Mompou
Piano Works – Paisajes; Variations sur un thème de Chopin; Cançons i danses
Marina Staneva (piano)
Chandos CHAN20276 82:21 mins
The Bulgarian pianist Marina Staneva is taking quite a large risk, but certainly not an unwelcome one, by choosing the music of Federico Mompou for her second Chandos solo recording. The programme is well selected: the poetic Paisajes, showing the most Debussyan side of Mompou’s music, are followed by the Variations sur un thème de Chopin, which manages to transform that composer’s brief A major Prelude into 12 imaginative miniatures. Finally the Cançons i danses, written between 1921 and 1962 (Mompou, born in 1893, died as recently as 1987), bring a chance to delve into a wealth of subtly evoked atmospheres and nuanced states of mind.
Mompou has a small but strong cult following among piano fanatics; others who have championed him include such luminaries as Stephen Hough and Arcadi Volodos. Staneva, trained in Sofia and more recently in London, nevertheless holds her own with considerable flair.
She draws a deep, cushioned sound from the piano and seemingly does not see any need to sacrifice thoughtfulness for plain brilliance. She brings out the dance elements that almost always lurk in the background of the Catalonian composer’s writing, whether originating in folk music or jazz, and performs with a sincerity, spaciousness, affection for the music and quiet confidence that make me eager to hear what she will do next. All of this, additionally, makes her a strong advocate for a composer who can sometimes divide his audience with that timeless yet elusive style.
Recorded sound is very warm and Potton Hall’s intimate acoustic suits the music, though I sometimes wondered if the piano itself had been ‘voiced down’ a tad too much. Jessica Duchen
