22.12 min.
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The Sonata No. 1 of Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, notorious for his highly intricate and complex (and, frankly, difficult) piano writing. Sorabji's music could perhaps be described as a kind of super-impressionism, or neo-impressionism, or über-impressionism, something like that. It continues the work of Debussy, Delius, Syzmanowski, and pushes it to the nth degree. In fact, I am reminded of some a tag often applied to Roslavets, who's music was said to be "Scriabin on acid", and I am almost compelled to apply that to Sorabji; perhaps his music might be "Ravel on acid". Such distinctions are meaningless anyway. The influence of Busoni on Sorabji cannot also be underestimated, as shown here in this anecdote written by Sorabji, when they once met to discuss this very work:
When I got to the 'West Wing' in the outer circle of Regent's Park -- to that part of a large house in which Maud Allan lived -- I was shown into a very large overheated room -- obviously Miss Allan's practice room -- and in a few minutes he came in as quietly as a cat and shook hands with me with the courteous grace of manner impossible to the Northern Barbarians. He drew out the manuscript of the First Sonata and said "I want you to play me this"...I was APPALLED. I said, "Signor Maestro, this is terrible...I am no pianist...and to ask me to play in front of YOU...besides, I am no pianist...and to ask me to play in front of YOU...besides, I am in the third day of a long fast." "Never mind, do what you can; music is, after all, to be heard, and I cannot play it." Well, I sat down and got through it, trembling and pouring with sweat. When I had finished he said "I could not have played it better...what would you like me to do?" I said, "Give me a letter which will help me to get it published." "I will do that," he said "But do you say that this music was written in this country?...THIS country?," he repeated, with astonishment in his tone. I assured him it was. "I do not say that I altogether like this music but it has given me the most extraordinary sensations...it is like a tropical forest." I of course took good care to tell him that there was nothing, but nothing English about me. He smiled, and when I said I might give him the manuscript (I had a copy), he said he would very much appreciate it, and would I please write on it "given to Signor Busoni" ...which of course I did. I walked away back to the flat in a sort of ague, trembling from head to foot. That same afternoon I had been invited to see dear Blanche Marchesi (I was with Busoni in the morning) and when she knew I was fasting and wouldn't break my fast until six o'clock (the canonical hour, you know), she wouldn't let me out of the house until she had seen me eat something!
For me this is Sorabji's most effective work for solo piano. My taste leans towards the Sorabji who feels like he's only slightly breaking from tradition; maybe a few wheels came off the wagon, but it hasn't fallen off completely yet. Indeed, Opus Clavicembalisticum and similar works are very effective (usually at being frightening, coupled with moments of introspection), but this Sonata in particular, with it's cyclic nature and vague tonalities, gives the listener something to ache for, to really love. This piece also happens to feature one of my favorite cataclysmic codas of all time, and it's performed of course by the ever wonderful Marc-Andre Hamelin, who does a monumental job here tackling the difficulties of a piece like this.
Tags: Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabj Sonata No. Marc-Andre Hamelin Busoni Debussy Ravel Syzmanowski Delius Roslavets Scriabin Piano Opus Clavicembalisticum
