Zoltán Kodály: Piano Works

Album review

Zoltan Kodály, one of that triumvirate of Hungarian composers belonging to the first half of the twentieth century that also included Bartók and Dohnányi, was a great believer in the human voice and the ability of everyone to make music. As such, most of his music is vocal or choral, and he didn't write much music for solo piano. What he did write is rarely performed by anyone except Hungarian pianists. This recording by Adrienne Krausz is another chance for those who appreciate Hungarian music or little known corners of the piano repertoire to discover this Kodály's contributions. It covers all but the Gyermektáncok and Little Canons, works more suited for beginner pianists. Krausz's program is chronological, with all but the Dances of Marosszék (1930) dating from between 1905 and 1918, and despite the brevity of the pieces, there is recognizable evolution Kodály's writing. The influence of Debussy and Ravel is strongly felt in the Nine Pieces, Op. 3; the Méditation built on a theme from Debussy's string quartet; the Valsette; and parts of the Seven Pieces, Op. 11, particularly Nos. 3 and 4. By Op. 11, however, Kodály's friendship with Bartók and interest in folk music also worked their way into the set. The earlier Nine Pieces is also more improvisatory in sound, while the Seven Pieces is a more structurally and pianistically mature set, as Krausz ably demonstrates. There's a fuller use of the tonal colors of the instrument. The more passionate or rhapsodic passages could very easily be played more aggressively or percussively, but Krausz is sensitive to the sound of her attack and molds it to each piece, most noticeably in "Il pleure dans mon coeur comme il pleut sur la ville." The raindrops in it have a rounded shape, giving the impression of rain as it falls rather than hits the ground. She is just as careful with the fully folk-based Marosszék Dances, playing with controlled passion and strength. The sound of the recording is generally excellent and well balanced, although it is engineered at a level even quieter than most classical recordings, so that the volume has to be turned up to hear just how delicate Krausz's playing can be.
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