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Stories   >   On 'LIVE & ENCORES,' Burkard Schliessmann's questing mind and solid technique convince at every level / Fanfare

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On 'LIVE & ENCORES,' Burkard Schliessmann's questing mind and solid technique convince at every level / Fanfare

Posted: November 2, 2023

Fanfare writes….From the grand, rolled chords of the “Sinfonia” of Bach’s Second Partita, several things become clear: this is an interpretation of conviction and clarity, caught in ideal sound and performed on a phenomenally well-prepared piano. The piano in question is a Fazioli F278, and heard on home turf; it is unsurprisingly in peak condition.

It is in Schliessmann’s use of gesture set against underlying harmonic/structural process that the genius of this reading of the Second Partita lies. The later section of the “Sinfonia” scurries along; there is real insight in the “Allemande,” too, lines unfolding limply yet with each note perfectly weighted. Again, there is a close-knit relationship between the local (the touch itself) and the higher structural level (here, the phrase). The “Courante” breathes nobility, the relationship of anacrusis and downbeat clearly micro-analysed prior to performance, ornaments always stylistically applied. Similarly, Schliessmann’s left-hand bass articulation in the “Sarabande,” a mezzo-staccato as if the notes came from a bowed cello, is both carefully judged and perfectly executed. How teasingly Schliessmann articulates the “Rondeau”. The final “Capriccio” is taken at a steady pace, granting it a patina of tranquility underneath the surface activity. This is a fascinating reading, and the live provenance only adds to its heartfelt veracity. 

The well-known Italian Concerto also begins with an imperiously rolled chord. Ornaments once more adorn the musical surface with grace, and Bach’s harmonic sleights are well realised, in particular interrupted cadences. The central movement is taken daringly slowly, each left-hand note placed carefully, over which the right hand sings. Clarity is once more the watchword for the finale, with a repeated marked emphasis on the opening downward leap. There is an impulsive side to Schliessmann’s interpretation that is most appealing. The finest of the Bach performances, though, is that of the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, where gesture is all in the Fantasia. Fantasy is in the title and suffuses Schliessmann’s performance, contrasting this with the stricter fugue. There are moments of real grandeur, as if this were a transcription of an organ fugue, yet linear definition is never once compromised. The final high treble statement of the fugue seems to stretch out to the Heavens. Remarkable.

The Bach performances form a valuable appendix to Schliessmann’s Goldberg Variations. In an interview around that release in Fanfare 31:3,   Schliessmann articulates his thoughts around Bach performance, with especial reference to playing that piece on a modern piano. It is worthwhile remembering (and in a sense, the performances’ integrity) remind us that Schliessmann was at one time a pupil of the great organist Helmut Walcha, whose emphasis on the independence of voices in Bach was clearly a lesson well learned..

The account of Mendelssohn’s Variations sérieuses that follows reveals parallels with his Bach, most notably in the independence of lines (the very first variation is a clear example of this). One of Mendelssohn’s most loved works, the Variations sérieuses emerges here as a pillar of the piano repertoire. The imagination of Mendelssohn's writing is emphasized (the fifth variation), while the sixth reminds us that Mendelssohn was perfectly capable of writing angst-laden music (think of the F-Minor String Quartet, too). The facility of the seventh variation is an object lesson in piano playing. The suddenly strict part-writing of the tenth variation is given with real sobriety of outlook, and that same analytical slant shines through variation 13. The whole coheres beautifully, leading to a finale shot through not just with dexterous energy, but with real beauty, so those final chords carry huge weight.

Over on the second disc, the Schumann Fantasie blazes forth. My review of Schliessmann’s previous recording of this (from the disc At the Heart of the Piano) appeared in Fanfare 45:3. That was a performance of huge integrity; this, too, but this one is perhaps more human at heart. One feels the impetuous surges of emotion a touch more in the first movement. I have previously written on Schliessmann’s chameleon way with the piano, that he adapts his sound appropriately to each composer. And so it is here, with Schumann as sonorous and as burnished as they come. The Fazioli supports this approach fully. The chords that close the first movement are just superbly judged, and how the recording reproduces the piano’s tone perfectly. It is in the “song” of the finale that Schliessmann really shines though. Many pianists over-project when the line goes to the middle or lower voices, but Schliessmann gets it just right. There is a momentum to Schliessmann’s finale that also feels entirely natural. Schliessmann’s interpretations just keep growing in maturity.

It is a rather nice touch that the final piece on the program was Chopin’s Waltz, op. 64/2, and the first encore is Schumann's “Chopin” movement from Carnaval. The waltz rhythm of op. 64/2 is maintained as in few other performances, and yet the poignant undercurrent remains intense. Nothing is rushed, and yet scales still sparkle, melodies sing, and the rubato is entirely convincing. Schumann’s take on Chopin really does sound like a Schumannesque Chopin Impromptu; This is a dream of a performance: one revels both in the loveliness of the piano and in Schliessmann’s playing. Finally, back to Schumann for “Warum?,” at once a heart-led outpouring and a study in perfect part-writing: Schliessmann voices the individual lines so that it sounds like a conversation between several participants. A great way to end a fabulous recital.

An almost equal participant in this project is the sound engineer Matteo Costa, who works miracles in capturing the sound of an instrument Schliessmann is clearly besotted with (and rightly so). Detailed and expansive booklet notes by Schliessmann himself are the icing on the Fazioli cake. Schliessmann’s questing mind and solid technique present us with interpretations that convince at every level. Recommended. Colin Clarke

Five stars: Schliessmann’s questing mind and solid technique present us with interpretations that convince at every level

January / February 2024  · Volume 47, Number 3

LIVE & ENCORES  ?  Burkard Schliessmann (pn)  ? DIVINE ART 25755 (two SACDs: 93:35) Live: FAZIOLI Concert Hall, Sacile, Italy, 4/3-5/2023

BACH Partita No. 2 in c, BWV 826. Italian Concerto in f, BWV 971. Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in d, BWV 903.MENDELSSOHN Variations sérieuses in d, op. 54. SCHUMANN Fantasie in C, op. 17. CHOPIN Valse in cT , op. 64/2. Encores: SCHUMANN Carnaval, op. 9: No. 12, Chopin. Fantasiestücke, op. 12: No. 3, Warum?.