Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Members Recordings - Pianist Corner Samiul Feinberg's Berceuse op. 19a

I need to reconnect with this site, and get to know some of the good people here. I offer Samiul Feinberg's restful and delicate Berceuse op. 19a.

https://www.box.com/s/wa2qjhuzldooeofdlmcf
https://www.box.com/s/l2iejfhqjnahojjbya8b

Feinberg was a genius of the keyboard. Most people, if they know him at all, know him for his recordings of Bach's WTC, but he was quite the composer down the line of Scriabin, but with an overall darker, expressionist tint. The Berceuse is a little masterpiece, unique pianistically...the feel in the hands as they fold into and around each other, and sprawl out for those large Feinberg chords - I have found nobody who writes as he did. Then there is the whole atmosphere it evokes, not far from Busoni's Berceuse élégiaque (especially in its expanded orchestral form). In the other worldly (post life?) sound world there are even shadow harmonies which you may not see glancing over the score, but become magically apparent under the hands. I meaningful piece to me, which I send to you in hopes you enjoy it. There are two different recordings...one from inside the piano, the other from out in the hall.

DSF

The opening (and really the whole piece, since the figure continues) seems clearly a takeoff and riff on the opening of Chopin's A minor Mazurka, Op. 17, #4. Do you know if it was intended explicitly so?

Not sure how much I like the piece -- maybe I need to hear it more! -- but you played it very very well, and I appreciate knowing of Feinberg, which I didn't before.

Listening to it now - nice! Wonderful to see someone posting Feinberg here, his contributions to the piano literature (including 12 piano sonatas and 3 concerti) are immense and sadly neglected. Worked on the 2nd sonata last summer - a fairly Scriabinesque piece at times yet highly original.

You're doing a very fine job with balancing and voicing, nice colours. I would perhaps consider a somewhat more flowing tempo, or allowing the phrasing to be yet more flexible - but it's a matter of taste. Very refined playing - congrats!

As for the piece being a "takeoff and riff" on that Chopin mazurka - it never occurred to me when listening to it previously. Perhaps it was there somewhere far in the background in Feinberg's mind (and of course, he knew all Choin's piano works, don't miss his highly original recordings of Ballades, Mazurkas, etc), but they're still two utterly different pieces, I'd say.

I didn't say they weren't!
That's not what "takeoff" or "riff on" would mean!

All I meant was that the resemblance is unmistakable, and to me, absolutely unavoidable. I would think that if someone knows the Chopin and has it reasonably fresh in mind, it would be hard not to think of it when hearing this piece. IMO it's about as direct a quote as could be imagined in a work in this other kind of style. I mean heck, it's the opening! -- and a 'solo' left hand part. And the Chopin has it as the opening, and a solo left hand part. And the 'tune' and rhythm of the figures are identical, and the tempos are about the same. What more could you want....

Thanks for the comments Mark and Fnork. The relationship to Chopin op. 17 no. 4 never occurred to me, but the ideas of illusions can be quite personal as well. I'm glad you brought it up because it helps to know how another person hears a piece like this.

As to tempos and freedom it is a tough choice. I recorded a couple days earlier at about 4'30, a minute faster than the slower of these takes with the other falling at around the 5 minute mark. I'm sure it will loosen up some more as I grow with it.

p.s. Fnork, I also have worked on the 2nd sonata in the past. I'd love to hear your approach to it if you get back into it.

Oh, I'd love to get back to that piece! Though, doing the 6th is the one I'd like to learn the most...Hope to see you post more here in any case, whether it'd be Feinberg or other things.