Chopin/Glazunov, Franchomme: Etude Op.25 No.7 (Gabetta/Chamayou, Weilerstein/Barnatan)

preview_player
Показать описание
Sometimes things are just beautiful, you know? You can say a lot about them, but the most salient musical fact is that the first note makes you stop breathing, and when the work ends you’re not sure if you ever let that breath go.

So it is with these two arrangements of Chopin’s 25.7 for Cello and Piano. Most days of the week I like Glazunov’s a little more, but they both work perfectly on their own terms, despite how different they are.

Glazunov changes things up a fair bit – since the cello now takes over the LH the piano gets an entirely new LH, which neatly anticipates the dotted motif you hear in the cello at 1:07 (the first occurrence of the motif is at 0:35). The piano also gets to echo a beautiful motif in the cello (1:21), although I think the decision by Gabetta/Chamayou to leave this out at 2:59 is entirely justified – it makes the harmonic change and the subsequent pause so much more effective. Glazunov also significantly simplifies the rapid LH runs originally for the piano when the move into the cello, which gives those runs a cleaner and more forceful melodic shape. But the most magnificent change Glazunov makes is the expansion of the registral space at 3:23, as the piano’s melody leaps up and becomes fortified in octaves, while the cello is left to reign the bass. It’s such a simple but powerful effect – have two instruments occupy a similar range, and then pull them apart suddenly.

Franchomme’s changes are much more modest – in fact for large parts his arrangement is essentially identical to Chopin’s original, except that the cello takes over the LH. But this too produces wonderful results – the rumbling LH scales are almost exactly preserved (except at 7:18, where Franchomme has to tread water around a low C for a bit to compress the scalar range into something manageable for the cello) and heighten tension very well. And at one point I think Franchomme clearly outdoes Glazunov – that’s in the dreamlike passage at 7:30, which is also the bit I love most in the original etude. Glazunov opts to use this passage (2:07) to have the cello gradually rise above the piano semiquaver melody; a lovely and rather playful manipulation of register. But Franchomme nails the actual feeling of the passage, to my ear. He gives the descending semiquaver line to the cello, while the piano takes the upper melody. And here, he actually does give the piano new notes deep in the bass, which add a richness almost like a pizzicato reverberation.

So in the end: a more reverberant, “wide-open” arrangement with the Glazunov, and a bleaker (but no less emotionally intense) intimacy from Franchomme. The gorgeous playing here is in line with these qualities – Gabetta is consistently lyrical, with semiquaver passages that build in momentum before cresting; Weilerstein is (especially in the quiet sections) much more parlando (“spoken”), with more time for gaps, tapers, and portamenti between notes – you can almost hear the tip of the bow navigating the strings. Gabetta’s tone is warm, natural; Weilerstein is more piercing, her vibrato faster and more plaintive.

0:00 (Glazunov) – Gabetta/Chamayou
5:13 (Franchomme) – Weilerstein/Barnatan
Рекомендации по теме
Комментарии
Автор

'the first note makes you stop breathing, and when the work ends you’re not sure if you ever let that breath go. '

Exactly how I felt when I heard those first bars just now.
Best Christmas gift ever! Thanks, Ashish!

Schubertd
Автор

I did not know these arrangements existed, thank you so much for this Christmas

averageclassicalmusicenjoyer
Автор

Chopin’s my favourite composer, op 25/7 is one of my favourites, and I never knew this piece existed. Thanks for letting me know, Ashish, it’s an awesome Christmas gift.

johndoe
Автор

Makes me wish Chopin wrote more for the cello... The op. 65 cello sonata is incredible, and this works so well on the instrument too.

ferenc_l
Автор

Somehow it fits so well with this time of the year, where we hope for peace and love (yeah I know the melody is kinda sad and melancholy, but still peaceful). Happy holiday and happy new year, Ashish!

stellacollector
Автор

Amazing! Even having played this before, it felt like I was listening to this piece for the first time again

johnchessant
Автор

Wow, as a former cello player & long time piano player, I somehow never heard of the Franchomme arrangement before today. It is just as incredible as Glazunov's! Speaking of whom, the performers for Glazunov's performance somehow plucked their instruments from heaven, because the timbre on them are pristine and complement each other wonderfully. Gabetta and Chamayou match each other almost perfectly volume-wise.

Sigh... one unfortunate thing about duet performances is that sometimes the playing can be a bit mechanical - which is natural (ironically), since both performers ideally want to be in sync with one another. However, I think the Glazunov performance would've really benefited from some expressive rubato - in both the cello and piano. Like I've said in the past, Chopin is best when his music is song. The cello has a wonderful opportunity to do that here, but the execution is just a bit too sterile for me, sadly. Had a bit of rubato been injected, this performance would've been next level.

TheExarion
Автор

I highly recommend Gabetta/Chamayou’s live version! At the end there’s a senior who’s tearing up and it made me tear up countless times…

bernhard
Автор

Wow, I don't know if i can ever listen to the piano version again

SiliPiano
Автор

As someone with perfect pitch, these arrangements are both drastically different from the original. They're lovely, but things like 2:09 just don't sound the same when not in the right keys. I appreciate that the arrangements bring new things out of the piece, both in their choice of key, instrumentation, and how the parts are divided. Happy holidays to all!

KingstonCzajkowski
Автор

My favorite Chopin etude. And these are great arrangements of it.

imdarealani
Автор

Whether this was an intended Christmas gift or not, it's one of the best gifts ever thank you

davisatdavis
Автор

One of the most beautiful pieces I’ve ever heard.

Wolfganger
Автор

Most beautiful music I've heard. I'm proud playing piano. Thanks for this marvellous upload!!!

schrysafis
Автор

There's a version for double bass, piano and soprano I love too, by Bottesini 😍 these are both amazing anyway

pianoplaynight
Автор

Haha, you weren't kidding when you said Weilerstein/Barnatan would be on this channel, though I certainly didn't expect it to be so soon.

Happy Holidays!

LukeZX
Автор

I feel the same about Balakirev's transcription of Chopin pieces. It makes one wish Chopin had known how to and wanted to write for orchestra.

Автор

I have to locate this sweet music. Beautiful!

s.hawkins
Автор

Any plans on uploading the chopin cello sonata? i find it to be quite the complex yet structurally masterful piece (like the 3rd sonata).

samaritan
Автор

Chopin knew why he wrote this for piano only.

orlando