Mari Kodama celebrates the Bruckner bicentenary year with a collection of piano works, most of which are rarely heard. While some of them, such as the Fantasie, Erinnerung and Stille Betrachtung, reveal the serious symphonist and church composer, the many dances included on this album illuminate a lighter side of the composer. In general, hearing his approach to the piano enriches our understanding of this enigmatic genius.
“As much of the material was taken from study sketch books, these pieces allow us a look into the workshop of this ever-searching spirit. To Kodama, the Bruckner that appears from his works is in many ways more interesting than the various, cliché-ridden accounts of his life and character. Instead, Kodama aims to paint a nuanced Bruckner portrait, gaining depth thanks to the original selection and perspective.
As an interpreter, one is often tempted to approach a piece of music through biographical evidence of the person who created it, in the hope of understanding the work better. This hope grows with the amount of material left behind beyond the music. But it can be deceptive. In the case of Anton Bruckner, I became very aware of this once again.
There is an interesting wealth of sources beyond his works, ranging from precise diary entries to impressive descriptions of his character traits by people who experienced him. He must have been a particular person. This was reported by many of his contemporaries, who sometimes referred to his appearance and behaviour. His supposed submissiveness is cited particularly often. There have been repeated attempts to interpret his personality. But he has probably never been properly understood. How do personality descriptions and character portraits fit with the grandeur and spiritual depth of his great symphonies, for which I am sure I am not the only one to admire him so much?
My selection of pieces for this album reflects this diversity. I have recorded those sketches that I believe express the multiplicity of his musical ideas and thus his thinking and creativity. The short pieces were certainly not written for the public. And yet I feel that they are an important part of Bruckner’s work. They have been underestimated for too long. I am deeply convinced that they are worth hearing.”
Released on Pentatone – buy the album here.