese pianist Paulo Oliveira which brings together a unique collection of music by five composers from Spain and his own county, to which he has a close affinity. They are all very well chosen, and represent an engaging collection of the familiar and rarely heard.
The recording has in the meantime been very well received critically, and received a Global Award in the USA in the Classical Piano category. Closer to home, Musical Opinion gave it a 5 Star rating, concluding that it was “an unexpected delight, and all in all this unique collection, intelligently planned and well presented, can be confidently recommended.”
The recital is bookended by two sonatinas from Armando José Fernandes and Xavier Montsalvatge, dating from 1941 and 1962 respectively; in between we have an attractive collection of roughly contemporary less formal pieces from the two neighbouring countries. The works are from Isaac Albéniz and José Vianna da Motta, which in turn are ingeniously linked by three extracts of suites by the tragically short-lived Pedro Blanco who had a foot in each country culturally through his birth in Spain and cultural work in Portugal.
Opening with Armando José Fernandes' Sonatina, a short work in three parts which mmeditaely engages with its interesting piano writing and melodic material. Composed in a neo-classical style, the musicalso has a strong rhythmic content, tempered by a degree of introspection, typical of the composer. The strongest outside influnces are perhaps French, through some impressionistic colouring.
The dulcet and more relaxed tones of Isaac Albéniz's España, Op.165 (1892) offer an excellent foil to the Sonatina, performed complete as a suite of six pieces. Oliveira never overplays the virtuoso elements and conveys a strong sense of joy, enhanced by his crisp phrasing and succinct rhythms. Where the music relaxes he revels in the music's varied moods, he never seems oner hurried. Whilst this is unpretentious music the suite played complete has a cohesiveness and strengthg of visionmissing when the individual pieces are cherry-picked. In short this was for me a model performance.
The exact dates of the pieces chosen of the Spanish copmposer and pianist Pedro Blanco are not given but they are very well contrasted and form an interesting if unfamiliar collection. Blanco's otherwise promising career was sadly cut short by the flu pandemic in 1919, and his music only occasionally appears in recitals. This introduction to his music is through three pieces: Castilla Op.15 - Nana leonesa; Heures Romantiques, Op.6 - Berceuse; Galanias, Op.10 - Verbena. There is an underlying strength and personality to these peieces, which Oliveira brings out to perfection. They certainly are of their period but do not sound dated and we should hear more of Blanco's work.
A pupil of Franz Liszt, José Vianna da Motta was an important Portuguese, composer, pianist and teacher who is represented by 3 Cenas Portuguesas, op.9 (1904). This set of folk inflected romantic pieces immediately conveys a sense of joy and simple delight brought out succinctly by Oliveira, who is more than a match for their virtuoso elements. Wonderful - let us have some more please!
The programme is concluded with the longest individual piece, the evergreen Sonatina pour Yvette (1962) by Xavier Montsalvatge, composed for his daughter. Many will recall with affection the recordings of this piece by Alicia de Larrocha, but do not worry in Oliveira's hands we are given a performance of great breadth and controlled virtuosity. This is a work of strong personalty with quixotic elements and spikey rhythms with some cheeky nursery rhyme references, particularly in the final movement. It is given an impressive performance and he is more than a match for the Sonatina's evident difficulties.
As you will have realised I have thoroughly enjoyed Paulo Oliveira's consistently erudite and engaging performances, with his well chosen tempos and nicely articulated phrasing, which brings out the colours and rhythms of the pieces. His personal emngagement with these works is clear throughout and I found myself wanting to investigate more of the music of the less famliar composers, In addfition the pianist's own programme notes are concise and a positive gain in the appreciation of this music. The album plays through very well in a single sitting, with a piano sound that is excellently recorded too. In conclusion a recording that desrves the widest success, and the hope of more to come from this excellent performer.
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