SELECTED REVIEWS FOR “BEETHOVEN”

Petronel Malan: TRANSFIGURED BEETHOVEN on HÄNSSLER
Classical Reviews - Instrumental
Written by Paul Orgel - FANFARE MAGAZINE
Thursday, 11 June 2009

TRANSFIGURED BEETHOVEN • Petronel Malan (pn)
HÄNSSLER 98.286 (78: 32)

HELLER 33 Variations on a Theme by Beethoven. SGAMBATI Minuetto von Beethoven. KALKBRENNER Fantasia for the Piano after Beethoven’s Celebrated Waltz, op. 118. SEISS German Dances. RAFF Romance No. 1 after Beethoven’s op. 40/1. TAUSSIG Transcriptions from Beethoven’s op. 59 and op. 130. FRIEDMAN Ecossaises after Beethoven
The young South African pianist Petronel Malan is an exciting player; her Blüthner, with its rich, singing tone and glittery high register, is beautifully recorded, and I like the program concept very much. “Transfigured Beethoven” follows Malan’s earlier Hänssler recordings of 19th- and 20th-century transcriptions, arrangements and works inspired by Bach and Mozart, “Transfigured Bach” and “Transfigured Mozart.” If she were to follow up with “Transfigured Schubert” with music by Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Godowsky (which she probably wouldn’t since her imaginative programming looks beyond the usual suspects), Malan would invite direct comparison with the great Marc-André Hamelin, whose playing hers resembles. That is to say, it is full of color, energy, variety of touch, and the feeling of spontaneity, yet elegant and informed by good taste.
Her program maintains a balance between works of real substance and relative fluff. The opening set of 33 Variations by Stephen Heller is a major work by a composer best known for his miniature, Schumannesque piano etudes for students. This is a large-scale, free-spirited, and entirely unacademic piece with big technical demands. Based on Beethoven’s 32 Variations in C Minor, WoO 80, it begins with a statement of Beethoven’s short, passacaglia-like theme. Subsequent variations occasionally make reference to Beethoven’s original set, and there are clever references to various other Beethoven works in C Minor: the Fifth Symphony, and the Piano Trio, op. 1/3, as well as a nod to the opening of the Ninth Symphony. It would be fascinating to hear the original Beethoven variations followed by Heller’s set, perhaps comprising the first half of a recital program by Petronel Malan.
Giovanni Sgambati’s Minuetto is based on the playful third movement from Beethoven’s String Trio, op. 3, and Malan plays it in the spirit of its being a Romantic transcription with far more exaggerated rubato than a string trio would use in the original.
Joachim Raff is represented by his adaptation of the Romance in G for violin and orchestra. Complementing these more relaxed pieces are virtuosic works by Kalkbrenner, Ignaz Friedman, and the little-known Isidor Seiss (1840–1905), a Cologne pedagogue.
I am familiar with the piece used by Kalkbrenner in his Fantasia as a well-known waltz in A♭ by Schubert (D 365/op. 9/2), but the liner notes say that it is listed in the Kinsky catalog of Beethoven’s unpublished works as the Sehnsucht-waltz , WoO 14/1. I have also seen the Kalkbrenner listed elsewhere as the Fantasia for Piano on Diabelli’s Waltz ! Not that it’s terribly important, but my guess is that the waltz may have been a popular tune published by Diabelli, by neither Beethoven nor Schubert, but appropriated by both composers. In any case, Kalkbrenner’s Fantasia is really an elaborate set of variations that foreshadow some of the techniques that Schumann used in his “Abegg” Variations and Malan plays them dazzlingly.
The other major offering, besides the Heller variations, is a series of four transcriptions of movements from Beethoven’s string quartets by the short-lived Carl Taussig (1841–1871) whom Liszt considered to be his greatest pupil. Three of these are among Beethoven’s most sublime slow movements—from the first and third “Razumovsky” quartets, and the Cavatine from op. 130— and it is fascinating to hear them in these very faithful, unsimplified keyboard transcriptions. (The fourth is the quirky Allegretto movement from the second “Razumovsky” quartet, which sounds truly difficult to play.) All but the Heller and Sgambati are world premiere recordings. Highly recommended.

Transfigured Beethoven
Jeremy Nicholas - Gramophone Magazine, April 2009

"Beethoven as you've never heard him before in an imaginative programme"

No less than eight of these 10 transcriptions are world premiere recordings. One suspects Beethoven might have had a sense of humour bypass over Stephen Heller's 33 Schumannesque variations on the theme of the 32 Variations in c minor with its cheeky quotes from the Fifth Symphony and Waldstein Sonata. As entertainingly anachronistic is Kalkbrenner's Fantasia on the spurious Sehnsuchtwaltz, WoO 14/ 1, as it is listed in the Kinsky catalogue. Less vapid than some of the Kalkbrenner's note-spinners, it is a most effective piece, well worthy of being revived. Isidor Seiss manages to combine in this three freely transcribed German Dances most of the themes from Beethoven's 12 German Dances, Raff offers a resourceful adaptation of the Romance no. 1 for violin and orchestra, Friedman a Godowskian treatment of the Ecossaises.
The most significant works here, though, are the four Tausig transcriptions of string quartet movements, as respectful as they are ingenious. The Scherzo from Op. 59 no 2 and perhaps more surprisingly, the Cavatina from Op. 130 (which also attracted Alkan's attention) strike me as particularly successful. Someday, someone will give Tausig the attention he is due and record everything he wrote.
I enjoyed Ms. Malan's "Transfigured Mozart," despite some reservations about her tone production. I enjoyed even more this equally imaginative programme, one in which the panache and infectious high spirits she brings to the more extrovert pieces are matched by her sensitive handling of some long-breathed transfigured strong solos.

Muzyka21.com
July/August 2009
Review of "Transfigured Bach" "Transfigured Mozart" and "Transfigured Beethoven." by Pianist Petronel Malan
Hänssler Classic

Hänssler has caused unusual joy for collectors by publishing three albums of piano transcriptions of the works of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Most of the transcriptions recorded here were made by Ignacy Friedman and Carl Tausig, and up to this point they sat useless in library collections. The recording was made over the span of 7 years by South African Pianist Petronel Malan, and exceptionally talented artist. Her career began at age 12, her first performance in Europe took place in 1987.
On the first cd, devoted to Bach, we have his works arranged for piano. On the remaining cd's, we have rather variations on themes by Mozart and Beethoven, requiring more creative input from the composers.
This is an excellent overview of this kind of work in the second half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century.
The first of these albums, sacrificed to Bach, is the recorded debut of this pianist. It was doubtless a very brave move on her part - the cd created was different than all others, enabling the interest of many connoisseurs seeking new interests.
The pianist used for this recording a piano by the Blüthner company.
The represented transcriptions were made by real masters of this art. The biggest pleasure comes from listening to works that came from the pen of Friedman or Tausig, not only because of their mastery, but for the possibility of their discovery. Praise to the South African pianist for doing what Polish pianists should be doing.
Petronel Malan plays with a beautiful sound, without apparent effort. She is able to feel the style of the Baroque as well as the Classical. Her art with each cd becomes even better, but it's hard to say which I would put in first place. They complete one another.
Very interesting, highly recommended set.

SELECTED REVIEWS FOR “TRANSFIGURED MOZART”

Alan BECKER
American Record Guide

"Transfigured"  is correct, for most of these pieces are anything but simple transcriptions of the composer's music. At almost 30 minutes, Max Reger's Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Mozart as arranged by Karl Salomon, is the longest of the works here. With the distinguishing orchestral colors missing, the music can become a bit of a trial, but South African-born pianist Malan, following up her effective debut album, "Transfigured Bach", makes a feast of it. A lot of this is owing to Salomon's always interesting pianistic writing, but let's give credit also to the rich palette of colors conjured up by some exceptional pianism.
Glinka's Mozart Variations uses the glockenspiel solo from Magic Flute as its point of departure. Following the theme are three variations and a coda-all in the space of six minutes. Since Glinka's original score was lost, this is a reconstruction by his sister Lyudmila Shestakova. She had to be a reasonably good pianist to handle the splashy variations. Hummel obviously knew what he was doing when he wrote his Fantasina on a Theme of Figaro. This free fantasy based on 'Non piu andrai' is both imaginative and great fun to listen to. Malan sounds like she's enjoying every bit of it, and her playing sparkles with sunshine and wit. Opera is also the source for Joachim Raff’s Souvenirs de Don Giovanni. The ever popular Don is the subject of yet another fantasy that draws freely on Mozart's thematic riches. This potpourri is always musical in presentation and avoids most of the empty rhetoric that one finds in Thalberg's fantasies. Malan copes without difficulty with the technical writing that does not stray too far from the tunes. Thalberg, on the other hand, is on his best behavior for the 'Lacrimosa' from the Requiem. His very respectful transcription declines any embellishing of Mozart's sublime writing.
Alkan's Andante from the Quartet 18 is pretty straightforward and not at all what one might expect from his other piano writing. Ignaz Friedman's tinkering with the Romance from 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' and the Minuet from the Divertimento with two horns burdens the music with arpeggios, key changes, tweaked harmonies, and lots of romantic rubato. If you can accept that, it all works very well in the hands of the comely Petronel, who seems to imbue everything she plays with conviction and style. Given the fine sound and excellent notes, this should be another hit for the pianist.

International Record Review, December 2006
Mozart: A final anniversary survey of CDs by Peter Branscomb

"... As indeed for a more experience aficionado would "Transfigured Mozart", a 2005 recital by South African pianist Petronel Malan, who has had the challenging notion to build a programme of transcriptions of Mozartian themes made by Hummel, Glinka, Thalberg, Alkan, Raff, Ignaz Friedman and Reger (an arrangement by Karl Salomon of the Variations and Fugue, Op. 132). This generous, closely recorded CD shows Malan and her Blüthner to excellent advantage."

Petronel Malan (Hänssler Classic) **** (4 stars)
GAUDISC ABC de las Artes y las Letras, September 2006

It lacks, in an epoch of encredulity and irreverence, to add another release to the Mozart anniversary year - but this includes laborious hours from the most diverse transcribers.... There is a lot of curiosity in this program of "transfigurations" interpreted by the South African pianist Petronel Malan who seam to be a specialist in this type of adventures and praised by previous releases of the works of Bach.... One realizes, as was said by Max Reger "we need Mozart as much as possible" and yet, for that reason, the Theme and Variations, Op. 132 for orchestra in a solo piano version (which is already a transcription of a transcription) crowns this brilliant recording of Petronel Malan.

MUSICUS MAGAZINE Volume 3 - 4.2.06 - A South African Journal for Music Teaching, National Magazine, South Africa

".... With Petronel Malan's recent nationwide tour, she proved once again what a unique musician she truly is. Her simply astonishing technical abilities fall in conjuction with her musicality..... The recording was made at the Blüthner Piano Factory in Leipzig, Germany and the sound quality is uniquely natural...."

Louis Heyneman
Die Burger, Cape Town

MALAN EXHIBITS FULL COLOUR PALETTE OF THE GRAND PIANO

The first time I saw Petronel Malan in action was at the Hennie Joubert Competition in Wellington. She was not quite 12 years old. Her technical abilities stunned everyone and her musical insight was already very mature for her tender age. Some years later, when she won the SABC Music Prize - the most sought after piano competition in South Africa at the time - no one was surprised. Last year, her début album, Transfigured Bach, was nominated for 3 Grammy Awards, including "Best Instrumental Solo Album." And suddenly the rest of the world knows what music lovers in South Africa knew a long time ago: Petronel Malan is a talent of world caliber.
Her second album, Transfigured Mozart, was recently released during a tour of her home country of South Africa. The Mozart-transcriptions of Liszt, Godowski and Busoni are all very well known and thus not included in this recording. The seven selections were carefully chosen - mostly her own research - to present lesser-known yet interesting works. Stylistically the works span more than 150 years, from the development of the piano as the delicate "Hammerklavier" to the modern grand piano. There are works of Hummel (a student of Mozart), Alkan, Thalberg, Glinka, Friedman, Reger and Raff.
The company, "Hänssler Classic" also emphasizes to the listener that Malan uses Blüthner pianos for her recordings. For the layman it might sounds like unnecessary information, but for the connoisseur it is an enormously important point because the most delicate sound palette is created through a determined philosophy and technique: In most pianos, the hammer hits three standard upper strings - but the Blüthner pianos uses a 4th and raised string for these upper notes, named "Aliquot." This "floating string" gives the pianos an exceptional singing tone, a noticeable different character than the brilliant, piercing sound of a Steinway. Not necessarily better, just different.
It is clear that Malan possesses an exceptional affinity for die Blüthner sound. With her brilliant articulation, attention to timbre and balance of sounds and colours, each work is a discovery. Her interpretations are sometimes individualistic, but never uninteresting or without musical merit.
Sigismund Thalberg's uncomplicated transcriptions of the heart wrenching Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem becomes a polished sound-creation where all the emotions of the orchestra and choir are combined. The balance between the soft bass-sounds and the singing melodic line in this performance is just right.
One of the works where the sound-palette are most obvious, is Joachim Raff's (1822 - 1992) Souvenirs de Don Giovanni - a dramatic work based on themes of Mozart's opera with the same name. It is striking how she manages to actually create two different sound-palettes at the same time! The growling bass-register strikingly carries the dramatic character of Mozart's darkest opera and the bell-like upper register emphasizes the playful elements.
Ignaz Friedman's elegant transcription of the Romance from "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" requires that the pianist executes five or 6 string parts at the same time. The album concludes with the monumental "Variations and Fugue on a theme of Mozart" by Max Reger - based on the opening theme of Mozart's Piano Sonata in A major (K. 331). Mozart's original composition is also a set of variations, but Reger transforms the theme in a completely different manner. It was originally composed for both orchestra and two-pianos by Reger and Karl Salomon adapted it for solo piano.
It is a work of extremes where the performer's technical abilities and musical intellect are pushed to the utmost in the large architectural structure of the work. The illusion of 2 pianos are kept through-out the piece and creates enormous challenges for the solo performer.
The first challenge already appears in the first variation where the inner-melodies within the multi-motivic texture, must continue seamless singing. The 5th Variations with is altering, multi-faceted material often happening at the same time, is a technical nightmare - while the persevering melodic line of the subtle 8th variations sounds deceivingly simple, but in truth requires great musical insight.
The work ends with an unforgiving fugue which builds almost to breaking point, has a slightly calmer middle-sections, only again to slowly build to a great and stately climax. Here, the glory of the modern grand piano and it's sound pallet is fully exhibited.
All that one can add at this point, is “BRAVO!”

James E. Leonard
All Media Guide

Mozart?” Yes, indeed, transfigured Mozart. Eschewing either original works or the best-known arrangements, South African pianist Petronel Malan has chosen transcriptions which radically transform, nay, transfigure Mozart’s music. From Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s brilliantly post-Classical “Fantasina on a theme of Figaro” through Sigismund Thalberg’s austerely reverential “Larcrimose tiré du Requiem de Mozart” to Reger’s massively virtuosic “Variations and Fugue on a Theme by W. A. Mozart” – the theme, by the way, is Mozart’s theme for the set of variations that open his famous A major Piano Sonata – Malan has unearthed works which allow us to hear Mozart with wholly new ears.
And in every case, Malan performs them with commanding technique – no easy thing in Reger’s gnarly fugue – comprehensive tone (everything from the most hushed pianissimo to the thickest textures sings with full-throated ease), and unstinting generosity; Joachim Raff’s “Souvenirs de Don Giovanni” may not be the greatest music ever composed but you’d never know it from Malan’s sympathetic performance. Released in the Mozart year of 2006, “Transfigured Mozart” will be a relief to those who already have enough recordings of the standard Mozart repertoire and a delight to those who cherish great piano playing.
Hänssler’s recording of Malan’s sweet-toned Blüthner grand is the next best thing to sitting next to her on the bench.

Nominated for three Grammy Awards !

The Complete Bach Transcriptions of Béla Bartók, Dinu Lipatti, and Ignaz Friedman.
Internationally released in 2003.

SELECTED REVIEWS FOR “TRANSFIGURED BACH”

Classical Voice of North Carolina: Marvin J. Ward: April 2007

This CD, her recording début, was nominated for three Grammy awards: best instrumental soloist performance for Malan; best engineered album, classical and producer of the year, classical... It was recorded at the renowned Skywalker Sound studio in Nicasio, CA.

The list of transcribers is a bit deceiving, for there are only one each (albeit the longest works on the CD) by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók and Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti all ten others, mostly less than five minutes long, are by Polish pianist-composer Ignaz Friedman. Three of the works have here their world première recordings. This one is in some ways a "Bach's Greatest Hits" recording, since it presents so many of his best-known melodies, but it has a pleasing freshness nonetheless. Malan's sensitive touch, always varied to suit the individual piece or section thereof, and always exploiting fully the potential of the instrument to showcase the music, is well-nigh astonishing. It is easy to see why this superb recording earned her a Grammy nomination.

Peter J. Rabinowitz
Fanfare Magazine Jan/ Feb 2004
…Malan’s impressive debut disc is filled out with respectful (indeed, nearly anonymous) transcriptions by Bartok and Lipatti. Seriousness of purpose is a prominent feature of Malan’s disc… Not that she eschews flamboyance entirely (her performance of the Toccata and Fugue is especially dramatic in its variety of color and articulation). Nor is she incapable of elegance (especially in the Lipatti transcription) or ravishing simplicity... her tone is more uniformly full-bodied, her structural highlighting (both her accentuation and her rubato) more emphatic, her demeanor more methodical, her attention more steadfast…”

Paul Boekkooi
Rapport Magazine September 2003
Petronel Malan's Stunning Debut
”…The voice of the master of masters, Bach himself, comes through in each selection. Petronel Malan illuminates the perspective of the three giants who lived two centuries after Bach… Malan's musical intuition and rock-solid conviction, she ensures that none of this pain dissipates into mere vanity or musical prettiness. She lets the Friedman sound go its own way, as in the opening part of the Brandenburg Concerto no. 3, where she powerfully masters the nearly molto perpetuo quality of the music and its cunning changes. She can also dream, as in the two different versions of “Wachet auf,” or in the slow romantic approach to “Nun kommt…” Lipatti's ethereal, purely pianistic language in the Pastorale in F stuns, while the genius of Bartok magically transforms the three-voiced Trio Sonata No. 6 in G Major into a typical mid-European piano idiom. Elements such as balance, phrasing, and timing are in excellent hands with Petronel Malan. Her musicality is infinite while still expressing a distinct pianistic personality...”

Matthias Lange
www.klassik.com  July 2003
A Courageous Debut with Bach Transcriptions
“…Malan has taken risks for her CD debut and has been remarkably successful, as this courageous disc proves... Strength & Grace: Pianistic Personality. Petronel Malan has found her own path through these scores… With the variety of musical perspectives present on this disc, Ms. Malan always places emphasis on sound over structure -- an approach that actually permits a further insight into the structures in Bach’s music. Malan has an excellent understanding of the melodic fabric and the inner pulse of each piece, which is always reflected in her phrasing. These are not hollow “sequels” of the original works – their fundamental pianistic quality is always in evidence. Her expressive range spans the distance from stormy, passionate outbursts to extraordinarily tender, intimate moments… an altogether smooth, and balanced tone production. Malan finds surprising solutions again and again in her expression of the music’s dynamics. On closer inspection, Ms. Malan further reveals musical microcosms, with iridescent shifts in color and a “cantabile” sense of phrasing to develop a sense of organic unity. This is the extremely successful debut of an artist whose further development we will follow with interest -- and whose programming and musicality hold great promise.”

Rupert Mayr
The Herald newspaper December 2004
Fine CD debut by SA pianist
”Malan selected an exceptionally interesting program that she entirely devoted to transcriptions of works by J.S Bach… It needs a pianist like Petronel Malan to brilliantly master the fiendish difficulties of some of the works. Every now and then, passages widely spaced over the entire keyboard closely resemble a texture one normally associates with piano duets. Often, further demands are added by the complexity of a contrapuntal idiom that requires a clear separation of individual lines.
Malan’s impeccable technique, however, merely provides the basic tool for taking the listener on a highly enjoyable journey through a cleverly arranged succession of widely different styles and moods. After an exciting rendering of Bach’s Toccata, she next concentrates on music of a lyrical character, paying lovely attention to the ongoing interaction of melodic lines typical of Friedman’s transcription technique. An always perfect blend of dynamic subtleties, phrasing, ever varying touch and sound qualities helps to convincingly convey even a message originally entrusted to a singer.
Thus she makes us see the pastoral scene of “safely grazing sheep”, hear the watchman’s call to “Wake up” and sense the joy of the “faithful heart”. In the same way she later conveys the full tragedy of the Heavens’ Savior. She finally crowns her program with yet another great work: the Organ Sonata No.6 in Bartók’s highly demanding transcription. An album that can be highly recommended to any music lover.”

Piet Meiring
Music column for “Kruispunt” Johannesburg March 2004
Hooray for Charlize and Petronel!
”Apart from Charlize Theron there is another South African conquering the world with her charm and professionalism… This recording, in all aspects is a winner. The music is grippingly beautiful and Malan, with her fine-tuned sensitivity and overwhelming talent, respects and honors the original music of Bach all the way. It is the type of recording one can listen to day after day without tiring. A word of advice to all the Charlize-admirers who queued up to see “Monster”, do yourself a huge favor and listen to Transfigured Bach. It is an equally huge accomplishment.”

Farhan Malik
International Record Review January 2004
“Friedman's transcriptions are worth a listen. At times they can sound a bit overblown, but the chorale and cantata arrangements are quite beautiful. The two transcriptions by Bartok and Lipatti are, surprisingly, very faithful to Bach's originals. Malan generally prefers a crisp, dry sonority, which works well in the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor. When Malan employs more pedal and legato, as in her performances of Bach's Siciliano and "Mein gläubiges Herze" from Cantata BWV 68, the results are delightful.”

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
July 5, 2003
Sure pasture
”…Malan chose from the long list of illustrious Bach-transcribers, three East-Europeans. With her varying articulation and colors of tone, with her energy and brilliance, Malan unfold the layers of sound in this colorful painting so clearly that Bach himself, do not disappear…”

John Phillips
www.musicweb.uk.net   February 2004
”…All of the transcriptions on this disc are very expertly done and Miss Malan plays very competently with a well-rounded tone (and delivers) a recording, which is of good quality… This is a disc, which will provide a good reminder of Miss Malan’s undoubted gifts, and Hänssler is to be complimented on taking the risk with such repertoire with a new up and coming artist.”