Uchida and Biss illuminate Schubert four-hand rarities

[Ricordanza]

When the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society announced its concerts for the 2023-24 season, I was excited to see an all-Schubert program featuring pianists Mitsuko Uchida and Jonathan Biss. Surely, they would be playing the achingly beautiful Fantasy in F Minor, Schubert’s most famous piece for piano four-hands (and a piece that a friend and I attempted to play before abandoning the effort as likely beyond our abilities). So I will admit to being a bit disappointed when the season brochure was issued in the fall, listing four Schubert pieces I had never heard of and omitting the Fantasy. But on Friday evening, April 5, my actual experience at this recital turned disappointment into pleasure.

In his highly literate program notes, Jonathan Biss asserted that these selections were deliberately aimed at exposing the audience to the wonders of the lesser-known Schubert pieces for four-hand piano. The first of these on the program was Lebensstürme (Life storms) – Allegro in A Minor (D. 947). We certainly heard those “storms” in the dramatic outer sections, but the storms abate in a sublime, lyrical middle section.

Several composers, including Beethoven, Chopin and Mahler, have included funeral marches in their body of work. Schubert offered his version in the March in E-flat Minor (D. 819). While it certainly conveys a feeling of sadness, the overall effect for this listener was to be uplifted by my admiration for the composer’s creativity.

Without pausing for applause, the pianists proceeded to the next work, the Rondo in A Major (D. 951). The change to the happier mood of this piece was most welcome.

Following intermission, the pianists made a change. For the first part of the program, Biss played the Primo part, that is, the right side of the keyboard, but switched places with Uchida and played the Secondo part for the concluding half of the program. Needless to say, for all of these pieces the Secondo part is in no way “secondary” in musical importance to the Primo part.

There was only one piece listed for the second half, a three-movement work entitled Divertissement à la hongroise (D. 818). As aptly stated by Biss in his program notes, this title is “deeply misleading.” This piece, he comments, is of “symphonic proportions” and “is not a diversion or an entertainment.” Regardless of title and category, this is a work of remarkable imagination and variety. The Hungarian element is clearly recognizable, but it is so much more than a collection of folk tunes. It’s a piece that bears listening again, although, for a first hearing, I found this to be a captivating experience.

Jonathan Biss and Mitsuko Uchida are highly regarded individual performers. So how did they perform as a team? The answer, unsurprisingly, is that their teamwork was superb. Throughout the recital, they displayed total unity of interpretation and flawless execution. I’m sure that their partnership at the keyboard was enhanced by their collaboration in other areas, as they are co-directors of the Marlboro Music Festival.

And there was an added benefit to their collaboration: In his individual appearances, Biss often sways and swoops at the piano in a distracting manner. Of necessity when playing right next to another pianist, his physical mannerisms were thankfully restrained.

The pianists played one encore. It sounded like Bach, but I wasn’t aware that Bach ever wrote any piece for four-hand keyboard. The mystery was solved when I read Peter Dobrin’s review in the Philadelphia Inquirer: this was a transcription by the 20th century composer Gyorgy Kurtag (still living at age 98!) of Bach’s Actus Tragicus.

I’ll close by extending a double thanks to Uchida and Biss. Thank you for a thoroughly enjoyable musical evening, and thank you for introducing me to four works that clearly deserve to be heard more often on the concert stage.

[Donald Isler]

Thanks for the review, Ricordanza! Sounds like it was a wonderful program!

Just listened last night to A and KU Schnabel play some of this music. Also, wonderful!

[Belle]

The Jussen Brothers have performed Lebensstürme and it's available on YouTube.

Jonathon Biss is a very good pianist and an excellent musicologist. Several years ago I undertook and completed his online Beethoven course through Curtis Institute and enjoyed every minute of it.

[Holden Fourth]

I love Schubert and his ability to bring melody in all it's emotional guises to his works. I'll look up these four works on YT - Belle has given me a start here. Having had the joy of hearing Karl-Ulrich Schnabel live I'll also head there if I can find it - thanks Donald.

[Belle]

Holden, you might enjoy the Curtis Coursera I've described, with Biss on the Beethoven Sonatas. Caution; the site is somewhat byzantine but you can navigate to see which of the series on these sonatas you'd like to do. One or all.

There's a quick quiz at the end of every section. I loved it but, as I say, it was often confusing navigating the process with some repetition in evidence. Work needs to be done on this.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/beethoven-piano-sonatas

I learned a great deal about analysis of these fabulous works, not only from a tonal standpoint. Biss is a fantastic teacher and he knows these words inside out and upside down.

One of my sisters has completed their Coursera on American literature. And she's been a 'tutor' there on poetry and writing.

[Belle]

Meantime: Schubert for 4 Hands a la Jussen. Movie star looks and talent but, men, keep still during your playing. Arthur actually rises from his seat during one section of the piece here, just as Igor Levit(ation) does!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG_E6ljUyw4