Mikhail Pletnev must
be one of the most infuriating musicians
alive. His Schumann at the Barbican
in March 2003
included the Bunte Blätter
and the Fantasie heard here.
Despite some beautiful moments, nothing
was out-and-out revelation, and much
was bewildering, seemingly quirky and
subject to spur of the moment eccentricities
with scant regard to structure.
The Theme of the Symphonic
Studies in the present recording
is typical Pletnev. While one admires
the well-balanced chords, it simply
wanders. The dotted rhythms of the first
variations seem exaggerated, with accents
stabbed-at; yet the second variation
includes a very impressive (bass-up)
build-up, orchestrally-conceived chordal
repetitions and some very tender contrasts.
Indeed it is contrast
that sums up Pletnev’s approach. Variation
V is very agitato; Variation
VII includes explosive bass trills,
emerging like a very distorted Handel
‘Ouverture’. If at all possible, things
are sharply etched - try Variation VI
(track 8).
The Finale epitomises
the perils of Pletnev’s approach. Instead
of being cumulative, it is decidedly
stop-start and therefore endlessly frustrating,
full of agogic commas that I might be
tempted to write might work in the concert
hall if I did not already know that
they don’t. It is left to the very last
chord, full-bodied and strong, to remind
us just how good DG’s recording is.
But whatever the strengths on paper
of Pletnev’s programming of Etudes and
Variations, on this aural evidence it
simply fails to add up to an expressive
experience.
Pletnev’s lingering
on the first (bass) note of the Fantasie
should come as no surprise after the
Etudes. Indeed, a twilight interpretation
is the order of the day. The quasi-improvisatory
line of the opening very soon tends
towards the meandering and around the
three minute mark the inevitable happens
- the music all but stops, Pletnev has
fragmented it so much. A good delineation
of lines at the climax is hardly recompense.
The subdued second
movement also threatens to lose its
way. In fact, it sounds downright lazy
and most decidedly un-grand. The massive
aggregation of sound around 5’55 is
undeniably exciting, but mainly because
it is loud. If there are some magical
sonorities in the finale, it must be
borne in mind that the musical fabric
does threaten to disintegrate on more
than one occasion.
The five Albumblätter
again bring problems. The first
was more successful live (here it wanders
around); honours are evenly spread for
the fast second. The intimate third
and fourth work a little better, particularly
the fourth (which I see was the most
successful live, too). The fifth finds
Pletnev vandalising Schumann’s music
into mere doodling.
Finally, an Arabeske
that lives up to expectations. It is
a curious mix, impulsive yet without
any real life-blood.
This disc offers a
generous playing time. If you admire
Pletnev (and many do), this will be
excellent value for money. For the rest
of us, it all just seems so l....o....n....g.
Fans of Schumann may like to
give this disc a wide berth.
Colin Clarke
Mikhail Pletnev (piano) 
