Medtner - Sonata Op. 25 No. 2 "Night Wind" (Ponochevny, Tozer)
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- The most collossal sonata by Medtner. Misleadingly appearing from its numbering to be a mere appendage to the modestly scaled Sonata-Skazka, Medtner’s Sonata in E minor is in fact the composer’s most extended work in the genre, a monumental epic which taxes to the full the capacities of performer and listener alike and which some have claimed to be the greatest piano sonata of the twentieth century. It is headed by an epigraph from Tyutchev’s poem Silentium, in which the poet sees chaos as man’s natural inheritance:
What are you wailing about, night wind, what are you bemoaning with such fury? What does your strange voice mean, now indistinct and plaintive, now loud? In a language intelligible to the heart you speak of torment past understanding, and you moan and at times stir up frenzied sounds in the heart!
Oh, do not sing those fearful songs about primeval native Chaos! How avidly the world of the soul at night listens to its favourite story! It strains to burst out of the mortal breast and longs to merge with the Infinite … Oh, do not wake the sleeping tempests; beneath them Chaos stirs!
The sonata divides into two thematically linked Allegro movements, their general character seemingly corresponding to the two stanzas of the poem. The first movement-perhaps the most extended piece of music in 15/8 time in existence-is in sonata form, its structural divisions indicated by the repeated descending triplet figure with which the work opens, like a call to attention. The second movement, a massive free improvisation on the material of the sonata’s introduction, rushes along in headlong torrent, pushing the expressive resources of the piano to the limit. There is little respite from the nightmarish frenzy, for even in the interludes an undercurrent of anxiety is always present. Eventually the coda is reached; fragments of all the themes are heard over a tonic pedal and the scene of chaos gradually fades from view, the music at last vanishing into thin air with two swirling arpeggios.
from notes by Barrie Martyn © 1998
Ponochevny :
I. Introduzione : Andante con moto : [00:00]
II. Allegro : [02:20]
III. Tempo dell'introduzione : [15:01]
IV. Allegro molto sfrenatamente, presto : [17:31]
V. Quasi cadenza : [26:04]
Tozer :
I. Introduzione: Andante con moto : [32:00]
II. Allegro : [34:28]
III. Tempo dell'introduzione : [48:51]
IV. Allegro molto sfrenatamente, presto : [51:33]
V. Quasi cadenza : [1:00:36]
I do not own anything in this video. 
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It's not easy to get into Medtner's world, but once you do...
Damn, getting to Scriabin first really gives an advantage :D
how do I get into it? I see so much excitement in this piece, but can't get myself to like it.
@@duqueadriano0081 I feel like you have to play a few pieces by yourself in order to fully appreciate it, are you a pianist? I just played 3 skazki and one shorter sonata and I was glued… for this sonata, it´s way out of my league to master, but even if you play the easier ones you can get high level of understanding his music. For this one I would start with basics like spotting the variations of the opening motive throughout the entire piece :)
@@martinriha3729 thank you for the advice! I don't understand Medtner's music yet but Rachmaninoff is my favorite composer and apparently they really liked each other's works, so I'm very interested in him. I'm a proficient pianist, right now I'm learning Rach's Sonata No.2 1913 version, which is around the same level as this one, I think. I'll definitely learn some of his pieces!
@@martinriha3729 2 months later, this is one of my favorite sonatas and Medtner one of my favorite composers!!
Genius work, sits with Ives' Concord as one of the seminal sonatas written at the dawn of the 20th century.
Of course! This is my favourite Medtner sonata!
I'm wild about Mr Ponovechny's interpretation, and I totally agree that his interpretation sets the bar for this work. To think this is recorded live?... One wonders how this is not lauded as one of the biggest achievements of modern pianism, because truly this recording merits that. Fiercely difficult piece, performed with such amazing conviction and beauty, thank you for bringing it to attention with the score,
The first performance is by the pianist Andrey Ponochevny, live from Minsk Philharmonic Hall, in June 2011. His playing here sets the standards with this sonata. Everything is so well considered in it, all the voices, an impressively colored performance.
Original audio : ruclips.net/video/F3AGC6YPwX4/видео.html&ab_channel=AndreyPonochevny
The second performance is by the pianist Geoffrey Tozer, well known for his interpretration of Medtner's music. He played and recorded Medtner's complete piano works. He is delicate, violent, intense, colorful and his playing of Medtner personnaly makes me think of the delicatness and elegance of flowers.
@Brady Dill Eckardstein is definitely the best in my opinion, but yes Kholodenko is a very interesting performance, fast, vast and very vigorous!
My favorite piece of music ever written. If it weren't for a handful of Beethoven's symphonies, I'd go so far as to claim it's the best piece ever composed. Just an absolute triumph of piano-writing, always some hidden secret to discover (I _still_ hear new things in it after all these years), and a (very difficult, very taxing) joy to play. Most impressive of all might be that not once during the extended 15/8 section does it ever feel awkward, as pieces in asymmetrical time signatures often do; in fact, if you didn't know the score, you could be forgiven for not even realizing the beats come grouped in fives, because it just flows so naturally.
Wow. This is one of the strangest, most creative, most beautiful piano works I have ever heard. And to think it was written in 1910! Pure genius.
I truly believe this is medtners masterpiece! and one of the greatest masterpieces in the repertoire! There’s something so fascinating, tragic, and beautiful about medtners music…)))
It's right up there with the Third Piano Concerto. The Violin Sonata No. 3 is pretty close too, incidentally all three are in the key of E minor
if there's any lesser known composer that i believe could get the same recognition (or even more) as the big romantic bois like Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, etc. etc. it would be Medtner. getting there is going to be tough tho, so lets all continue to promote MEDTNER SUPREMACY
The problem is that he is too close of a musical relative to Rachmaninoff. That niche is occupied and therefore he remains obscure in the mainstream. Although he does not deserve it.
Ponochevny :
I. Introduzione : Andante con moto : [00:05]
II. Allegro : [02:20]
III. Tempo dell'introduzione : [15:01]
IV. Allegro molto sfrenatamente, presto : [17:31]
V. Quasi cadenza : [26:04]
Tozer :
I. Introduzione: Andante con moto : [32:00]
II. Allegro : [34:28]
III. Tempo dell'introduzione : [48:51]
IV. Allegro molto sfrenatamente, presto : [51:33]
V. Quasi cadenza : [1:00:36]
Two very good performances of what could be the best sonata of the whole 20th century. Special thanks to Scriabin is My Dog to have teached me how to use Sproc, so that i can cut the sheet music much much much faster. Stay tuned for his upcoming video of this sonata, featuring even more amazing performers! His channel's link : ruclips.net/channel/UCmzOLCPZMqb86O2kg-uDcww
UwU
Is the Ponochevny recording from the competition?
@@ilyaibrahimovic9842 i just know its a live recorded at Minsk Philharmonic Hall
@@themobiusfunction musical performance is not about making zero mistakes.
Amazing!
Surely one of the greatest and magnificent post romantic sonata ever
Yes - but has to be put alongside Scriabin 5-10. Particularly no 10. Where less is more. I worry that whilst every bar of Night Wind is wonderful, the whole is a bit of a stream of consciousness, and could have done with a bit of rigorous Brahmsian editing down. You can argue that Rackers Etude Tableaux are all a bit ABA, but it does make for a clear whole.
@@bellmanequation9818 "he whole is a bit of a stream of consciousness, and could have done with a bit of rigorous Brahmsian editing down" you raise a good point here i think while medtner signature dense sound is great at times it defo has moments where it can be the opposite
If I am not mistaken, this is dedicated to Rachmaninov, who believed to be a masterpiece, but said he himself would not perform it as it would be lost on an audience (though it is said he did play it’s mate, the Sonata Skazka). If again I am not mistaken, Sorabji declared this to be one of the greatest modern sonatas. It’s big - it to some extent reminds me of the first movement of the Alkan Concerto which is about 5-6 minutes shorter - another masterpiece that could be lost on an audience. I don’t consider these works to be just piano music; they are “pianist’s” works - the absolute epitome of the art of the medium. While this performance is quite good, I am still preferring Hamish Milne’s recording of this. I consider myself blessed that like the Alkan Concerto, I “get” this.
Wow! first time listening to it and it sounds beautiful!
This is quite incredible.
Very glad you put it back
epic
Amazing music. Thanks so much for uploading this
You are welcome!
need to listen to this live
I would love too
I like these Medtner double-shots
33:11
I love almost all Eastern European Composers: Myaskovsky; Bortkiewicz; Moszkowski; Lyapunov; Balakiriev; Medtner; Scriabin and others. ❤🌷🌷🌷 (Netherlands)
16:12 "Somewhere, over the Rainbow."
Christian Vennemann -- BOTH from Mascagni "Ratcliffe's Dream - Intermezzo"...."Giuliegmo Ratcliffe"
Haha
20:53 somewhat reminds me of Rachmaninoff's "Little Red Riding Hood" étude-tableau.
stTutTeRiNG rHYThMs
Nice.
Es una obra monumental, extraordinaria bellísimas páginas pero no creo escucharla toda...es muy larga...
The Night wind is very different from the Minacciosa. The former is more ballad-like and the theme firmly and recognizably radiates out into strands of experience. The latter I think explores a much more adventurous and novel kind of Beethovenian continuous development to incorporate 9 and 10 note scales and thus expanding the tonal reach. It is so Soave and unselfconscious.
Both amazing interpretations with great attention to detail (and there is a lot of detail). For me, Tozer keeps the piece moving better toward the end (last 10 mins) and makes it feel more complete. During this end portion, it feels like Ponochevny lets the energy die down quite a bit, and while still beautiful, to me Tozer does a better job making the piece feel continuous and complete.
You should check Eckardstein recording, which I may make a score video of.
@@SeigneurReefShark I disagree, I think Ponochevny is much better than Eckardstein, who comes at a distant second.
@@SeigneurReefShark You called his performance here "beyond awesome." You don't think much of it, though?
45:15 that gave me a big jumpscare lmao
Can someone please provide a translation of the poem in the opening page?
What are you wailing about, night wind, what are you bemoaning with such fury? What does your strange voice mean, now indistinct and plaintive, now loud? In a language intelligible to the heart you speak of torment past understanding, and you moan and at times stir up frenzied sounds in the heart!
Oh, do not sing those fearful songs about primeval native Chaos! How avidly the world of the soul at night listens to its favourite story! It strains to burst out of the mortal breast and longs to merge with the Infinite … Oh, do not wake the sleeping tempests; beneath them Chaos stirs!
@@SeigneurReefShark beautiful, thank you!
@@consumimurigni4758 Another translation I found (not sure who the translator is):
Why do you howl so madly, wind of night?
What rage or grief is in your wordless cry?
What do you mean, strange voice that gives itself
To thunderous groans, then to a plaintive sigh?
In language long familiar to the heart
You speak of pain that none can comprehend,
Again and yet again; you moan, and now
Burst forth in savage sounds that pierce and rend.
Oh, hush those fearful songs whose music tells
Of primal chaos, our true element!
The secret world of the nocturnal soul
Harks to that tale, how breathlessly intent!
That soul would issue from the mortal breast.
Craving to join the infinite... Ah, no!
Do not arouse the storms that lie asleep.
Primeval chaos is astir below.
This music needs great concentration to fully appreciate it I feel there is a bit of over labouring of the very frequently recurring motif like feature,which is presented in many various contextual backgrounds ,and this insistent occurrence of the motif,may become somewhat tedious, just like theme and variations becomes,when the constantly recurring theme is not variated very much But,aside from this,to be fair,this work does show an amazing variety of rhythm and texture,and original harmony and technical virtuosity and pitch contrasts,and is always exciting,and full of imaginative ideas propelling the flow of the music forward quite naturally It is in a sense a step onwards from the rachmaniov style in the sense of broader harmonies and a more flexible sense of tonality as well as more adventurous and variegated rhythms textures and pitch contrasts and use of the very low and high registers of the piano,as well as mire complex polyphonic aspects employing even more complex accompanying parts in the left hand So this work is very interesting to follow,very intriguing as there's always so much going on for the mind to notice and follow
28:18
:)
I hate medtner and want him
Lmao that's gay.
What
based and red-pilled
1:05:44