Bach: The Art of Life—Daniil Trifonov, piano
DG can sure pick ‘em. I guess it’s fairly easy when you snag the latest, best winners from the two major piano competitions, the Chopin (Seong-Jin Cho, winner of the 17th Chopin Competition in 2015) and the Tchaikovsky Competition. The artist here is Daniil Trifonov, the now famous Russian pianist and laureate of the 14th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 2011.
From the opening trill of this fabulous new recording of Bach and his family’s music, you’ll rest easy that you are in the hands of a rhythmic and tonal master.
DG says : Daniil Trifonov returns with an album dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach, exploring the scientific, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of Johann Sebastian Bach’s cosmos, his faith, family, and world.
Pretty words. But they do get to the essence of this selection of music of the Bach family.
The album was released on 8 October 2021 is available on CD, LP vinyl and to download and stream, including in Apple’s new special high-quality spatial listening experience of Dolby Atmos, my review playback of choice. As such, the review audition was completed with my SONOS lifestyle system. I did hear the Qobuz two channel file streamed on my reference system. It was glorious, and while not as refined on the SONOS, Apple’s spatial cues did add an ethereal quality to Trifonov’s fabulous pianism.
Although the programme is centred around the father, specifically, The Art of Fugue, works by four of his sons are also included. CPE Bach was a master in his own right, but works by his other sons shed light on their particular talents.
I think a solid hour on Wikipedia will not go amiss researching Bach’s sons (he had 11); who did what and where. Here we have four, including two with similar names. Many readers will recognize C.P. E. Bach, Bach’s most gifted son and one of the fathers of the classical symphony. The other sons on this recording include the eldest, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (WF), the youngest, Johann Christian Bach (JC) and Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, seemingly not suffering from middle child syndrome. His wonderful Variations on ‘Ah, vous dirai-je, maman’ is included; the CD begins with that trill I mentioned, the opening of JC’s delightful Sonate Nr. 5 in A Dur op. 17.
WF gets a look in with Polonaise Nr. 8 in e-Moll Fk 12, mournful but tuneful and played with subtlety and grace by Trifonov. He gives the work much gravitas. And C.P.E.’s Rondo in c-Moll Wq 59/4 gets the same rhythmic and buoyant treatment his brother’s Sonate Nr. 5 in A receives.
Also included in the 2 CD set is Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach written in 1725. These delightful works produce delightful results from Trifonov.
Before we get to the meat of the program, Trifonov’s magisterial tone is beautifully displayed in both Brahms’ arrangement of the Chaconne in d-Moll and Dame Myra Hess’ arrangement of Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. Both receive masterly performances.
For the father’s unfinished masterpiece, The Art of Fugue, Trifonov maintains interest in what can be a monochromatic work in the wrong hands. Full disclosure here that I find them pretty tough going in a single sitting. Trifonov ‘completed’ Bach’s work—no matter how talented or well intentioned, this is rarely a good thing (think of those Bruckner symphony 9 completions, not to say the ‘rejuvenations’ and re-imaginings’!).
Recordings taken from live shows at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, Mass
The Art of Fugue is fourteen fugues and four canons on a single theme. Trifonov says ‘because it is all written in one key and on one theme, the performer has to bring enough variety to the score’. No truer phrase!
Taken in chunks (no shame in that), you’ll recognize Trifonov’s wonderful touch and elegant phrasing. Tempos are varied which maintains interest. Following the score will help.
I’m not sure Trifonov’s lengthy recording of Bach are the last words he has to say on what invariably is a lifetime’s work. But, a very fine beginning to set a benchmark on a very challenging program. At the least, it enlightens us on some of his son’s great music, and, at most, gives the listener hours of refined pianism of the highest order.
The recording captures the myriad of Trifonov’s tone colours, beautiful touch and his always elegant phrasing in a natural acoustic. The spatial aspects of the Apple stream adds bloom and luster to the recording but the original DG engineers have already done the hard work before the Apple benediction.
Bach: The Art of Life
Daniil Trifonov (piano)
Release Date: 8th Oct 2021
Catalogue No: 4838530
Label: DG
Length: 2 hours 16 minutes
