Whatever Sergei Bortkiewicz’s music may lack in weight and profundity (at least in the pieces presented on this disc) it more than makes up for in its abundance of melodic appeal and inventiveness and its romantic strength of spirit. These qualities will already be familiar to those who have sampled Hyperion’s recording of Bortkiewicz’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (Vol. 4 of the Romantic Piano Concerto series, 3/93) and I would say that anyone who enjoyed that will almost certainly derive much pleasure from this, the first volume of his solo piano works.
Of the three sets of works presented here, the Lamentations and Consolations, Op. 17, are certainly the finest in terms of inspiration and quality. Pianistically, and in their dreamy brooding romanticism, they owe much to Liszt, but they impart a highly individual voice too. Less inspired, though attractive and finely wrought nevertheless, are the Aus Andersens Marchen (“Andersen’s Fairy Tales”) which possess a certain salon quality, at times reminiscent of Grieg and even Mayerl. The Ten Preludes, which date from 1926, are more substantial fare – though there remains a degree of unevenness of invention even here. The first opens darkly, Busoni-like in spirit and, together with No. 6, is certainly one of the most imaginative of the set, whilst Nos. 2, 4 and 7 sound a little too like Chopin and Scriabin for my liking. Nevertheless, Bortkiewicz seems incapable of writing unattractive music so one is able to derive pleasure from the pieces here even when the inspiration is not as white-hot as it could be.
Stephen Coombs plays with much conviction and conveys a genuine warmth and affection for Bortkiewicz’s music. I shall certainly look forward to further volumes in this series.'