A musical journey remembered on the 50^th anniversary of Paul Hindemith

Making of Hindemith’s complete piano concertos’ recordings by YSO and Idil Biret

In the fall of 2009 a Yale alumnus friend in Istanbul casually mentioned that the Yale Symphony Orchestra (YSO) would come to Turkey for concerts in the spring. When I then asked him whether they would like Idil Biret (my wife) to be the piano soloist at these concerts, how could I know that this would lead to the first ever recording of all the piano concertos of Paul Hindemith by Idil with an all student orchestra, the YSO to be released worldwide by a major label, Naxos? The proposal was enthusiastically accepted by the Yale Alumni group in Turkey as Idil Biret’s legendary name there draws crowds to concerts like a magnet and ensures their success. By coincidence Idil was due to give a recital at Yale at Sprague Hall  in the Horowitz Piano Series in February 2010. So, we took the opportunity to arrange to meet with the conductor of YSO Toshi Shimada and the manager of the orchestra Brian Robinson to discuss the program of the concerts in Turkey.

It was then, while we were in New Haven for the recital, that  the thought occurred to me that there was a common thread which linked Turkey to Yale in the person of the composer Paul Hindemith who taught at the Yale Music School between 1940-1953. While Hindemith’s time at New Haven is well known to scholars (1) and modern music enthusiasts, his visits to Ankara in the 1930s and the work he did there is almost unknown outside Turkey. His biography on the website of Schott (the publisher of Hindemith’s music) mentions this only in passing, saying, “Hindemith undertook a number of journeys to Turkey”. These “journeys”, however, left a great legacy and had a lasting influence in Turkey.  For Hindemith who was invited there by the Turkish government, following the recommendation of Wilhelm Fürtwangler, prepared three reports totaling over 200 pages for the organization of classical music life in the country during the four trips he made there between 1935-1937.(2) His bust stands today at the entrance to the State Conservatory in Ankara which he helped establish.(3) Based on the implementation of his proposals, today in all the major cities of Turkey there are conservatories, orchestras, operas, ballet companies with seasonal programs and an active classical music life with a proliferation of festivals with visiting orchestras and soloists while many Turkish musicians tour the world giving concerts and making recordings. In this respect Turkey is like an oasis in the desert of Islam being the only country in the world whose population is almost totally Moslem where classical music flourishes to such a high degree. All this was the result of the vision of Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey (4) together with dedicated companions and the work of Hindemith and those who implemented his plans there.

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Consequently, in view of the above, it seemed appropriate that the YSO should include a work by Hindemith in the program of their tour in Turkey. I proposed this to Toshi and Brian, and also mentioned it to Linda Lorimer (VP) at our meeting in her office. Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Weber, a popular work of Hindemith was then included in the program, together with Chopin’s F Minor Piano Concerto to be performed by Idil. The concerts in Turkey which took place in May 2010 were a great success. The YSO played to full houses in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir with wide media coverage of the events. The concert in Istanbul performed in the magical setting of the historic Byzantine church of St. Irene (5^th Century AD) was the most memorable and will long be remembered by the Yale students who played there. Some important personalities attended the Istanbul concert including Yasar Kemal, Turkey’s greatest author.

Following the last concert in Izmir, after a late night party, on the beach of the Mediterranean resort hotel Toshi, Brian and the Dean of Arts Susan Cahan said good-bye to seniors in the orchestra who had played for the last time with YSO. It is there that idea came up, perhaps inevitably, to repeat the concert at  Woolsey Hall in New Haven. It was then agreed that Idil should to play a work by Hindemith, The Four Temperaments for piano and string instruments and the 1^st Piano Concerto of Franz Liszt. The date was set for 18 February 2012. Woolsey Hall for me was a sacred temple of music where I had attended many concerts during my years at Yale between 1964-1967 hearing the great American orchestras of Boston, Chicago and Cleveland and some of the greatest musicians of the time.(5) So, after many years, to hear Idil perform there would be something very special and a moving event  for me. That is why I thought of having the concert filmed and having all the five piano concertos of Hindemith recorded with YSO in Woolsey Hall for international release on Idil’s own  label IBA which is distributed worldwide by Naxos.(6) After discussions, YSO management agreed and organized the post concert recording of two of Hindemith’s concertos. On my side, I arranged a professional crew from New York to film the Woolsey Hall concert with four cameras led by a NY Film Academy trained young producer from Istanbul, Eytan Ipeker, who is making a documentary film on Idil’s life and now preparing a short documentary on Hindemith’s years in Ankara and New Haven (also using material made available from the Hindemith archive at Yale). Sometime after the concert, Brian Robinson wrote to me saying, “Yale’s Office of Public Affairs would like to broadcast Idil’s concert with the YSO in its entirety on Yale’s official YouTube page, which is wonderful news”. The video film is now on the link http://news.yale.edu/videos/idil-biret-yso-turkey-and-yale-reunite-sound under the title  “Turkey and Yale reunite in sound”. Three more Hindemith concertos were recorded in December and January to finalise the series. The 2CD set is scheduled for international release (also digitally) by Naxos in  mid 2013, following the proposal of Klaus Heymann, the founder and president of the Naxos label.

This is a significant project for many reasons. Perhaps for the first time, professional recordings made by an orchestra composed of college students will be released internationally by a major label (Naxos with which Idil Biret has collaborated for nearly a quarter century). This will be the first recording of all of Hindemith’s five works for piano and orchestra (7)  including the left hand concerto the score of which became available only recently.(8)   The recordings will be released in 2013 which is the 50^th anniversary of the death of Hindemith whose work left marks both in the US and Turkey. Hence, in a collaborative project the concertos are being performed by a Turkish pianist and an American orchestra.(9) By coincidence, this will be the 100^th album release of Idil Biret during a long career of recordings which started in Paris when she was only seventeen years old.(10)

A word of thanks is due here to Linda Lorimer and other senior administrators of Yale and YSO who have encouraged and given support to the project since the very beginning. All the Yale students in YSO, who have courageously undertaken the challenge of recording some of the most difficult works of the 20^th century repertory with Idil Biret under the masterly baton of Toshi Shimada are also gratefully thanked. This project made it possible for me to do something for Yale, my alma mater, in return for all that Yale gave me during my years in New Haven when I was privileged to be here on a full scholarship as a member of the class of 1967.

Sefik Buyukyuksel      Yale  DC ‘67

New Haven

January 31^st 2013

(1)  See the enclosed article “Hindemith at Yale” by Prof. Allen Forte.
(2)  In 1935 from 3 April to 16 May; in 1936 from 2 March to 3 June; in 1937 from 29 January to 20 February and from 25 Sept to 25 November. His stay during these four visits totaled around six months.
(3)  A photo of Hindemith in Ankara and that of his bust at the entrance of the conservatory are enclosed
(4) Atatürk said to Wilhelm Kempff, in an all night conversation in Ankara in 1927, that without parallel reforms in music the reforms being made in other areas in Turkey would remain incomplete. See the enclosed note on Atatürk’s discussion with Wilhelm Kempff on the importance of classical music in the context of the reform movement in the Turkish Republic.
(5) Including Rubinstein, Menuhin, Arrau, Gilels,  Rostropovich, Schwarzkopf, Tebaldi and, during my senior year when I was an usher at the hall, the great  Horowitz who suddenly decided to “rehearse” for his upcoming Carnegie Hall recital in New York. On that historic day not only did I show his wife Wanda (Toscanini) her seat, hear an unforgettable performance of Chopin’s B flat Minor Sonata, I became also the only person to be admitted to the artist’s room backstage after the concert where Horowitz briefly talked to me and both he and his wife signed one of his LPs for me.
(6) Naxos is now the largest distributor of classical music in the world.
(7) The five works of Hindemith for piano and orchestra are the following:
Concerto for the left hand, for Piano and Orchestra (1923)
Kammermusik No. 2 for Piano, String Quartet and Brass  (1924)
Concert Music for Piano,  Two Harps and Brass  (1930)
The Four Temperaments for Piano and Strings (1940)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra  (1945)
(8) Hindemith composed the left hand concerto in 1923 on a commission by the pianist Paul Wittgenstein (1887-1961) who had lost his right arm in WWI. Wittgenstein came from one of the wealthiest families in Austria and after the war commissioned concertos for the left hand from many composers including Britten, Strauss, Prokofiev and Ravel. He never performed Hindemith’s concerto in public and also did not allow its performance by another pianist or its publication during his lifetime. The original manuscript of the work is lost. However, a fair copy was preserved in the Wittgenstein estate which became accessible in 2002. Leon Fleisher premiered the concerto in 2004 and also made its first recording with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christoph Eschenbach in 2009.  (Partly from notes by Giselher Schubert in the Eulenburg score of the concerto)
(9) A photo from the recording session of the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1945) is enclosed.
(10) See www.idilbiret.eu

The year started with a setback leading to an opportunity to make two beautiful recordings. In January, the last minute cancellation of a concert and planned recordings with two eminent Russian musicians at Bilkent left four free recording days available with an engineer from Germany ready to record anything Idil may want. She decided to record works of Schumann: The Fantasy Op.17, Sonata Op. 22, Tocatta Op. 7, Kreislariana Op.16, Blumenstück and Carnaval de Vienne. These were then released in the fall on two CDs on Idil Biret’s own label IBA bringing the total CDs released on the label to forty two.

In February, after a benefit concert for the Istanbul Archeological society, Idil Biret went to the US for a concert and recordings at Yale University. The project, which had materialized over discussions with the university over a period of two years, was the recording of all the five piano concertos of Paul Hindemith. Hindemith had made four visits to Turkey between 1935-1937 and prepared three reports with recommendations for the building of classical music life in Turkey which had been the base of reforms leading to the establishment of the state opera, ballet, and the conservatory in Ankara as well as strengthening the orchestra there. Subsequently Hindemith had gone to the US to teach music theory at Yale between 1940-1953. Consequently, in order to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death in 2013, it was decided to record all  five of his piano concertos in a collaborative effort between a Turkish pianist, Idil Biret, and a US university ensemble, the Yale Symphony.Orchestra. At the concert on 18 February in the magnificent 2600 seat Woolsey Hall of Yale University, Idil played Hindemith’s Four Temperaments for piano and string orchestra, followed by the first piano concerto of Franz Liszt (http://news.yale.edu/videos/idil-biret-yso-turkey-and-yale-reunite-sound is the link to the film of the whole concert). Subsequently, the same Hindemith work and the concerto for piano, two harps and  brass was recorded and a date was set in December to record the remaining concertos.

In March, after a Caribbean cruise trip she made to relax and regain energy, Idil Biret embarked on a five country concert tour in Latin America. Earlier she had given many concerts in Mexico and played in Cuba and Venezuela. But, this was the first time she would play in Colombia, Peru, Chili, Argentina and Brazil. The recital in Bogota took place in the famed concert hall of the Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango where since 1966 almost all the great pianists have performed. The corridors of the back satge area were crowded with the photos of the pianists who have placed there. In Lima the concert with the your orchestra took place at the newly renovated Teatro Municipal Opera where Biret played Rachmaninov’s 2nd Concerto. The orchestra was conducted by Maestro Espartaco Lavalle who spoke fluent Turkish learnt during the three years he had spent in Turkey conducting the Izmir Opera Orchestra. Unfortunately, there was no time to visit the mountain top citadel of the Incas which Pablo Neruda immortalized in his poem Alturas de Macchu Picchu. Then, the trip to Chile with the recital in Santiago became memorable with a visit to Neruda’s ocean front home, Isla Negra, near Valparaíso. The great poet is  buried in the garden of the house overloking the ocean. The names of his poet friends who died were carved by Neruda on the wooden beams of the bar room with Nazim Hikmet and Garcia Lorca prominently among them. Idil signed the guest book of honour writing a few bars of the Adagietto of the 5th Symphony of Mahler, a composer whose work Neruda was known to have greatly admired. The trip to Argentina took Idil Biret over the Andes mountains, which Neruda had once crossed on horseback escaping from Chile and a subject of many of Neruda’s poems. The recital in Buones Aires took place in the hall of the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo and was attended by many people who had migrated to Argentina from Turkey. At the reception alter the concert Idil talked with many Armenians who knew her since childhood from her concerts in Istanbul and met the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Latin America who had come to the concert. The stay at the Turkish Embassy residence was emotionally charged since a previous ambasador, Pertev Subaşı, a distant uncle of both Idil and her husband, had passed away in that house many years ago. The trip to Sao Paolo started with a rain storm at the Buones Aires airport. It is customary that when rain storm descends on an airport, accompanied by thunder and lightning, the pilot waits for the storm to pass before taking off. Apparently, this was not indicated in the manual of the pilot flying the Aerolíneas Argentinas aircraft that day for he took off straight into the storm, entering a cumulus cloud, which shook the plane violently for nearly an hour. One could see lightning strikes illuminating the night sky on both sides of the aircraft. The landing in Sao Paolo brought a welcome relief. Sala Sao Paolo, the home of Sao Paolo Symphony Orchestra, with 1700 seats was converted from a railway station and is considered by many to be the best concert hall in South America. With parquet covering the floor and stage, surrounded by wood  panels reaching the ceiling and Greek style columns on both sides, the hall  has marvelous accoustics. The concert was atended by many people who had known Biret only from her many Naxos recordings. A group of admirers told Biret after the concert that they had made a two hour trip by air to come and hear her.

April was spent in Turkey, starting with a visit to the Fenerbahçe Sports Club and its new stadium on the Asian shore of Istanbul. Biret’s father in law was a famous player of the club’s football team in the late 1930s and she saw his photographs in the club’s museum together with those of the great players of the club from the past. She then went to Ankara to participate in the jury of the national piano competition at the state conservatory. This was followed by a recital with the violinist Suna Kan at the Süreyya Opera House in Istanbul where they played the sonatas of Beethoven and Brahms. Idil and Suna had gone to Paris as children for their music education benefiting from a Turkish law and while they had played together many times Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, this was their first duo recital.

In May Idil went to the United Kingdom to give recitals and master classes in London, Glasgow and Edinburgh. She played first at the Menuhin School of Music near London and also gave a masterclass there. Idil had performed with Yehudi Menuhin in a memorable recital of Beethoven Sonatas at the first Istanbul Festival in 1973. The great violinist is buried in the garden of the school. She then traveled to Edinburgh for a masterclass at the Conservatory and then to Glasgow for a recital and masterclass at the Conservatory there. A customary side trip to the Scottish Highlands followed with a bus trip from Glasgow to Skye and a two day stay at a fishing village. On the return Biret gave a masterclass at the Trinity Music School at Greenwich near London. A memorial recital in Paris for a recently deceased friend followed. Many friends of Idil there, including Henry Louis de la Grange and Claude Samuel,  attended the concert.

At the beginning of June another benefit concert took place in Istanbul in cooperation with the Archeological society, this time for the Sagalassos excavations. The ancient city of Sagalassos, a two hour drive to the north from Antalya, beyond the Taurus mountains has been excavated for over twenty years by a Belgian team of archeologists. Suprisingly, it was for the first time that many in the Istanbul society of friends of archeology came to know about this great city of antiquity which had been destroyed by an earthquake. Idil had visited the site a few years ago and been charmed by its beauty. The three week customary yachting trip at the Aegean sea with friends followed, the days passing with much swimming, rest and work on the electronic piano on board the boat.

The only concert in July was in London with the Whitehall Orchestra at the St. John Smith Sq. hall where Idil played Beethoven‘s  5thConcerto. Then there was a lengthy period of holidays at the island home near Istanbul. In late August she completed recording the CD of works by the Turkish composer Ertuğrul Oğuz Fırat and then went to Ayvalik on the Aegean sea coast near Izmir to give her annual week of masterclasses at the music academy there. The interesting concert of the month was the recital in the ancient city of Bourges, one of the first capitals of France famed with its Cathedral. In October after opening the concert seasons of the Süreyya Opera House in Istanbul with the Ankara Soloists Quartet (Schumann and Brahms Quintets), the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in Ankara (Rachmaninov 2nd), the Antalya State Symphony (Brahms 2nd) she traveled to China for her second visit there after the memorable trip of 1981. She gave a recital at the Beijing Conservatory and also a masterclass there. Then, on the 1ast day of November, she took the bullet train traveling at 300km an hour to Shanghai to participate in the jury of the piano competition presided by Gary Graffman While ther she also played with the Shanghai Philharmonic (Rachmaninov’s Paganini Rhapsody), gave a recital and a masterclass at the Conservatory Hall. Upon returning to Turkey she traveled to Denizli and Muğla, cities in western Anatolia, for concerts with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra (Rachmaninov 2nd). A recital in Istanbul at the Enka Hall followed.

In December Idil was back in New Haven to record two of the remaining three piano concertos of Hindemith including the newly discovered concerto for the left hand (commissioned by Wittgenstein but never played by him) with the Yale Symphony Orchestra. The last of the concertos will be recorded in January and a 2CD set “The Complete Piano Concertos of Hindemith” will be released by Naxos in June 2013 commemorating the 50th anniversary of Hindemith’s death. While at Yale another important project was launched together with the Music School – the English translation of Hindemith’s reports on Turkish music reforms for an intended publication in the US. In 2013 through the afforts of Biret and husband the Hindemith reports will also be published in Germany by Staccato Verlag (in the original manuscript) and in Turkey by Cenap And Foundation in a new Turkish translation. The last concerts of the year took place in the tumultuous environment of Egypt with recitals in Cairo in Manasterly Palace and the historic Opera House in Alexandria. A visit to the home of the poet Cavafy was the memorable event of her stay in Alexandria.

IBA continued the release of Idil Biret’s recordings which will reach the landmark of one hundred (in LP and CD) with the completion of the five Hindemith concertos. The copyrights of all of those recorded in the past having been obtained, including from DECCA, EMI, ATLANTIC/FINNADAR and NAXOS labels, these are now being released in nine boxes which will all be available in one large set titled IDIL BIRET 100 EDITION. Following the  first two boxes, the Beethoven and Liszt Editions released in 2011, the third box in the series, the Brahms Edition with the complete solo piano works and the two concertos was released in December (originally issued by Naxos in 1998). These will be followed by the complete Chopin and Rachmaninov box sets that were released internationally by Naxos in 1992 and 2000. Four other sets will complete the series of nine boxes which are the following:

1) Beethoven Edition – The complete piano sonatas, concertos and symphony transcriptions

2) Liszt 200th Anniversary Edition - All  the Liszt recordings of Biret since 1978

3) Brahms Edition – The complete works for solo piano and the two piano concertos

4) Chopin Edition – The complete works for solo pianos and for piano and orchestra

5) Rachmaninov Edition – The complete works for solo piano and all the concertos

6) Solo & Concerto Edition – All the solo piano works and concertos not in the other editions

7) 20th Century Edition – All of Biret’s recordings of the 20th Century composers

8 ) LP Originals Edition – The 14 LPs of Biret in their original jackets

In 2012 the International Music Company (IMC) of New York published the seventh piano score in the ongoing new series of Chopin’s Complete Works edited by Idil Biret. The scores published so far are the following: Tarantelle Op.43, Bolero Op.19, Barcarolle Op.60, Rondos Op.1 and 5, Impromptus Op.51 and 66, Sonata No.1, Three New Etudes. Allegro de Concert is the next piece being edited by Idil which will be published by IMC during the coming year. (See http://www.internationalmusicco.com/catalog.pdf )

Idil Biret

All Involving-All Embracing!

I first heard her in live recital during a Winter Season from the 1990s. While reviewing her Naxos recordings of Chopin, Brahms and Rachmaninov in CD Review magazine, I set up an interview which proved very successful and she informed me that she was about to perform at Brighton College. So I went along. From Bach, arranged Wilhelm Kempfff through to Chopin’s Sonata in B minor I was thrilled beyond measure by the controlled variety of touch, the consistent, yet flexible singing tone and sustained rhythmic flexibility. Her phrasing and vibrato was so subtle, that continuity of line was never in question. The following year; a return date was made where I accompanied her to a BBC Overseas recording in Golder lv Green, London. She played Rachmaninovis Moments Musicaux with a sense of drama and such persuasion that the programme producer-engineer was literally frightened out of his life!

Then came a lull, although I was well aware that her appearances for Londonis Chopin Society had made her a Star overnight. My own literary involvements, however had diversyied to an extent that the VWgmore Hall became something ofa second home, with instrumental recitals eventually giving way to an International String Quartet scene. Somehow the appeal of four players arguing the toss and competing for supremacy also made for more exciting copy following the event, and I likewise enjoyed discussing the profusion of conflicting ideas that went into their preparation for the ideal interpretation.

Solo instrumental recitals still have their fascination for me, but many of the great names have since departed this earth. As a result of endless competitions, a new generation now commands recital platforms everywhere. Aided and abetted by critical factions, suitable plaudits enhance a stream of talent across the globe, but I continue to make up my own mind about what I hear – be they Russian, Japanese, Chinese, French, Italian, German, British… I also find that fraternising with select audience members can also provide a correct level of opinion.

Meanwhile, I learnt about Idil is movements from her husband Sejik Yuksel. Meetings at the Lansdowne Club, Berkeley Square led to pleasant meals at one of the select restaurants in the Green Park area. We would talk and argue amicably about European pianists and the recording scene, Sefik announcing that he had arranged a contract with Klaus Heymann of Naxos for the release of Idil is new recordings of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Grieg, and a reissue of older recordings from other labels, in addition. The entire series appear under the label Idil Biret Archive, (IBA, for short). 40, or so CDs are steadily mounting each month, and I am endeavouring to give precedence to their playback each day of the week!

To match Idil is’ live performance commitments, Sefik decided to retire from his Executive job with the Association of European Airlines in Belgium. He, in every sense, now looks after her entirely. On several occasions I hear her say to friends and business associates: ‘Please ask Sefik; he know’s everything that goes on!’

Idil was invited by Michael Nebe, the Whitehall Orchestras Music Director to appear with them at Londonis St. .John is Smith Square. On separate occasions, Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat major and later Chopin’s Andante Spiannato & Grande Polonaise with Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor charmed and delighted appreciative audiences. I was impressed when Idil commenced cueing young players with her head and shoulders, and this included a great deal of eye contact, her face reflecting consistent pleasure during Brahmsiv long, 48 minute work. From the podium, Michael was also doing his fair share, but it was just as if the whole ensemble were transported aloft by the whole experience. The Chopin, one year on, was just like one linked symphonic poem.

Idil’s Chopin again occupied centre stage at Henrietta Barnet School in Hampstead Garden Suburb in 2009. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there, but heard fine reports.

In the Footsteps of Chopin

The Chopin Society UK, St. Paul is Church, Covent Garden,Sunday, October 24th 2010 at 3 .30pm.

Idil Biret plays an all-Chopin programme.Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op.6I, 4 Ballades: G minon Op. 23, Fmajon Op.38,

A flat major; Op.47, F minon Op.52, I 2 Etudes, Op. 25.

Musicologists and promoters talk about Stagecraft. Part and parcel of the artistic personality, it undoubtedly contributes to the success of the entertainment. In the lovely Church of St. Paul is situated jn Bedford Street, London, WC2 of The Strand, it certainly added both simplicity and nobility to this very special event. Why this should remind me of Nadia Boulangen Idil lv first great mentor; is not too dyjicult. I remember to this day the wonderful performance that lady of genius directed of F aureis Requiem at the Royal Festival Hall, which later appeared on one of two recordings at dyferent venues she left to posterity. A deeply religious woman, Nadia had lost her beloved younger sister Lili, a composer of destined greatness, cut off in her prime. The upright and angelic Boulanger stance, the firm yet supple body movements governing arm and hand directions, became a legend in her time. Her facial contours in side profile, with head raised in an expression of profound belief- like-as I remember Serge Koussevitzky in 1948 conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra – has some similarity to Idil Biret seated on the piano stool, her countenance one of deep thought and respect, a haMsmile drawing forth the suggested inspirational level of Chopinis music at dyferent episodes in maturity. Again, and this is rather uncanny, those who know and have seen the picture of Cesar Franck seated at the Organ of the Church at Cavaille Coll, will compare his facial concentration with hers.

Idil beckoning to her audience is something else. Hands at her sides, fairly loose and relaxed, she carefully clasped them togethen and we awaited her bow before walking slowly and proudly towards the church entrance, to return, head upright, smiling broadly before remounting the platform – most likely to play an encore. Readers who know Rider Haggard is ‘She ’, Wise Goddess of the Infinite, would watch and listen – but note also her peddling, the sandled foot working away vigorously at the right sustaining pedal, leaving the left used with discretion for positional changes.

I have always regarded Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasie, No.7 in A flat, Op.61 as his finest solo piano work. It can so easily elude the performer is integrity and control by being played too fast, too loud, whereby rhythmic accuracy and control suffers, accordingly. Like all Chopin, tempo and expression markings plot the progress as we move smoothly from one episode to the next. This was a memorable performance of the work, on a par with the one from Richard Goodeis equally superb Wigmore Hall recital during last season. Note the left hand octave pizzicatos, set in relief during the first main key change, a tempo giusto, and the glorious floating right hand- soavemente..sostenuto, that follows on. At no instances were dynamics or structural links overdone, the ‘autobiographical story link’remaining intact. Following the Poco piu lento, the thread moves in other directions through other key sequences into a long peroration of major rejoicings. I love the marking pompasamente that sets it all moving, finally towards the magical, serene ending and fortissimo chord on the octave.

The Four Ballades, taken as a whole, illustrated our pianists wonderful insights into controlled rubato during music of mysterious invention, uncontrollable turbulence, sweet passions and introspective, unpredictable buildup and resolves. I believe the final number – the F minon Op.52 flummoxed even Robert Schumann, who probably recognized it as ‘music for the future ’, although today it enjoys the utmost admiration for the versatility and originality of its planned layout and complexity of notation and phraseology. If the first three can be said to possess more recognizable forms and content, this is easily knocked on the head by the sheer profundity of detail that has to comply to Chopin is directions at every given moment.

In the G minor Opus 23, a normal spate of melodic writing is soon treated to florid invention, Suddenly it becomes louder and more intense, despite brief episodes of lighter relief then goes into orbit with a final flourish. The F majon Opus 38: depicts the calm before the storm. VWth Presto con fuoco at the helm attempting to bring back its opening subject, it soon succumbs to two piu mossos and a jtnal Agitato, before petering out in the final eight bars. I love Biretis sense of panache, but equally adore her romantic treatment of the A flat major Ballade Opus 4 7,where lilting C major quavers transport us into the mezza voce subject. Even the central fortissimo octaves contain brilliance instead of conflict, while semiquaver groupings represent a continuous succession of great beauty. Personally, the final three pages – where the lilt is transformed into four ‘held note is forzandi through to the close – represents some of the composer is’ most compact and exciting pages of writing. Together with the aforementioned Opus 52, and a few Cortotesque wrong notes in the left hand, this was quite superb in every way.

A complete transformation led to the I 2 Etudes, Opus 25, A Mme la Contesse d ‘Agoult, in Part 2. They were all played with a quality of touch that belongs to the true connoisseur among great artists whom todays audiences hear so rarely in the concert halls or recital rooms of the world is towns and cities. Not only was the sound of the concert grand so right in every respect, but the chosen tonal treatment of the I2 numbers suited each other to perfection. The glorious rippling motions of No.1 , Allegro sostenuto alternating piano with pianissimo, sets the scene, while in the Presto No.2, quaver groupings, sempre legatissimo, formed tapestries of colours. The following Allegro, No.3 was a jocular Allegro with three part quavers (ending with a staccato note) alternating with semiquaver fillings’. No.4. Agitato, contained staccato 5 note octaves with leaping 3-notes in the left hand. No.5 Vivace, is in two parts: Scherzando e leggiero: dotted phrases in the right hand accompanied by tenth intervals in the left. Then, a piu lento leggiero scalic middle section (right hand) harmonized by the melody in the left hand, while No.6, Allegro, is rapid motion in thirds, becoming increasingly more complex as it progresses. The gloriously sonorous No.7, Lento, takes a florid melody in the left hand – accompanied by a descant figure in the right- then embellishes the tune, adding bold scale passages. By changing the key, drama is created in the process, closing with a soft ending. Six-chord intervals in No.8 are matched by even wider intervals in the left hand, starting softly and ending on a crescendo. The famous Allegro assai, leggiero ofNo.9 comprises 4-note patterns in the right hand against a simpler staccato left. No.]0 is the equally famous Octaves, Allegro con fuoco: relentless in the two outside sections, with a Mono mosso calmer middle part. It ends in a state of jury. The best known of the set is No.11 ‘Winter Wind’ where a Lento beginning plunges into the Allegro con brio maelstrom. To Idil’s immense credit, every detail shone through, with the clarity of the right hand semiquaverfiguration matching rnarcato chords in the left. Similarly, No.12: the final numben Allegro molto e con fuoco, portrayed an avalanche of semiquaver figures starting forte, then sforzando, ending on a fortissimo. Glorious! Two encores featured a Bach-Busoni transcription followed by a Chopin Nocturne.

We taxied back to the Lansdowne Club for a discussion on music and recordings.

Discourse

Firstly, memories of an old friend – the Russian pianist Lazar Berman, now passed on. Idil remembers his performance of Lisztis Dante Sonata. I in turn, his Royal Festival Hall appearance playing Prokofiev’s Sonata No.6, Lisztis Transcendental Etudes, then recordings for EMI and Melodiya.

Idil: ‘Do you know whatl am planning? To record all the different versions of the Transcendental Etudes sometime in February or March. Of the three versions, the first is nothing to do with the second. And this second version is the most interesting. For instance, in No.12 Chasse- Neige, instead of going straight in to the theme, there is an introduction leading to the first subject. There are also differences in No.4. Mazeppa and in No.2 (no title) we now have a single note followed by an octave. The emphasis has to be free-flowing throughout. It is all very complicated! ’

I mentioned Alexander Romanowsky’s performance of Mazeppa from the Neue Kirk Festival, Ireland, and his totally musical touch and phrasing without forcing the pace.

Idil: ‘In No.8 Wilde Jagd, Presto furioso, particular care should be given to balancing the fortissimos and staccato octaves at the start with the melody, as it emerges. Everything has to be very clear and precise, and this is very difficult. You have to play the music every day, until it becomes as perfect as possible from both a rhythmic and expressive standpoint. In the Second Version of No.10, Allegro agitato molto, Busoni stated that it is almost impossible to make it sound romantic and spontaneous, because of other problems. There may be ways of achieving this, and that is what makes it interesting. The First Version resembles Late Czerny. With Feuxfollets, Ricordanza and Eroica, there are more notes during the Second Version. It is rarely performed.’

‘I also have plans to record Berlioz’ Harold in Italy with Rusen Gunes, the ex Principal violist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in Liszt’s piano transcription of the orchestral part. My new recording of the Liszt Sonata should be on release by this time; the coupling will be the Liszt-Paganini Etudes. Do you know that he wanted the repeating reply figure ajfer the start to be played by one finger; because ofthe Faustum overtones? My older recording was made some years ago, so, meanwhile a revolution in my thoughts has taken place, and this new version will be completely different!’

I am very impressed with the coupling of Liszt Piano Concertos: Nos. I in E flat major and No.2 in A major together with the diabolic Totentanz in D minor The supporting artists: the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra under Emil Tabakov, also provide precision and stature to the enterprise. I am impressed with Tabakovlv complete Mahler cycle on disc, and was delighted with his performance of Tchaikovskyis Manfred Symphony a few year is back at Fairfield Halls, Croydon. Your treatment of the solo piano parts reminds me of those precious shellac performances by Walter Gieseking (Sir Henry Wood) and Egon Petri (Leslie Heward). (IBA 8.57 1273). When recording Beethoven Sonatas, was there any particular order of priority?

Idil: ’No, the sessions were spread over six years and they were very relaxed, depending on whatl had been currently working on. So, it was the Waldstein Sonata, Op.53 followed by Opus 79, then Op. 10, No.3, (Beethoven Edition No.5, 8.5 7 1255 ) that I started with. During preparation, when I felt everything was going all right, we then went ahead.’

Sefik: ‘Perhaps one or more sessions a month, but in no particular order’.

During Beethoven is later period of composition, he brought in a metronome marking for some of the final sonatas, like the ‘Hammerklavier’. The French pianist, Francois- Frederic Guy, has given success/ul peU‘ormances at the faster metronome indication, and attained a degree of success for his interpretation. How do you feel about the validity of this?

Idil: ‘I believe that you lose some of the essential musical colourings. Of course, it should not be too slow, or too pompous, but some form of compromise is necessary. My earlier recorded version was faster; more hectic, corresponding to the metronome markings but my latest thoughts led me to broaden the tempo without lessening the basic pulse.”

That version will be appearing shortly, but meanwhile I have been compiling a list of impressions of recent releases where variety of touch, constancy in rhythmic pulse, and an overall realization of meaning and understanding what each sonata means and portrays to the listener are all prime considerations. What is already proving an interesting and worthwhile exercise in compilation are the respective layouts, with their comparison of key signatures and contrasting elements: Edition 1, has Sonatas No.1 in F minor; Op.2/1, No.2 in A major; Op.2/2, then the two Opus 49s -No.19 in G minor; No.1, No. 20 in G major; No.2. (8.57 1251)

Edition 4 has Sonata No. 3 in C, Op.2/3 ,w/ Sonata No. 18 in E flat, 0p.31/3 and Sonata No. 5 in C minor 0p.10/1 (8.57 1254) – a particularly fascinating sequence of contrasting keys.

Moving onto the larger planned structures, Edition 8 has the powerful and aggressive Sonata No.23 in F minör Op,5 7, ‘Appassionata’ c/w two later ones, Sonata No. 28 in A, 0p.101, Sonata No. 31 in Aflat 0p.110 ( 8.57 1258).

One of my great favourites is Edition 16: Sonata No. 6 in E Op.10/2, Sonata No.12 in A flat, Op.26, ’Funeral March ’ and Sonata 15 in D, ‘Pastoral ’. (8.5 7 1266). One can practically detect the player is joy in every bar;

Exactly the same can be said of Edition 5: Sonata 9 in E,0p.14/I and Sonata No.10 in G, Op.14/2, counterbalancing the two Op.27s: Sonata No.13 in E flat, 0p.27/1 and Sonata No.14 in C sharp minör Op.27/2, the ever-popular‘Moonlight’ Sonata. (8.57 1260). As I list those currently available, there are still other Sonatas, already recorded and awaiting release.

Next to arrive, in the Archive Edition (1986 LP issue),will couple together the popular Sonata No.8 in C minör ‘Pathetique’ with No.29 in B Flat major; ‘Hammerklavier’. I returned for the moment to the debatable subject of thecomposer is metronome. Could it have been faulty in anyway?

Idil: ‘Maybe, but I think this is a question of how thecomposer himsey heard his music in his inner ear: If it istoo fast, this destroys the musical details’.

But played too slowly, would give a ponderous, heavy, rather meaningless impression to the range of changing harmonies?

Idil: ‘I think the general flow should be somewherein between the two extremes, which makes sense andpreserves the continuity.

For other examples in Beethoven repertoire, I quoted Walter Gieseking and Edwin Fischer The second named brought the greater reaction.

Idil: ‘Fisher could do amazing things to Music – a specialinsight he had which brought out the inner meaning’.

I quoted Fischer Furtwangler and the Philharmonia Orchestra, live in the Emperor Concerto at the Royal Albert Hall in the early 1950s, a performance quite dyferent from their EMI commercial recording. Every new occasion would impose a ‘rethink’ on what went before.

But a contrast of styles between pianist and conductor during an even earlier period could be even more illuminating We struggled to locate a lesser known maestro for VWlhelm Kempjfiv fascinating pre-war I 936 performance with the Berlin Philharmonic. I delved into my collection. Peter Raabe!

Idil’s preferences for German Maestros ranges between Rudolph Kempff and Bruno Walter – in the finale to Beethoven’s Choral Symphony.

But there is another who enjoyed legendary status in 17th – 20th Century Music: Hermann Scherchen. A minor contretemps had arisen during a rehearsal of Stravinsky’s Capriccio for piano and orchestra, Scherchen, stopping to indicate that at a spot her rhythm was wrong in the piano part.

‘No, I am right.” Idil protested politely.

Scherchen continued his argument, but on examination, the piano score was proved correct and the conductor lv score amended with Scherchen saying “You were right!” Admiration and respect became the order of the day, from then on.

The 5 Beethoven Piano Concertos ofcourse are highly sought after among concertgoers, and here a galaxy of delights with newly minted details awaits connoisseurs of this composer is revolutionary developments in style and originality. Along with the gifted personnel who comprise the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, we have in charge a real favourite among Polish Maestros, much admired for his overall knowledge of classical and romantic repertoire of all kinds and ventures. The highly distinguished Antoni VWt is certainly no stranger to the musical world of Idil Biret and their combined collaborations have gleaned high commendation, along with a special brand of seriousness combined with humour among musical aficianadi and record collectors, alike.

The sparkling humour of Concertos Nos.1 in C and 2 in B flat forms an important role in the combined successes of each, (Edition 3, 8.57 1253), while the serious and imperious factions of No.3 in C minor and No.4 in G plunge the listener into totally new facets in preparation and emendation, (Edition 7, 8.5 7 1256). Perhaps my greatest appreciation, with fresher accolades, goes to Idilis clear division of eighths, 3/5 note phrases and sixteenths, a flowing succession of scales and arpeggios in the opening stanzas of Concerto 5, the so-called ‘Emperor ’ in E Flat.

I firmly believe this also represents the achievements of Wilhelm Kempff the overall clarity, nuances of various delicate hah’ tones, pristine care of approach and total appreciation in stylistic, visionary discovery. These are his gestural gift to his favourite pupil, and she allows us to hear how they should really sound.

Idil’s other great teacher Alfred Cortot also guided her in the direction of instrumental colours and orchestral depths, so much a part of Beethoven’s and Chopin k genius, in particular Although the coupling to the Emperor Concerto, Beethovenis Concert Fantasy in C minor 0p.80 has never been my current favourite, I now hear it in an entirely different, brighter perspective – with 6 distinguished soloists joining forces with the Turkish State Polyphonic Chorus, and liking it very much indeed (Edition 11, 8.57 1261). I must also praise the sound artistry of Gunther Appenheimer in his role of Producer-Engineer

Beethoven’s Nine Symphonies, in the transcribed versions for the pianoforte by Franz Liszt were recorded for EMI in 1985-6. I have them on Long Play in a 6LP box set autographed by Idil. Their IBA release is on 6CDs.

Edition 2 corresponds to Symphonies 1 & 2, (8.57 1252), Edition 13 to Symphony No.3, ‘Eroica’, (8.57 1263), Edition 6 to Symphonies 4 & 5,( 8.57 1256, Editions 14/15, Symphonies Nos.6, ‘Pastoral ’and No.9, ‘Choral ’, (8.57 1264/5) and Edition 9 to Symphonies 7 & 8, (8.5 7 1259).

Compared to other recorded versions, these are regal interpretations that correspond to the open-hearted humour and dramatic fulsomeness of the great composeris original orchestral creations which Liszt himseb’ was careful to preserve in the timbre of his piano realizations.

So far; we are speaking of the Virtuoso element in music – whether the music is Beethoven or Liszt or an excursion into the Neo Classical world of Stravinsky. The popular fusion of Grieg and Schumann – always a Concerto coupling that enjoys popular demand, has more personal associations.

Idil: ‘The Schumann Concerto, was inspired through his love and admiration for his pianist-wife Clara, but in Grieg it is the strength of the work’s melodic content, and, the charm and wonderful appeal the work has with the concert going public. I always think of the country of its origin and the folk element amongst the Norwegians, whenever I play it, and I never consider any virtuoso connections. Instead, I see the wonderful landscape, and cannot understand pianists who try to show off while they perform it! (Schumann & Grieg Piano Concertos in A minor; w/Bilkent S0/Antoni Wit is on 8.57  1270. )

The Schumann Concerto goes back to when I was 5 years old, when Lazare Levy came to Ankara and performed it. Again, I have always liked it very much. In the second movement, the textures are light and very beautiful – almost like an Intermezzo, during which the orchestra has its own special part on display. One can introduce all kinds of detail in the piano part. ’

This raises my query about young pianists not understanding the character of the music they perform. A young French pianist recently gave a brilliant, dramatic performance of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, then returned to pound his way through Chopin is Etudes Opus 10 at high speed.

Idil: ‘One of the problems concerns the lighter keyboards being manufactured, which confuse the performer into misunderstanding the pressures he needs to apply. Some of them are so light, that you can just pitch the note, and it plays itself. You cannot control them: you either play softer or pure pianissimo. There is nothing in between. It is as pity, but legato playing is just not enough. You can resort to the pedal, but that is strictly for colouring purposes – but it is amazing. What you can achieve by persuasive use of the pedal in so many choices of repertoire? Where you wish to achieve dramatic ejects you use the sustaining pedal, but we should always be capable of producing beautiful sounds with no pedaling at all. ’

‘Twice the pedal gave up on me. On one occasion, it happened when Kempff was with me at Liszt’s Grand Daughter’s house in Paris. I was 13 years old and I lost my temper; giving it one large kick! It broke. Kempff later said amusingly that I would be famous if this had happened at a concert. The other time was at a Wigmore Hall recital. Very quickly I started to play legato – it was the only way to try and achieve what I intended.’

I thought of the responsibilities of piano technicians and tuners, but it also reminded me of the Portuguese pianist Sequeira Costa suddenly stopping to carry out a number of necessary adjustments after the start ofa programme. For some, however – like the Russian Grigori Sokolov – it is all part of the entertainment!

Wilhelm Kempff had a unique reputation for creating

Idil: ‘When I first heard Kempff perform Schumann ’s Humoresque {my own favourite} he would concentrate on various sections to obtain exactly what he wanted, then go back to the Schubert Sonata, also in his programme, for a more detailed examination. He would do things like that: for instance, if he was performing Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 110, he would also play through Op. 109 and 111, as well! He didn ’t always rehearse.’

I turned now to Alfred Cortot.

Idil: ‘At the Ecole Normale Masterclasses, he would mostly be very polite about our playing, saying ‘That is very nice’ and so on. Then he would talk about the music, in relation to what he wanted from a performing approach. But then, in my individual lessons with him which lasted two years, he was very demanding! At first, I asked mysew ‘Why so nice at the Masterclasses, but not here with me!” It was very interesting.’

Idil’s musical forbears with their challenging influences have not only brought their own rewards, but her own openminded attitudes have remained refreshing and engrossing. Repertoire, formed during her student years, she has extended. While remaining central to her career, it also forms the basis of commercial recording activities. I turned next t oTchaikovsky and his music for Piano and Orchestra. Those who complained that the themes were too effusive, repetitive and ‘Grand’ in style during the popular Concerto No.1 in B flat minor, neglected to acknowledge a clearer division between his wiriting for soloist and supporting orchestra in the works that followed. I quoted Piano Concerto No.2 in G major as a turning point.

Idil: ‘I love the Second Concerto, but only accept the composer’s original version. The thematic repetitions are differentiated. The dynamics are not always in the same places in the piano and orchestral parts, while the material varies considerably in detail and texture. Although I admire Shura Cherkassky’s recorded version, I cannot accept the cuts made by Siloti, while the sheer beauty of the writing – particularly during the slow movement, where solo violin and cello match their thematic duet with the cantabile piano part, gives unique quality to the work.’

* The constant changes of key and orchestral colourings also contribute to the rhytmic fascination of th writing leading ultimately to the brilliantly scored Finale. Bilkent Symphony, Emil Tabakov, conducts.

* The coupling, Concert Fantasy – a work admired by its composer; fuses a number of opposing ideas together into a shorter time span, with ‘ feelings’ of theme and variation, and an interplay element in place of any thematic repetition. This contributes novelty and intrigue to a rarely performed work. Jose Serebrien conducts. (Concerto Edition 5, 8.5 71280).

* Now, for those superb live recorded performances of Saint-Saens Concerto No.5 in F majon ‘Egyptian’and the two Ravel Concertos in G major and D major; for the left hand. The conductor is the great Jean Fournet, who died recently (Concerto Edition 3. 8.5 71 272 ).

How do these performances sound so authentically French?

Idil: ‘I think it is the Hungarian clarinetist in the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra. He made a lot of recordings with that orchestra, and had a French technique that I don’t hear at all nowadays. But he is gifted and has a good collaboration with the other players. It is also something to do with the revolution; there are also Russian and Azerbeyanis, Soviet trained musicians in the orchestra.

The overall success behind these 1990s recordings productions’ lies – of course in the fusion of Idil Biretis insightful playing with the respective forces who comprise the orchestras sectional forces. In colourful and rhythmical terms there is so much to enjoy and relish.

If further proof of this were needed, it surely is evident in a later 2005-6 production for an intriguing programme comprising Massenet’s Piano Concerto (1903) and two works for piano & orchestra by Cesar Franck – Variations symphoniques (1885) and ‘Les Djinns’, poeme symphonique (1884) after Victor Hugo’s text ‘And the child who dreams. Dreams golden dreams from Les Orientales (1829). The Bilkent Symphony can be heard under the direction of the exacting maestro Alain Paris. (Alpha 104).

As one would expect, there is a story connection in the Massenet that derives from a painting by William Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) : Les Bohemienne (The Gypsy Girl) 1890. The girl who plays the violin (Irina Nikotina in the musicis opening movement) for a living, has had a bad day and this is reflected by the eternal sadness in her eyes. Hugois prophetic verse ‘Les Djinns’ is printed in full in the original French, and one can easily trace the thematic relationship of some of the themes with the more popular Variations symphoniques, a year later: The balanced beauty of the performances -piano and orchestra – is very touching and ofa high standard throughout.

I asked Idil to comment about the prolific amount of recordings she has continued to make over the years. ‘Oh, I would do most of them again! ’ The answer to this question generally differs according to the changing personality of performers, but depends mainly on the chosen time of the recording session in relation to the artist’s satisfied opinion with their own live performance.

Idil: ‘It is like a photograph. You can identify with your own facial expression, then try to make an assessment based on that. At various times in life you change your opinions and outlook. But you may be wrong, also’.

I registered my delight in her Naxos recordings of Rachrnaninov Concertos I-4 and the Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, also having listened and tried to compare with earlier versions. The subject of composer ‘cuts’ was mentioned.

Idil: ‘I wished to record the complete works without the cuts, but a small excision had to be made in one place because of an overall timing. I still wonder if they are longer than they should be’ …. a thought that also concerned the composer; who thereafter made certain decisions on the subject. ‘In certain older recordings, you find a charm which you can identify with. It is like old photos.’

Can you nominate a conductor that you could happily make music with on a Desert Island ?

Idil: ‘Oh, that is a difficult question. But U it were possible somebody like Carlos Kleiber; because he was unique! verything he performed throughout his life. I know all his recordings, but unfortunately never appeared with him. I have also seen all the stills. He was just wonderful.’

I would like now to go back to the period when you made your first long play record. In July I 959, you recorded Schumann Fantasiestucke, Op.12 and Brahms Intermezzi, Op.117 in the Maronite Church, Rue d’Ulm, Paris. It continued with further sessions at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York for F innadar Then, during the same period: Abbey Road Studios, London and Columbia 30th St. Studio, New York; followed by RCA Recording Studios, Studio A, New York, and finishing up at CBS Studios, London – all between the years 1972 to 1980. I was not aware until recently, that the Abbey Road engineer responsible for your recording of Stravinsky Petrouchka – 3 scenes was Neville Boyling, who collaborated with me on playback sessions for EMI reissue labels in the 1960s.

I joined EMI in November 1955, but the only American connections I had were with Mercury and Westminster Records – both contracted to the United Kingdom company between the late 1960s- early 1970s. Subsequently, I spent three years with CBS London in the early 1970s. Despite our very dyferent commitments, my own record Collection then contained some rather prized Idil Biret F innadar LPs! Nom in place of the LPs made at that earlier period, are a series of recorded transfers on CD. I rate them personally as representative of some of the most exciting, expressive and impressive playing from the young, highly g#ted musician I was destined to eventually meet at a later date!

Details of the first seven CDs are:

Archive Edition 1.

Ravel: Serenade grotesque, Gaspard de le nuit. Stravinsky:

Les cinq doigts, Valse pour les enfants, Petrouchka – 3 scenes. 8.571274.

Archive Edition 2.

Chopin: Mazurkas in A minor; 0p.17/4, B major; 0p.56/1.

Scriabin: Sonata No.10, 0p.70. Prokofiev: Sonatas No.2 in D minor 0p.14, No.7 in B flat majon 0p.83, 8.5 71 275.

Direct to Disc Recordings.

Archive Edition 3.

New Line Piano. Boucourechliev: Archipel IV Castiglioni:

Cangianti. Brouwer: Sonata Pian e Forte. Mimaroglu:

Session. 8.5 71 276.

Archive Edition 4.

Berg: Piano Sonata Op.1. Webern: Variations, Op.2 7.

Boulez: Piano Sonata No.2. 8.5 71277.

Archive Edition 5.

Mahler: Quartet for Piano and Strings. Franck: Quintet

for Piano and Strings. w/London String Quartet (Carl Pini,

Benedict Cruft, Rusen Gunes, Roger Smith). 8.571 278.

Archive Edition 6.

Schumann: Fantasiestucke, Op.12. Brahms Intermezzi,

Op.117.

8.57 1279.

Archive Edition 7.

Miaskovsky: Sonatas No.2, Op 13, No.3, Op.1 9. Liszt:

Nuages gris, Lugubre Gondola No.1. Scriabin: Five

Preludes, Op 74. Rachmaninov: Prelude, 0p.3/2.

8.571281 .

Bearing in mind usual editing procedures for commercial recordings, The Direct to Disc Recordings in Edition 4 are remarkably successful, with an immediacy in spontaneity that characterizes the strength behind the interpretations. Regretably, the chosen ‘second take’ of the Scriabin Sonata I0 was rejected for ‘noises ’, and Take I substituted. The New Line Piano selection in Edition 3, may of been considered daring at the time, but now reveals a remarkable originality in choice of repertoire.

Idil recorded all three Pierre Boulez Sonatas for Naxos in 1999, but her earlier 1972 version of Sonata 2 on 8.571277 received wonderful American press comments in 1973, and 1982 when she performed the work at Merkin Concert Hall ( of Broadway). I had some intellectual problems understanding the work – preferring the larger Pli selon Pli for soprano and orchestra that I fell for during the CBS recording sessions with Boulez conducting, and subsequently at the Berlin Music Festival under the direction of Michael Gielen. While working for CBS, pianist Charles Rosen made some recordings, so I decided to ‘come clean ’ and ask Pierre for heh? towards understanding the structure and meaning of his instrumental compositions. He was enormously helpful and clear cut in his suggestions. I sought Idil’s guidance.’

Idil: ‘It should be like mime – very post-Lisztian, with big gestures! And the accents – they are never together; You know, after the war Boulez was always a champion ofthe Avant Garde and he has that wonderful way of explaining things. But with Gyorgy Ligeti, you have to listen to the inner voices. ’

My knowledge and understanding of the New Viennese School has improved through increased listening. Now I can listen to Schoenberg is 5 Orchestral Pieces, just as U” they sounded tonal – although they are obviously not! VWth Webern it is more dwicult, but the early post-romantic works are quite beautU’ul. Bergis instrumental, chamben vocal and operatic works however; I have that natural afinity with because of their great tonal-emotional basis that immediately communicates with the listener.

Going back to 1949 and 1953, reveals the very young Idil, with her spontaneous joie de vivre at 8 years in a recorded group consisting of J.S.Bach: Sob‘egietto, Couperin: Soeur Musique, Tic-Toc-Choc. Bach: Prelude and F ugue, Book 1/3. Beethoven: Bagatelle. Debussy: Gradus ad Parnassum (Childrens Corner). From 1953, there are wonderful expressive passages in Scarlatti: Sonata. Bach: Chromatic Fantasie and F ugue. Debussy: Le petit Bergen Brahms: Intermezzo 0p.118/6. Each group is prefaced by the young artist interview by her mother Mrs. Leman Biret, who also provides fascinating reminiscences in the booklet. From her 1959 LP recording, we also hear again Schumannis Fantasiestucke, 0p.12. on Idil is Biretis Early Paris Recordings. IBA 001 (Turkey only).

A natural charm radiates from her outgoing personality.

Idil: ’Do you know, the wrong notes are not necessarily always the greatest concern. It is the overall impression, the atmosphere created, the message of music spreading and reaching others…that is more important…’

She laughed happily, contented that we will see each other again, soon.

http://www.idilbiret.eu/en/?p=281

idilbiret@idilbiret.eu

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Idil Biret in 2010 and moving to 2011

2010 was another a year of travels, concerts, jury work, music editing, master classes and the release of a large number of CDs, now totaling thirty, on Idil Biret’s own record label IBA which was launched internationally in 2008.

The year started with the recording of Tchaikovsky’s Concert Fantasy in January with the Bilkent Orchestra conducted by José Serebrier. Then, Idil traveled to the USA for a recital and master-class at Yale University. In February she went to Poland for concerts with the Cracow Philharmonic conducted by Kazimierz Kord (Chopin 1^st Concerto), and for recitals in Lublin and other cities as part of the celebrations there for the 200^th Chopin anniversary. In March she was in London for a recital  and a  performance of Chopin’s 2^nd Concerto at St. John Smith’s Square. In April Idil was back in Potsdam for a second recital in two years, this time at the famed Nikolaisaal where her mentor Wilhelm Kempff had played in the past. Kempff’s Children Roland and Irene, who have a house there, were in the audience. In May and early June she gave concerts with the Yale Symphony Orchestra during their tour in Turkey performing Chopin’s 2^nd Concerto. The orchestra’s program included Hindemith’s Metamorphosis in remembrance of the work he did in Turkey and as a professor at Yale. A mid-summer concert took Idil to Bodrum (old Halicarnassus) where she played Chopin’s 2^nd Concerto and the Schumann Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the opening night of the D-Marin Festival to a capacity crowd of nearly 3500 people. The fall season opened in September with jury work at the Scottish Piano Competition and a recital in Glasgow followed by a recital in France, at the piano festival in Bordeaux. In October she gave a recital in Berlin at the Philharmonie (Kammersaal) and participated in the jury of a piano competition there. This was Idil Biret’s first return to Berlin after her memorable concert with the Berlin Radio Orchestra at the Konzerthaus in 1985 (at the time East-Berlin in DDR).  She then traveled to England for recitals for the Chopin Society in London and at the Canterbury Festival. In December Idil was at the Paris Conservatoire for master classes and also a lecture-recital on Liszt with Prof. Remy Stricker

As always there were many concerts and recitals in Turkey, in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Eskisehir, Adana, Bursa, Eregli, Mersin, Assos (at the antique theatre), Kars, Erzurum and Rize. The annual tour with the Presidential Orchestra took her for the first time to the eastern citis of Kars and Rize for concerts. Among the year’s memorable concerts in Turkey were the 80^th anniversary celebration recital (with Suna Kan) for Özden Inönü, the daughter of the late Turkish President Ismet Inönü, the recital in memory of the great Turkish educator Türkan Saylan, the two concerts at the Bilkent and at the new 1700 seat concert hall in Bursa (Mozart Concerto K.491)  with Maestro Franceso Belli (Idil had played with him in Cuba in 2009) and the recital with Alexander Rudin at Süreyya Opera House in Istanbul where they played the Brahms Sonatas for cello and piano. In May Idil participated at a Chopin Symposium at the Hacettepe University and in November she gave a speech at a conference at the Bilkent University in Ankara titled “Turkish music reforms in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries”.

It came as a pleasant surprise to learn that early in the Chopin 200^th anniversary year Idil’s 15 CD complete Chopin edition, which had won a Grand Prix du Disque in Warsaw in 1995, was published, enclosed in a set of 15 books on the life of Chopin, by the Rzeczpopolitika  newspaper in Poland.* The Chopin books were introduced with the following words.

Rzeczpopolitika Chopin Edition   2010 / Unhappy love affairs, homesickness, musical challenges, complicated friendships …What was the real Fryderyk Chopin like? How his great talent was born, what inspired him? Which events were linked to his most moving compositions? All these questions, and more are answered in our collector’s series published in the Chopin Year. Collect all 15 lavishly illustrated albums together with 30 CD’s which contain the complete works by our genius composer in  the sensational interpretation by Idil Biret. These recordings were distinguished at the International Record Competition with a Grand Prix du Disque Frederic Chopin (Warsaw 1995). In recognition of the artistry of Idil Biret, the president of Poland Lech Kacznsky decorated her (in 2007) with the Cross of the Order of Merit (Krzyzem Kawalerskim Ordera Zaslugi) of the Republic of Poland for her part in promoting Polish culture with her recordings and concert performances of Chopin’ music.

Idil Biret’s recordings were also enclosed also in a number of books on the life of Chopin published in the US and UK. The following article appeared in the Guardian newspaper in the UK on 6 February, reviewing one of these books:

The life and Works of Chopin “This is the first of what is bound to be a stream of biographies celebrating the bicentenary of the composers birth. But, none, I bet will include as much if any of the music. At least half this audio is devoted to the works played with great passion and even greater panache by the Turkish virtuoso Idil Biret.”

(5 hours – Naxos Audiobooks) Guardian / 6 February 2010

Another pleasant surprise was when, on 24 October as she was giving a recital in London in October, a Chopin Waltz recording of Idil was played on the BBC Desert Island Discs program as the first choice of the UK vice prime minister Nick Clegg.** In March the translation of André Gide’s book “Notes on Chopin” was published in Turkey with a foreword by Idil together with a CD of her recordings of works referred to by Gide in the book. A most important event of the year was the release on the IBA label’s ARCHIVE EDITION  eight of the nine LPs Idil Biret recorded in New York in the 1970s for the Finnadar label of Atlantic/Warner Records produced by Ilhan Mimaroglu. Long deleted from catalogues and only available to collectors through e-bay auctions, these recordings which include many 20^th Century compositions by Ravel, Stravinsky, Boulez, Boucourechliev, Miaskovsky, Scriabin, Prokofiev and Mimaroglu, were released on CD and digitally on major websites, including Naxos Music Library, ClassicsOnline, iTunes, eMusic and  Amazon (for details see www.idilbiretarchive.eu). The New Yorker magazine had written a laudatory article on Idil Biret’s concert performance of the Boulez 2^nd Sonata in New York  in 1982. This time, with the release of the LP on CD on the IBA label, another article appeared in the June issue of The New Yorker:

The notion that any substantial German influence could affect France’s triumphant achievements in art, fashion, and cuisine would be, well , incroyable. But, music, the relatively weaker sibling has always been more susceptible to developments across the Rhine…In our own time Pierre Boulez (who has lived in Germany) has given the twelve tone techniques of Webern and Schönberg a new level of complexity, as well as exacting, percussive intensity that is a world away from the sentimentality of old Vienna…Idil Biret, a renowned Turkish pianist who was a protégée of Nadia Boulanger and Alfred Cortot, has re-released her acclaimed recording of the iconic Piano Sonata No. 2 (IBA distributed by Naxos), alongside music by Webern and Berg; her crystalline textures and undulating rhythms insure that the spirit of Ravel is never too far away.

The New Yorker /Russell Platt / 21 June 2010

In the ARCHIVE EDITION, the first LP Idil Biret made in Paris in 1959 for the Pretoria label was also released (Schumann Fantasiestücke Op.12 and Brahms Three Intermezzi Op.117). At the time this was the first LP recording released internationally by a Turkish pianist.

Idil Biret’s nineteen volume Beethoven Edition consisting of the thirty two sonatas, five concertos, the choral fantasy and the piano transcriptions of the nine symphonies (by Franz Liszt) has now been completed with the dispatch of the last CD master to the factory for manufacture in December. They were recorded in fifty five days during a long period which spread over of twenty three years. Some outstanding reviews of the Beethoven recordings have appeared as they were released. Two noteworthy examples are below:

Turkish pianist Idil Biret’s series of Beethoven Sonatas is emerging as a major statement in the field, entirely different in emphasis from that of Andras Schiff and the other cycles that have appeared in the recent years. She favors slow tempos and a light touch, which brings out small details, all subsumed within a convincing and well thought-out overall architecture…a summary of insights gained over a lifetime by a veteran Beethoven interpreter. Her playing is precise without being intellectual…Biret’s quiet readings lie at an opposite extreme from the punchy essays of an Andras Schiff…Biret’s set is essential listening for the perfect Beethovenian.

James Mannheim  / All Music Guide  2010

When the massive Beethoven / Biret series is issued in the full, it will contain 19 CDs housing the complete sonatas, piano concertos and the symphonies (in Liszt’s transcriptions). It will be a worthwhile monument to keyboard afficianados and Beethoven mavens, for Biret (b. 1941) is one of the finest interpreters of the composer’s works of her generation…All in all these four discs (the first four of the series) augur an excellent introduction to what will probably be regarded as one of the more important Beethoven keyboard projects of the early 21^st century. Recommended.

Robert Cummings  / Classical Net   2009

The complete Beethoven Edition, a box set of  19 CDs together with two DVDs will be released by IBA in October 2011. The DVDs will contain a documentary on the story of the recording of the Beethoven Edition being made by the young film producer Eytan Ipeker as well as the recording of the Concertos 2,3,4,5 from concerts Biret gave in 2008 with Antoni Wit conducting. ***

In 2010 the American International Music Company (IMC) of New York published the fifth piano score in the ongoing new series of Chopin’s Complete Works edited by Idil Biret. The scores published so far are the following: Tarantelle Op.43, Bolero Op.19, Barcarolle Op.60, Rondos Op.1 and 5, Impromptus Op.51 and 66. The Sonata No.1 is the next piece being edited by Idil which will be published by IMC during the coming year. (See http://www.internationalmusicco.com/catalog.pdf )

A touching event of the year was David Helfgott’s visit to Idil at her home in Istanbul while he was there for a concert. David had heard Idil at a concert  in Perth during her Australian tour in 1984 and always wanted to meet her. Shortly after arriving at Idil’s home, David sat at the piano and started playing Rachmaninov’s 3^rd Concerto. Idil then played the orchestral part from memory at the second piano and together they performed the whole concerto. In a world of totally commercialized music, it was a rare moment of pure music making by two great pianists which brought tears to the eyes of the few who were present there that day.

During a press conference after a speech at the Bosphorus University in Istanbul, Alfred Brendel, a friend of Idil for many years, said the following:

“Idil Biret has the energy and intellect also to perform Boulez and Ligeti. She is thus holding the pulse of our time which is very important. I have a great admiration for Idil. I wonder how it is possible that a diminutive woman with such small hands can have the energy to be the master of such a monumental repertory and possess the necessary  intellectual capacity for it.”

Another interesting point in the year was a letter Idil sent to Harper’s magazine, after noting that her rendition of the Andante from Beethoven’s 5^th Symphony could be listened to at the magazine’s website in a story about Romain Rolland who had played this piece to Mahatma Gandhi in India:

“In a letter published by The Nation in 1931, Romain Rolland describes his meeting with Mahatma Gandhi:

On the last evening, after the prayers, Gandhi asked me to play him a little of Beethoven. (He does not know Beethoven, but he knows that Beethoven has been the intermediary between Mira [Slade] and me, and consequently between Mira and himself, and that, in the final count, it is to Beethoven that the gratitude of us all must go.) I played him the Andante of the Fifth Symphony.

Listen to a performance of the andante movement from Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in C Minor, op. 67 (1808), in the transcription of Franz Liszt, which Rolland used. Idil Biret performs:”

(See Idil Biret’s letter at   http://www.harpers.org/archive/2010/11/hbc-90007832 )

This year a most touching statement on Idil’s concerts and recordings was made on the Amazon site by an anonymous writer:

“To tell the truth, I’ m getting a minor case of musical heebie-jeebies when it comes to this artist. Is there any music which Idil Biret cannot master at a high musical level? Or for which she fails to make a vigorous, fair case? Once the entrancing spell of a particular reading on a specific disc fades slowly away, in retrospect I am gripped by a surprise uncanny sense that maybe she is really a super-human woman from another planet – far, far, far, far beyond our galaxy”.

2011 will be a year of some very unusual recording projects starting in January with the Liszt transcription of Berlioz’s Harold en Italie with the eminent violist Rusen Günes following concert performances of this work in Istanbul and Ankara. It will be released as a double CD in the IBA ARCHIVE EDITION together with the Liszt transcription of the Symphonie Fantastique, an LP Idil made for Finnadar in 1979. She will then travel to Cairo for a recital in February. In March, shortly before her recital in Leipzig, Idil will spend a week in Heidelberg recording all three versions of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes composed in 1826, 1837 and 1851 which will be released later in the year on three CDs. After recitals at the Istanbul and Schleswig Holstein Festivals in June and July, plans are underway for Idil to travel to Havana for a concert with the Cuban National orchestra and also to record two Mozart Concertos K.453 and K.491 with Maestro Francesco Belli. In November, after her recital at the Philharmonie in Berlin, a recording of Poulenc and Bartok concertos for two pianos is being planned with Idil and Viktoria Postnikova with the Bilkent Orchestra to be conducted by Maestro Gennadi Rozhdestvensky. Two months later Idil will travel to New Haven to perform Hindemith’s works with Yale Symphony Orchestra at the majestic 3000 seat Woolsey Hall. She will then record with YSO the two Hindemith works, The Four Temperaments and Concerto for Piano, Two Harps and Brass Instruments.

An interesting event of the year will be the 200^th anniversary Liszt Symposium at the Hacettepe University in Ankara between 19-22 October where Idil will give the closing concert (Liszt 2^nd Concerto) and also participate in two presentations, one with Prof. Rémy Stricker (Liszt and piano transcriptions) and the other with Dr. Gottfried Wagner (Liszt and Wagner).

www.idilbiret.eu

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* Rzeczpopolitika in Poland  (15 Chopin books with Idil’s CD)

http://chopin2010.pl/en/reports/entry/1009-fryderyk-chopin-nowa-kolekcjonerska-seria-rzeczpospolitej-1.html

** Nick Clegg on BBC Desert Island Dics (Chopin Waltz of Biret)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11613929

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/24/clegg-cameron-shared-desert-island

*** Complete Idil Biret Archive on Naxos Library

http://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com/preview/labelinfo.asp?catid=IBA&stralpha=I&pagenum=3

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.jpg 122 KB ]]> http://www.idilbiret.eu/en/?feed=rss2&p=244 0 http://www.idilbiret.eu/en/?p=242 http://www.idilbiret.eu/en/?p=242#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:05:48 +0000 admin http://www.idilbiret.eu/en/?p=242 2009 was a year of travels, concerts and release of a record number of CDs (19 altogether) on Idil Biret’s own record label IBA (Idil Biret Archive) which was launched internationally in December 2008.

The year started with a concert in Potsdam (Germany) in January in memory of Wilhelm Kempff who had lived there before the second world war. His children Irene and Roland were present at the concert. Then Idil started her series of concerts in Turkey which took her to Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Gaziantep, Antalya, Eskisehir, Karabük as well as to universities in Mersin, Burdur, Pamukkale, Edirne, Konya, Nigde, Edirne,  Erzurum and the Middle East Technical University in Ankara throughout the year.

In February Idil made a tour in the USA giving recitals in Allentown Pennsylvania, New York (NY Times Centre Hall) and Houston (Wortham Center) followed by concerts in March with the Caracas Symphony Orchestra in Venezuela (Grieg Concerto) and the Havana Symphony Orchestra in Cuba (Beethoven 4^th) conducted by Francesco Belli who was a disciple of the legendary conductor Sergiu Celibidache. The Cuban orchestra was an outstanding ensemble under the direction of an exceptional conductor; the first rehearsal was of recordable quality with the concerto being played through without the conductor stopping the orchestra even once – a good example of the fact that today in our world many an orchestra and conductor without “star” denomination make music much better than those considered “stars” by the commercialized world of classical mainstream music. The week spent in Cuba was memorable with a visit to Hemingway’s house and attending a performance of Giselle by the famous Cuban National ballet in the presence of the legendary Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso. In Caracas Idil visited the museum of the great Venezuelan pianist of the late 19^th Century, Teresa Carreno. During the week between the concerts in the USA and Latin America Idil took a cruise in the Carribean, visiting Cartagena in Colombia and crossing the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean. Afterwards she gave a benefit concert in New York for the “Send a Piano to Havana” organization whose members had organized the concert in Cuba.

May started with a concert in London at the St. John Smith Square where Idil played the Brahms 2^nd Piano Concerto with the Whitehall Orchestra to a capacity audience. This was followed by a visit to Athens for a benefit concert for the Gina Bachauer Foundation established thirty years ago in memory of the legendary Greek pianist. A free day in Greece was spent visiting the ancient city of Mycenea, the Corinth canal and the Epidaurus theatre. In June the English translation of her book “A Turkish Pianist on the World Stages” was printed in a private limited edition. Idil received an honorary doctorate degree from Bilkent University and after giving further concerts in Turkey she boarded the boat in Fethiye for the annual two week trip in the Aegean.

July turned out to be a most unpleasant month with a deplorable incident that will long stay in memory. Following the publication of an inflammatory article in a reactionary, religious newspaper in Istanbul, a demonstration took place outside the Topkapi Palace where Idil was about to give a concert. The concert posters were burnt in front of Biret’s eyes and the national press and TV made headlines of the event for days. This incident is described in detail below. Idil spent the last part of July and the month of August in her dear island Sedef, off the coast of Istanbul resting, swimming and working. A week of master-classes in Ayvalik on the coast of the Aegean followed at the end of August. In September she went to the south of England for a concert with the Worthing Orchestra (St. Saëns 2^nd Concerto) after which she traveled to Cornwall for a long planned visit. October to December were months with many  concerts ending an eventful year.

Idil will start 2010 with the recording of Tchaikovsky’s Concert Fantasy in January with the Bilkent Orchestra conducted by José Serebrier after which she will travel to the US for a concert and master-class at Yale University. In February she will go to Poland for a concert with the Cracow Philharmonic conducted by Kazimierz Kord (Chopin 1^st Concerto), and for recitals in Lublin and other cities as part of the celebrations there for the 200^th anniversary of Chopin’s birth. In March she will be in London to perform Chopin’s 2nd Concerto. Recitals in Potsdam (Nikolaisaal), Glasgow and Berlin (Konzerthaus) will be among the important concerts of the year. Idil will also appear as the soloist with the Yale Symphony Orchestra in their concerts in Istanbul and Ephesus at the end of May and early June. She will be on the jury of two piano competitions, in Glasgow (September) and Berlin (October). Discussions are under way to organize a tour in Spain with an orchestra in October. In March the translation of André Gide’s book “Notes on Chopin” will be published in Turkey with a foreword by Idil together with a CD of her recordings of works referred to by Gide in the book. A most important event of the year will be the release on IBA label the 9 LPs Idil Biret recorded in New York for the Finnadar label of Atlantic Records produced by Ilhan Mimaroglu. Long deleted from catalogues and only available to collectors through e-bay auctions, these recordings, including many 20^th Century compositions by Ravel, Stravinsky, Boulez, Boucourechliev, Miaskovsky, Scriabin, Prokofiev and Mimaroglu, will all be released on CD anddigitally on major websites, including Naxos Music Library, ClassicsOnline, iTunes, eMusic and  Amazon during 2010.

Information on all the CDs being released on the IBA label can be found on the website

www.idilbiretarchive.eu

TOPKAPI PALACE INCIDENT / 11 JULY 2009

Idil Biret was engaged to perform on 11 July, in the courtyard of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, the Tchaikovsky 1^st Concerto with the  Whitehall Orchestra which traveled from London for the event. The day before the concert the reactionary, ultra religious, sharia supporter, Vakit newspaper, much admired by some leading politicians governing Turkey, published a headline first page article condemning the concert saying that western music would be played and wine would be drunk at the Topkapi Palace near the building where some holy relics of prophet Mohammed are kept. The article concluded that this was a sacrilege and that acts like these would bring the downfall of the country. This was all nonsense, of course; the editor of the newspaper obviously did not know or did not want to remember that such events always took place in the courtyard and only recently the prime minister had given a party there on the occasion of a NATO conference where much wine was served. A nationalist/religious ultra right group, misled by this newspaper article, organized a demonstration by 70-80 of their members who gathered at the outer gate of the Palace shouting Allahu Ekber (God is great) and tried to enter the courtyard where an audience of some two thousand people were waiting for the concert to start oblivious to the events developing outside. Some members of the group, angry that they could not pass through the police barricade to enter the grounds (had they been able to do so a disaster could  have followed), started pulling down the three meter (nine foot) concert posters hanging on the walls of the palace wall. They kicked them around on the ground and then burnt them – in front of the eyes of Idil Biret who had just arrived to enter the courtyard through the same gate. She observed the unruly crowd silently, listening with patience to the words of abuse against the concert and audience shouted by the group and then saw with distress the posters of her concert torn down and burnt by the crowd in front of her – only minutes before she was to go on stage to perform a concerto. She had to be hidden among a group of women so as not to be noticed by the unruly crowd at the palace gate. Finally, Idil was taken by the back door to the palace grounds and she performed admirably the Tchaikovsky Concerto followed by an encore – Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude, a very proper ending under the circumstances. All the newspapers and the TV stations of the land made headlines of the event the next few days, strongly condemning it (except Vakit which went on heaping abuse on the concert and its organizers). After two noisy days where Idil’s name made the press and TV for an event other than musical for the first time in her life, the leaders of the widely condemned ultra nationalist group realised that they had made a mistake in attacking the concert of an artist who is a national icon in Turkey and they decided to apologise for what they had done to her. The formal apology itself became an event, conducted in the office of the Topkapi Palace director followed by declarations of good will by both sides in front some thirty TV cameras in the same courtyard where the concert had taken place. Interestingly, except for the German newspaper Der Tagesspiel where a long article appeared on the incident with the title “Barbarians in the Palace”, none of the foreign press reported the incident. It was said that the foreign correspondents in Turkey who write many rosy stories about the so-called moderate Islam governing the country were afraid that this violent outburst would be seen abroad as a manifestation of the islamization of the country – which it certainly was –and therefore chose not to report it.* Had they done so, their readers would discover that the rising Islam in Turkey was not so moderate after all. So much for objective journalism !

* This is all the more striking when one remembers that immediately after the release of the film “Mustafa” in Turkey about the life of Atatürk, Le Figaro in Paris, The Times in London and New York Times published long articles saying that the legacy of Atatürk was finally being critically reviewed in Turkey. Seemingly, news from Turkey that suit their vision get the attention of these gentlemen of the press – those that do not do not.

For further information please write to idilbiret@idilbiret.eu

Bettina Mara

J.S.Bach / Kempff: Sinfonia from Cantata BWV 29
Gluck / Kempff: Ballet from the opera Orpheus et Eurydice
Chopin: Nocturne op. 55 no.2
Tarantelle op. 43
Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise op. 22
Kreisler / Rachmaninov: Liebesfreud
Wagner / Liszt: Tannhäuser Overture

For its 30^th anniversary, the Gina Bachauer International Music Association invited distinguished Turkish pianist Idil Biret to Athens for a commemorative recital – and it was memorable indeed. At a press event prior to the concert, Biret spoke of the many times she attended London concerts and marveled at Bachauer’s pianism, in the great, fading tradition of pianists such as Cortot, whom both studied with. Sadly, there are very few recordings of Bachauer’s playing to remind us of her art – but fortunately the exact opposite is true of Biret. Impressive recordings of the complete piano works of Chopin, Brahms and Rachmaninov, among many others (including contemporary works such as the Boulez sonatas and Ligeti etudes), have long made hers a household name.

This evening’s program was dedicated to the theme of transcriptions for the piano, clearly inspired by the legacy of Wilhelm Kempff (with whom she performed Mozart’s concerto for two pianos at the tender age of 11), perhaps Biret’s most influential teacher after Nadia Boulanger, whom she studied with in Paris on a scholarship from the Turkish government after having been discovered as a child prodigy in Ankara.

The Bach and Gluck pieces transcribed by Kempff chosen to kick off the recital were played fluidly and with great expression, revealing a pianist firmly established in the romantic repertoire. These were followed immediately by the first highlight of the evening, three works by Chopin performed in the relative intimacy of the Megaron’s smallest auditorium, the Dimitris Mitropoulos Hall, eminently suited to this music once pioneered in Paris salons. Biret has often deplored the fact that the culture of perfect legato is dwindling among contemporary pianists. ‘Her’ Chopin proved that she herself is in total command of it, and could no doubt give a worthwhile recital on a piano with a faulty pedal if she were obliged to. The least well-known of the Chopin pieces was perhaps the Nocturne with its beautiful duet of two overlapping melodic lines, played with a rare richness in timbre and singing tone. The Tarantelle and Grande Polonaise were performed with the requisite verve and virtuosity, yet as if keeping in mind a self-imposed limit of sound, or, in other words, and the faculties of the human voice which were the basis for Chopin’s pianism.

Of the two further transcriptions following the interval, the overwhelming Tannhäuser Overture was an appropriate finale to an imposing program. To those of us brought up without much Wagner because of the way his music was used for Nazi propaganda, this is perhaps the piece that can provide a sense of what we missed out on. It also shows how misleading it can be to apply labels to composers. For example, Chopin and Liszt are both widely referred to as ‘romantic’, although no two worlds of sound could be more different from each other (as Biret points out in the liner notes to her Chopin recordings), the former modeled on the art of bel canto singing and the latter inspired by an attempt to reproduce the wealth of the orchestral palette on the modern pianoforte -although this is but one aspect of Liszt’s vast oeuvre. Or, as Rubinstein once put it, somewhat more judgmentally, when teaching Chopin: “Not so pompous – pompous is for Liszt!”. No artist is more aware of this difference than Idil Biret (she herself has said that Liszt had a grasp of harmony ahead of his time, misunderstood to this day in her opinion), as became apparent from her incredibly lavish and articulate performance, worthy of a pianist whose first recordings were Liszt’s transcriptions of Beethoven symphonies – and who reproduced those very symphonies at home at her piano after hearing them in concert when she was just a little girl, before she even learned to read music.

 Perhaps it is because all of this came so naturally to her from the very beginning that she can reel off a substantial program like this (including three encores: Bach and Händel transcriptions by Kempff and one of Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, transcribed by the composer himself) as if there were nothing to it. What a shame that her work for the bargain label Naxos has made her unpopular at times with other record companies, as well as with concert organizers. She herself doesn’t seem to mind all that much, though. “The music, my life’s work, is all that counts,” she is quoted as saying in the book about her life by Dominique Xardel, “I feel very privileged to be able to have a profession that I love”. Great modesty on the part of a great pianist. (Read more at www.idilbiret.eu)

Picture ©  Şefik Yüksel

Bettina Mara

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2009/jan-jun09/biret2305.htm