Moritz Ernst - Arthur Lourié: Solo Piano Works (2016) 3CD

When we endeavour to grasp the composer Arthur Lourié, we encounter some difficulties. He was born as Naum Izrailevich Lur'ya in 1892, according to his own statements and documents, but there is also evidence for 1891. At the age of 21, the born Jew converted to Christianity; he was a charismatic bohemian and Soviet cultural politician who did not return from a so-called official journey to Berlin in 1922 and was a pioneer of Modernism in music, enjoying mingling among the poets and painters of the Silver Age and being inspired by them.

His musical oeuvre is just as multi-faceted and diverse. During his years in Russia, he composed the most differing works next to one another, true to the precept of his role model Ferruccio Busoni that a composer should never repeat himself and has to find a new artistic solution for every work, as it were. But the pieces from his exile in France (1924-1941) paradoxically often sound more Russian than those written in Russia. However, Lourié’s 10-year collaboration and partly also friendship with Igor Stravinsky interestingly found no expression in his piano works. Stravinsky’s percussive piano style remained alien to him.

Tracklist:

CD 1:
01. 5 Préludes fragiles, Op. 1 - No. 1. Lento 02:45
02. 5 Préludes fragiles, Op. 1 - No. 2. Calme, pas vite 02:11
03. 5 Préludes fragiles, Op. 1 - No. 3. Tendre, pensif 02:41
04. 5 Préludes fragiles, Op. 1 - No. 4. Affabile 01:20
05. 5 Préludes fragiles, Op. 1 - No. 5. Modéré 03:16
06. 2 Estampes, Op. 2 - No. 1. Crépuscule d'un faune 06:36
07. 2 Estampes, Op. 2 - No. 2. 'Les parfums, les couleurs et les sons se répondent' 04:02
08. 2 Mazurkas, Op. 7 - No. 1. Lent, languidé 02:06
09. 2 Mazurkas, Op. 7 - No. 2. Essoré 03:20
10. 4 Poèmes, Op. 10 - No. 1. Spleen 04:02
11. 4 Poèmes, Op. 10 - No. 2. Caprices 03:05
12. 4 Poèmes, Op. 10 - No. 3. Autoportrait 02:28
13. 4 Poèmes, Op. 10 - No. 4. Ironies 01:45
14. 2 Poèmes, Op. 8 - No. 1. Essor 03:36
15. 2 Poèmes, Op. 8 - No. 2. Ivresse 08:23
16. Masques - No. 1. Nuagé, suave 03:37
17. Masques - No. 2. Caché, avec une ironie suave 01:39
18. Masques - No. 3. Avec une grâce fragile 04:09
19. Masques - No. 4. Dans un mystère profond et calme 03:38
20. Masques - No. 5. Etrange, charmé 03:13
21. Masques - No. 6. Très lent, calme 03:54
22. Masques - No. 7. Pâmé, avec désir croissant 02:12

CD 2:
01. Menuet nach Gluck 03:58
02. Sintezï (Synthèses), Op. 16 - No. 1. Lent 02:35
03. Sintezï (Synthèses), Op. 16 - No. 2. Moderement animé 02:52
04. Sintezï (Synthèses), Op. 16 - No. 3. Vite (aigu) 03:43
05. Sintezï (Synthèses), Op. 16 - No. 4. Assez vite 01:48
06. Sintezï (Synthèses), Op. 16 - No. 5. Mesuré 01:41
07. Formes en l'air - No. 1. — 02:58
08. Formes en l'air - No. 2. — 03:37
09. Formes en l'air - No. 3. — 03:37
10. Dnevnoy uzor (Daily Pattern) - No. 1. Etüde 00:52
11. Dnevnoy uzor (Daily Pattern) - No. 2. Spaziergang 03:12
12. Dnevnoy uzor (Daily Pattern) - No. 3. Schatten 03:33
13. Dnevnoy uzor (Daily Pattern) - No. 4. Zauber 02:28
14. Dnevnoy uzor (Daily Pattern) - No. 5. Mutwille 01:39
15. Royal' v detskoy (The Piano in the Nursery) - No. 1. Paturage en Porcelaine 01:15
16. Royal' v detskoy (The Piano in the Nursery) - No. 2. Trepachek 01:25
17. Royal' v detskoy (The Piano in the Nursery) - No. 3. Sage comme une image 01:07
18. Royal' v detskoy (The Piano in the Nursery) - No. 4. Diablotin 01:13
19. Royal' v detskoy (The Piano in the Nursery) - No. 5. Loup Garou 01:41
20. Royal' v detskoy (The Piano in the Nursery) - No. 6. Dodo 02:39
21. Royal' v detskoy (The Piano in the Nursery) - No. 7. Le Diable marie ses filles 01:44
22. Royal' v detskoy (The Piano in the Nursery) - No. 8. Children's song 01:34
23. Piano Sonatina No. 3 02:53
24. Upmann, a Smoking Sketch 03:47
25. Nash marsh (Our March) 05:06
26. Toccata 05:48
27. Valse 04:40

CD 3:
01. Petite Suite in F Major - I. — 00:39
02. Petite Suite in F Major - II. — 00:56
03. Petite Suite in F Major - III. — 00:42
04. Petite Suite in F Major - IV. — 01:14
05. Gigue 04:02
06. Marche 02:14
07. Nocturne 09:43
08. Intermezzo 08:30
09. Berceuse de la chevrette 04:25
10. Phoenix Park Nocturne 05:02
11. Oshibka baryshni smerti (Death's Mistake), Op. 40 - Text 1 00:26
12. Oshibka baryshni smerti (Death's Mistake), Op. 40 - I. Prélude 04:25
13. Oshibka baryshni smerti (Death's Mistake), Op. 40 - Text 2 03:55
14. Oshibka baryshni smerti (Death's Mistake), Op. 40 - II. Dance 1: Allegro 01:50
15. Oshibka baryshni smerti (Death's Mistake), Op. 40 - Text 3 01:14
16. Oshibka baryshni smerti (Death's Mistake), Op. 40 - III. Rubato 03:24
17. Oshibka baryshni smerti (Death's Mistake), Op. 40 - Text 4 02:47
18. Oshibka baryshni smerti (Death's Mistake), Op. 40 - IV. Lent, mesuré 04:58
19. Oshibka baryshni smerti (Death's Mistake), Op. 40 - Text 5 07:32
20. Oshibka baryshni smerti (Death's Mistake), Op. 40 - V. Dance 2 02:02
21. Oshibka baryshni smerti (Death's Mistake), Op. 40 - Text 6 01:52

Moritz Ernst - Piano
Arthur Lourié (1891-1966) - Composer

Recording Date: 2-4, April 2013 on Berlin, Studio Gärtnerstraße; 21-24, March 2016 RBB, Saal 3.