Notes and Editorial Reviews
CHOPIN
The 4 Scherzos
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Jonathan Oshry (pn)
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JOSHRY.COM (38:06)
The South African pianist Jonathan Oshry is an intriguing figure. He studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with a pianist I like very much, Ronan O’Hora. O’Hora’s virtues as an artist are clarity in execution and shapeliness in his phrasing, qualities that Oshry has incorporated into his musical thinking. Interestingly, Oshry has combined an extensive musical education with a bachelor’s of commerce degree from the University of South
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Africa. His multiplicity of interests probably helps to make him an especially sensitive and thoughtful performer. I listened to his Chopin scherzos four times, and each time the experience grew richer. Oshry is marketing a download of this recording, with a higher resolution than the CD affords, from joshry.com. He writes, “I firmly believe that the long-term future of the classical recording industry lies in self-promotion in the online space.” Certainly since he is not a photogenic wunderkind, Oshry—a mature and seasoned artist—could get lost in the shuffle without “self-promotion.” If a listener makes the value judgment that sensitivity and experience matter in a pianist, the Jonathan Oshrys of this world will benefit.
Not that Oshry is likely to bowl you over. While technically accomplished, he does not possess the sonority in the scherzos of a Marta Deyanova, who establishes a mood just with the voicing of a chord. But Oshry’s thoughtfulness and attention to detail are extremely winning. He opens the First Scherzo impetuously, depicting a turbulent spirit. There is clarity in the thorniest passages; Oshry never overpedals. The A section has a feeling of crashing waves, an epic dimension. Oshry manages the transition to the B section sensitively—indeed, mastery over transitions is one of the hallmarks of his style. The B section sounds somber, expressing gravitas. The composer appears to possess an emotional depth way beyond his years. A sense of repose is shattered with the return of the A material. The passagework here is richly hued.
The Second Scherzo opens with a wide dynamic range. Oshry draws out the lyrical quality of the A section sensitively, without ever becoming maudlin. He portrays it as a dramatic scene. The B section offers a foretaste of Debussy in its sonorities and sparseness. The transition to the return of the A section is exciting and brilliant. Oshry demonstrates a superb sense of structure, leading up to the dénouement in the coda. He makes you appreciate why this is the most popular of the scherzos. In the Third Scherzo, the brief introduction to the first theme has a Lisztian dimension; it is performed with a beautiful scansion. Oshry’s statement of the first theme is rather
marcato
. He plays the second subject with beautiful filigree work, enhancing its grandeur and sobriety. The transition back to the first theme, as usual, is effective. The return of the second subject has darker overtones, as in a landscape painting. These are resolved in a magisterial coda.
The Fourth Scherzo is the only one that opens in the major, but Oshry here depicts a surface calm that does not mask a certain nervousness in its rhythms. There is almost a manic quality in the subordinate figurations, which nearly take over in the transition to the B section. This latter section, in the minor, has a rich yet understated sorrow. The transition back to the A music is highly dramatic. Now this material possesses a forced gaiety that seems rather tragic. A subsequent feeling of fragility leads to a coda that is somewhat perfunctory, almost a mock triumph.
Throughout the scherzos you have the impression that Oshry is a wise and committed performer. The sound engineering, even on CD, is very good, with a clarity that enhances Oshry’s conception. If I were pressed to name my favorite performers in the scherzos, they would be Marta Deyanova, Cécile Ousset, Louis Lortie, and Arthur Rubinstein in 1932. Nevertheless, I greatly enjoyed making the acquaintance of Jonathan Oshry. He is a true artist, and I hope his downloading endeavor prospers. Even a technological troglodyte like me can appreciate the importance of what he’s doing.
FANFARE: Dave Saemann
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Works on This Recording
1.
Scherzo for Piano no 1 in B minor, B 65/Op. 20 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Jonathan Oshry (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1831-1832; Poland
2.
Scherzo for Piano no 2 in B flat minor/D flat major, B 111/Op. 31 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Jonathan Oshry (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1837; Paris, France
3.
Scherzo for Piano no 3 in C sharp minor, B 125/Op. 39 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Jonathan Oshry (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1839; Mallorca (Majorca),
4.
Scherzo for Piano no 4 in E major, B 148/Op. 54 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Jonathan Oshry (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1842; Paris, France
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