Seong-Jin Cho: The Handel Project—Handel: 3 Suites, Brahms: Handel Variations (DG)
Handel’s keyboard works always seem to be in the shadow of the masterpieces of his contemporary Johann Sebastian Bach. Undoubtedly, great Bach keyboard works like the Goldberg Variations, English Suites and French Suites command top billing. But Handel, ever the consummate melodist, could conjure some wonderful works in any of the genres he was giving attention to at the time.
Handel’s keyboard Suites echo the form norm of the day, also followed by Bach. They are primarily made up of dance movements (Allemande, Courante, concluding Gigue) with an opening Prelude.
From then new Leipzig publishing house, Breitkopf & Härtel.
Handel’s Suites were originally written for harpsichord, Suites de Pieces pour le Clavecin, hence the very filigree ornamentation throughout. Above is his correspondence with his new publisher Breitkopf & Hartel, 1719 (and still going strong today).
Our very fine soloist in DG’s The Handel Project, Seong-Jin Cho listened to recordings of the works on harpsichord and refined his finger technique in order to give different tone colours and weight to Handel’s contrapuntal lines. “He has avoided the sustaining pedal as much as possible but modified some dynamic markings to exploit the potential of a modern piano.”
Cho has a master’s touch. His technique is flawless in the Handel Suites and even the most complicated ornamental passagework is dispatched with apparent ease. None more so than the opening track, a glorious Adagio from HWV 427, with the beautiful opening in the photo below.
No matter Handel’s tempo, metre or style, Cho’s playing commands attention, specifically, his crystalline tone and beautiful phrasing, both totally suited to Handel's works. There’s a lilt in the dances and gravitas in the darker moments.
Since Cho burst onto the scene with his sensational victory at the XVII International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, he’s become one of my favourite, go-to pianists. DG snapped him up as soon as he won; maybe even part of the winner’s prize. Lucky DG and lucky us. Cho has recorded seven DG discs since his win. We’ve reviewed several and they consistently display wonderful musicianship and a refined technique.
This latest release (Feb 3, 2023) contains the Suite in Bb, Nos. 2, 5 7 & 8 and a major keyboard work inspired by Handel, Brahms’ Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24.
The piano of choice is Steinway & Sons.
The “project” also includes the above mentioned masterpiece for the modern piano by Brahms. His Opus 24 in its grand, full title, Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel. The theme is from the aforementioned Suite No. 1 in Bb Major and follows on with 25 variations and fugue. They are better known as Brahms’ Handel Variations.
I got to know this work intimately when I was a page-turner for a piano competition at Trinity College of Music, London as a student there in the early ‘80s. About 25 pianists. Yes, intimately! But no matter, and no boredom as it is such a beautiful work. One of Brahms’ greatest piano masterpieces. And typical of Brahms, fiendishly difficult from the opening theme to the fugue.
It always fascinated me how some of the student players got the repeated note clearly in bar 4 of the opening (see two images below) and others fluffed it. For some silly reason, I always listen for it in performances and recordings. Cho nails it. As he does the whole work. Each variation is technically flawless, but also is emphatic of phrasing and consistent, beautiful tone.
Handel’s original autograph (notation spacing doesn’t match below as Handel uses the rarely-used today soprano clef (C on line 1).
And Brahms’ use as his theme. Note the sticky repeated A natural a beat before the repeat sign.
You would never confuse Cho’s style with that of Arrau or even Brendel, both of whom bring a much more Romantic style to Brahms. They are very different in tempo, too (Brendel fast, Arrau slow). I feel Cho, slightly more akin to Brendel, is just about right in the “Aria” and is consistent in style throughout the work—rhapsodic when needed (Var. 2 Animato) then splendidly rhythmic and dramatic when called for (Var. 4 Risoluto).
The recording, from the Siemens-Villa, Berlin, is both resonant enough to allow the piano to bloom naturally within the lovely acoustic yet focused enough to reveal Cho’s brilliant, filigree technique in the ornamental Handel.
Cho is recording a very fine discography with DG. Not only are there superb Chopin Concertos and Debussy works, but we get wonderful Mozart, too. I’m waiting for some Beethoven Sonatas.
Highly recommended.
