Dreamscape

In these recordings the scores have been folded open like origami, so that they have an even more magical impact on the imagination. 

Rodrigues’ deconstructive approach goes so far that at some points the instruments take each other’s place! A contribution by the violins is replaced by a daring intervention by the oboe, tempos become elastic, silences start to talk, the orchestra is treated like a large chamber orchestra with unique personalities, but regardless of the object of every transformation, each change is the result of profound analysis, a carefully thought-out attempt to get the most out of the narrative power of the score and where it all happens in a collaborative dialogue with the members of the orchestra! 

During the recordings, Rodrigues revealed herself to be, apart from a “pianist slash composer,” not so much a talented conductor but rather a team coordinator who took every creative contribution of the individual musicians into careful account, motivated by her desire to stabilize her re-creation and thus to present herself as convincingly as possible to the discerning listener. The result is an astounding semi-live recording. 

Before we take a closer look at the most significant elements, we may give our attention to a number of other important Chopin scores offered as a bonus on this surprising release. 

24 Preludes as a Musical Diary
The two piano concertos are accompanied by a performance of all 24 of Frédéric Chopin’s preludes. Below we consider the unique significance of these works by taking a dive into the past, namely to J.S. Bach’s Wohltemperierte Klavier, an approach which was also explored by Alexander Scriabin, who felt a great affinity with Chopin. Even so the recording of the preludes was also a leap into the past in a much more personal sense for Rodrigues. As we shall see she writes, just like Chopin, her own extremely personal “musical diary” in which she describes nothing less than a highly intense personal experience — that’s exactly what the keys succeed in doing when Rodrigues sets her fingers to the keyboard. 

Piano Concertos – Sensuality Meets Emotional Depth 
Let us start with the first thing that draws our attention. When experiencing these performances of both piano concertos, one once again discovers Rodrigues’ ability to create nothing less than a magical (live) experience suffused with sensory expression and superbly balanced dynamics. Her interpretations touch the heart and allow new musical insights into the unplumbed depths of the music. 

This gives you the feeling that you are “discovering” Chopin for the very first time or that you have been granted a new set of ears. Everything you thought of as being obvious has gone, all the predictability has evaporated, the self-affirming lyricism put aside together with all that o-so power-conscious “masculine” rhetoric. Instead you hear a spellbinding weave of sparkling stars, whose existence was hitherto unknown to you, a wealth of dancing aurora and the splendour of a pinky-red full moon whose cratered face you had never seen before. The metaphors are perhaps over the top but there can be no doubt of the hallucinatory effect of the interpretation. 

For these unique recordings, Rodrigues has worked with the Brussels Philharmonic, although she treats it as if it were an extended chamber ensemble. In this process Instrumentalists were in a way raised to the level of individual artistes, so that their individuality acquired a much deeper and more significant degree of involvement. 

The performance was based on clearly defined and agreed dialogue, parameters and principles. The relentless search for stability gave birth to an original and creatively daring reinterpretation of the two concertos. Such an adventurous course led to parts of the score being revealed in quite different colours, less noticeable subtleties were clarified, and unexpected light was cast on the darker passages. The result is a high quality, multi-facetted, radiant interpretation of Chopin that the listener would hitherto never have dreamed possible. 

Passion and Dedication
As for Chopin himself, it is astonishing to see how much of his boundless creativity and emotional depth are revealed in the two concertos. Rodrigues brings these aspects to life in the finest details of every bar with unequalled passion and dedication. The flair that the score challenges the performer to provide becomes a remarkable opportunity for the pianist to reveal her richly detailed range of narrative expression, rather as if Rodrigues is guiding us round an open-air museum of beautiful sculptures each with a unique story to tell. 

Chopin’s orchestral music, interestingly, was subject to much criticism in the first months following the publication of what is clearly the work of a young composer. Although he was obviously working in his comfort zone, the young Chopin had not yet reached the peak of his powers. For some people his orchestration was far from his strongest point. Even so Chopin had a special way of situating the sound of the piano in the entirety of the musical texture: the strings often appear to create a sort of illuminated halo around the solo melody. The Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 contains a slow passage that in the hands of Rodrigues leaves nobody unmoved. 

Romantic Essence and Virtuosity
At the very least the two piano concertos embody the unique essence of Chopin, the most pianistic composer of the Romantic Period. Rodrigues uses her unequalled virtuosity to put down a visionary interpretation, navigating with ease between the dramatic highpoints and the meditative quiet passages, which must be regarded as among the most uplifting moments of the entire classical repertoire. For me she transforms these concertos into a perfectly breathing “accordion” that elastically pulls open phrases of the music so that time can be used as a lens to focus on the slightest detail, which Rodrigues then nurtures as a flower in the sun of her unrivalled inspiration. Notes press on, succeed one another, but not before they first carefully, then emphatically and finally blatantly and insistently have developed their plea or prayer. 

An Epic Tale of the Human Soul 
During this musical voyage one sees how Chopin, himself a virtuoso pianist, combines his technical dexterity with profound and truly genial emotional nuances. He tells an epic tale of the human soul, with periods of uncertainty, which lead, by way of thorough analysis, into what may reasonably be regarded as nothing short of a utopian liberation. In consequence both piano concertos are true masterpieces and continue to fascinate by the richness of their layered emotion. Rodrigues reveals these essential characteristics in her own unique and highly virtuoso way. 

I hardly need to add that many music lovers will be enchanted by Rodrigues’ performance. Let us not forget that the concertos themselves were enthusiastically embraced by music lovers and critics in the 19th century. To this day they continue to be loved by connoisseurs and, there is no denying it, by young and inexperienced newcomers to the classical music scene as well.

It becomes clear upon the very first listening that Rodrigues brings unsuspected facets of these sparkling and moving piano concerts by Chopin to life, from dramatic obstacles to meditative tranquillity. Her approach, full of daring and rhythmic drive, unveils the harmonic surprises of Chopin in truly breathtaking fashion. 

The First Piano Concert: Juvenilia with an Adult Message
Chopin composed his first piano concert (which was published second) before he turned 20. He started to work on it in Warsaw prior to leaving for Paris. The score was completed in 1830. Once in Paris, the place where he spent most of his adult life, he revised the concerto and dedicated it to his fellow composer Ferdinand Hiller. 

His devotion to his art is tangible in this, instantly recognizable, masterpiece, which not only thoroughly absorbs the history of classical music but also simultaneously enriches it. 

The concerto opens with a powerful statement by the orchestra, followed by emotional piano solos that set the tone of the entire piece. Chopin is known for his lyrical melodies, which Rodrigues examines with verve and imbues with new life. The slow movement (“Larghetto”) contains some of the most moving and lyrical melodies of the romantic piano repertoire. Chopin’s virtuoso piano score with its wealth of content is brought to the foreground by Rodrigues, particularly in the third movement (“Rondo: Vivace”), in which the pianist again glitters in the virtuoso passages and rapid arpeggios. 

The Second Piano Concerto and First Reaction 
The second piano concerto likewise saw the light of day during Chopin’s stay in Paris. He completed the concerto in 1830–1831 and dedicated it to his friend Thomas Albrecht Kürken. In contrast to the present day, there was — at that time — less reporting of the personal opinions of musicians and artists of each other’s work. We know that the concerto was dedicated to Kürken, but there are no extensive documents or records that give us an idea of what his personal thoughts about the piece were. What we do know is that the second piano concerto was immediately recognized as a masterpiece of romantic piano music, largely on the basis of its impressive lyrical and expressive character. We also know that the concerto immediately found its way into the standard repertoire of all pianists of any significance. To this day it continues to be a favored piece for performance and study because of its unrivalled artistic merit, which reveals itself directly on the very first listen. 

Both concertos bear witness to Chopin’s sensitive and lyrical style, even in the virtuoso passages with their delicacy and emotional depth. The use of orchestral colour is innovative, with the orchestra and piano carrying on a series of dialogues that miraculously complement and develop each other. 

When experiencing Rodrigues’ performances one discovers in virtually every musical phrase how this master pianist enriches the harmonic ideas of Chopin with breathtaking speed. 

Polish Roots and French Sensitivity
Chopin, an exile in Paris, interpreted his Polish roots and longing for his homeland in warm romantic sounds. His Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21 has a more refined and restrained feeling than the first. Rodrigues reveals subtle nuances and elegantly developed melodies in the work while retaining Chopin’s characteristic melodiousness. 

Both piano concerts, despite their differences, bear witness to Chopin’s musical elegance and very considerable psychological sensitivity. As we have already seen the second concerto is simply subtler, more elegant and more refined, while still containing innovative piano scoring that explores the limits of the technically possible. 

Preludes
Chopin’s 24 preludes are themselves a masterpiece of expressive and varied piano music. These short, stand-alone pieces, each in another key, embody the romantic spirit of the 19th Century. Chopin drew inspiration from the prelude form of the father of western classical music, J.S. Bach, but gave his own emotional and virtuoso twist to them. 

Chopin’s influence is not limited to his time. Composers such as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Claude Debussy, and Alexander Scriabin were much influenced by the deep emotional range and technical innovations of Chopin’s preludes. Rachmaninoff for example admired the way in which Chopin was able to capture intense emotion in short pieces and integrated this into his own compositions. At the same time Chopin’s preludes also inspired later composers, including those of our own time. Their influence extends to a variety of genres and continues to be felt in the piano music of the 20th and the 21st centuries, thus leaving a lasting impression on the musical canon. 

Musical Diary
It was on the distant island of Mallorca, where he spent the miserably wet winter of 1838–1839 with the novelist George Sand, with whom he had a romantic entanglement that continues to fascinate, that Chopin created his arresting preludes. Mallorca became the crucible of an emotional crisis. A lack of suitable accommodation, a blunt rejection by the local population and the absence of his favorite piano underscored the unbearable sufferings of the composer. A quote from Chopin’s letters to his beloved George Sand reveals the intensity of his feelings, “Je suis dans un lieu étrange, au-delà de la mer et des derniers rochers” (I am in a curious place, beyond the sea and the last rocks). Long before he met Sand, Chopin had devoted his life to another great love whom he was forced to relinquish. Burdened by the bad weather, the lack of a suitable roof over his head and a recurrence of the symptoms of tuberculosis, Chopin composed music on the Mediterranean island that revealed his deepest fears and joys, in what is almost a musical record of the days meticulously worked out in blindingly accurate ideas. To quote Alfred Cortot, the preludes sound like “bells of blood, earthly pleasure and death.” Chopin’s ongoing emotional fluctuations are almost cinematically reproduced in the preludes. Nowhere else does Chopin so firmly record the deepest workings of his heart in his music. 

For Rodrigues, the period of her association with Chopin’s preludes was likewise intense. Following years of close involvement with caring for her ageing and ailing mother, she devoted herself to bringing all her abilities and talent to bear on the final days of this exceptional woman. Her mother had seen her son, a talented pianist called José, die only a short while after falling under the spell of Arthur Rubinstein’s interpretation of Chopin. As a result, Chopin has always been central to Rodrigues’ career as a commemoration of her brother, tempered by the healing force of the love of a mother who kept his memory alive. Mother Rodrigues treasured Eliane’s Chopin project as a final beacon of consolation. She could clearly recall how Eliane was already performing both Chopin concertos when she was hardly 12 years old. 

The dying parent was able to witness at close quarters how Eliane created her own interpretation of the two concertos, recorded in all their brilliance on these CDs as a homage to her beloved mother and devised at home on the grand piano under her mother’s eyes and close to her approving ears. 

Allow Rodrigues, with her mother, to take you by the hand and carry you back in time to experience the romance, passion, and technical brilliance of Chopin’s piano concertos and the 24 preludes. This is your chance to embrace Chopin’s significant achievements in the history of classical music and to enjoy these timeless masterpieces, brought to you as musical gold in an entirely new and gleaming performance! 

I wish you much listening pleasure!

Bart Stouten.