Debussy, Mariani, Poulenc, Prokofiev: Visions, Suites for Piano

The works recorded in this Da Vinci Classics album constitute an itinerary depicting how the piano can convey “impressions”. Of course, the word “impressions” brings to the mind the related word “impressionistic”. As an aesthetical category, the term “impressionistic” has been used in musical criticism, but in a rather controversial fashion. On the one hand, in the works by such composers as Debussy and Ravel (among others) there undoubtedly are elements which can be related with the paintings by such impressionist masters as Monet, Manet, Renoir and (perhaps especially) Gauguin. On the other hand, there are chronological differences which cannot be ignored, and the symbolist dimension of the musical works should not be downplayed.
In this album, some “impressionist” elements are certainly found, especially in Debussy’s Estampes. Here we find an interest in exoticism which seems to correspond to Gauguin’s fascination with Polynesia: Pagodes is the musical evocation and “French translation”, so to speak, of the Javanese gamelan music heard by Debussy at the Universal Exposition of Paris (1889). The sound of this percussion orchestra is recreated through complex timbral choices, while the organization of both tones and rhythms mirrors rather faithfully the principles of gamelan improvisation. Another kind of exoticism is found in Soirée dans Grenade, with its colourful depiction of a Spanish evening, with its evocation of guitar sounds and of melancholic sounds, testifying to the continuing interest of French culture towards Spain. A still other kind of “exoticism” is that of Jardins sous la pluie: here the world which is aurally evoked is not that of a geographically far country, but rather that of past time and experience. The melody perceived in the midst of the piano’s semiquavers is a children’s song, thus bringing the listener back to childhood memories, while the complex piano writing suggests the delicate percussive sound of rain, along with occasional gushes of wind.
Some “impressionistic” suggestions are also found in Prokofieff’s Visions fugitives. Instead of Debussy’s three pieces, this Suite is made of twenty very short pieces, composed between 1915 and 1917. The title is derived from a poem by Konstantin Balmont, who improvised it during a soirée at which Prokofieff was present. Translated by a French-speaking guest, the lines gave their title to the collection, which is in fact made of seemingly unrelated moments, of “impressions”, some of which have “impressionistic” overtones, whereas others are rather reminiscent of Scriabin’s style. Here too we find timbral suggestions, particularly in the case of Pittoresco, whose evocation of the harp is so poignant that Prokofieff himself later transcribed it for the harp.
Prokofieff, being a great pianist himself, knew perfectly well how to create fascinating musical textures by putting into relief the virtuoso, expressive and suggestive resources of the instrument; this collection splendidly represents his rich palette.
Still other “impressions” are those found in Poulenc’s Napoli Suite, which represents another kind of “exoticism”: here the unknown or the characteristic are embodied by the Italian atmosphere of Naples, seen through the lenses of enchantment, irony and vivacity. The first piece, Barcarolle, evokes the quiet atmosphere of the seaside and is reminiscent of impressionist suggestions thanks to the beautiful representation of water through sounds. The second, Nocturne, is enchanted and dreamy, and employs a rarefied writing of great harmonic refinement. The third, Caprice italien (whose title mirrors that of the eponymous work by Tchaikovsky), is another very brilliant piece, in which moments of dazzling virtuosity alternate with more expressive sections.
The album is completed by a new composition by Maria Gabriella Mariani, who reinterprets the concepts underlying the works of the other composers, but gives them new life and a new kind of actuality through the modern perspective of her own artistic personality. Her writing is full of ideas, stimuli and charm, and beautifully complements the works of her earlier counterparts.
Album Notes by Chiara Bertoglio

Twentieth-century Suites are very different from their Baroque counterparts. They have lost many of the former’s harmonic and formal connotations, and have become a collection of musical moments united by an existential experience, by a particular theme, or by a powerful connotation of mood. The four Suites collected in this thematic itinerary constitute a kind of “Suite of suites”. I did not intend to present four ways of considering the musical genre in itself, but rather four different ways, including my own, of connecting a series of pieces.
The first consideration regards the formal aspect. I think that the composer who respected the bipartite structure most faithfully is Prokofieff in his Visions Fugitives op. 22, written in 1915-7. Debussy follows suit emphasizing the reprise, even though, in the last piece of his Estampes (1903), his vision overcame the formal rigour. The same would be done twenty years later by Poulenc. The last piece of his Suite Napoli, Caprice Italien, is a kaleidoscope of reminiscences and thematic fragments influenced by the Mediterranean folklore and colours. As concerns the Suite Mediterranea somehow respects the reprise of the exposed theme(s), even though the central section of the development is enormously wide and varied. Therefore, the three pieces of this Suite (written between 2009 and 2019) could be assimilated to as many first movement of Sonatas or Fantasias.
On the harmonic plane, none of the composers strays from an eminently tonal language. Between Debussy and Prokofieff the most forward-looking is possibly Prokofieff. Or perhaps Debussy, although in a less evident fashion. Or possibly each in his own way, following their respective stylistic choices which are precise and equally evident. Poulenc as well as my composition appear to be the most traditional ones. However, neither the language nor the harmonic choice in themselves decree the modernity of a composer’s style. It is not by chance that Napoli and Mediterranea are the most recent of the four works, and, most importantly, it is not by chance that Poulenc defined himself as an “unlabelled musician”.
The thing which enthused me most, and which still fascinates me every time I practise and perform these pieces, is in fact the beauty and variety of expressions, perceptions, visions and feelings, always new, and completing each other; they provide me with a kaleidoscope of emotions, each of which is unique, timeless, authentic. Indeed, the time I spent practising these works coincided with the lockdown, and I wanted to share this experience with others by creating a format titled “I practise with you”. There, I gave lessons to myself and I indirectly communicated to my audience the ideas and principles inspired by the works (rather than the results).
I tried to “see” the Visions fugitives, to “feel” the Oriental echoes, or the habanera rhythm and flamenco motifs by Debussy. I imagined the water’s sound among the green of the Orbec gardens, resisting the temptation to obtain a clearly percussive sound, but rather searching for it in that suggestive and picturesque setting. As concerns Poulenc, my work consisted in joining the Mediterranean element to his language, which is synthetical, never simple, crystal-clear but at the same time sibylline, elegant but never coy, humorous but, most importantly, classically new and modern.
Suites as journeys. A journey beginning in Russia, crossing France and reaching the Mediterranean. In Debussy’s own words, “If you can’t afford to travel, you have to use your imagination instead”. Therefore, we encounter a collection of illustrated and varied postcards. They have lost the constitutive element of the typical dance connotation, and they constitute, instead, as many evocations and characterizations. Possibly, it is for this reason that Prokofieff’s notes adhere much more closely to states of mind than to conventional steps; that the titles chosen by Debussy and Poulenc are bound to places of the mind and of memory (from the Eastern and Spanish atmospheres to the oarsmen of the Barcarolle, to the sea in the background of Nocturne, to the tarantella rhythm mixed with Neapolitan song in Caprice Italien). Within this context my suite is also found. Here, Solo joins the intimate element with fragments of Neapolitan folklore. The Canzone di Pulcinella speaks for itself and constitutes a reinterpretation of myth in a melancholic key. Finally, in Chef Tango the dance element is transfigured by the juxtaposition to the piece’s dedicatee, Mario Chef, and the tango becomes nothing more than an image of memory.
However, these aspects which are so intensely felt must constantly be related with the balance and interpretive composure required by almost all the composers represented here. In other words, we are not facing something similar to the Années de pélèrinage, even though the most touching moments are influenced by a century in which Romanticism lives only in memory. The evocation of tonal harmony or the reference to forms of the past will not suffice to resuscitate it.

Album Notes: Maria Gabriella Mariani, November, 2020
Translation: Chiara Bertoglio