Medtner - Sonata-Ballade No.8, Op.27

I listen to Medtner's Sonata-Ballade No.8, Op.27 as a celebration of life, with all of its peaks and troughs. Especially given that today I am reminiscing on the good times I had with a good friend and also missing having him around a lot (during these strange times), this piece is especially fitting!

Rather than attempting a musical analysis today, I will once again point out my favorite passages with a click-by-click walkthrough. I really enjoy pianist Geoffrey Tozer's rendition of the piece; his Debussy recordings are fantastic as well.

I. Allegretto

(0:00) Warm opening theme in F# major that immediately draws in the listener.
(5:17) The entire remainder of the first movement (through 9:37) is one extended beautiful moment, with some of the following landmarks:
- (5:17-5:36) The reprise of the opening theme in A major.
- (5:36~6:32) Medtner recasts the original introduction in F# minor to haunting effect.
- (7:26-7:59) Long measure-by-measure sequential transition from F# major to f# minor!
- (7:59-end) Ridiculous extended passage with beautiful anger around 8:13 with the sudden slowdown from adirato (It. 'wrathful'), 8:21 with the stratospheric appassionato (It. 'passionate'), and another dramatic appassionato at 8:48 who energy does not dissipate until the end of the movement.

II. Introduzione e Finale

Introduzione: Mesto

(9:38) Theme of fugue to come and returning melodic motif first played here.
(10:46) Tempo picks up slightly at tenebroso (It. 'dark' or 'somber') with a subdued but driving rhythm. The pace continues to quicken through 11:12.
(11:12) Brilliant arpeggios and daring harmonies last for just a short few moments.
(12:04) The sudden rumbling and flashes of lightning (I'm not referring to any real symbolism here, this is just what I imagine) caught me by surprise. Tozer gives these lines a really compelling dynamic (volume) contour.
(12:14) This insane multiplication of tempo and the sheer volume of sound Tozer conjures out of the piano is fanatical. Contrast this with the delicacy of the opening of the finale!

Finale: Allegro

(12:45) The complete musical idea Medtner strings from 12:45 through 14:12 is completely addictive. Some awesome moments:
- (13:15) Melody stated once on all the offbeats of the inner voice of the right hand, and then immediately played in the inner voice of the left hand with echoes in the right hand continuing in triplets from 13:17 through 13:27. I love how the echo is at once distant and ethereal but also so resonant.
- (13:22) This expansive moment through 13:39 (and especially the 'bass drop' at 13:27) also gets me every time.
- (13:39) The ethereal echo of the left hand tenor-range melody in the right hand part through 14:02 is gorgeous (and the melody itself, which is so warm and comforting in its undulations).
(14:26) Replica of musical idea from 12:45 to 13:39, with shift to F minor at 14:57
- (14:56) Melody on offbeats
- (15:03) Expansive moment ('bass drop' at 15:09)
(15:29) Fugue begins here...
- (16:00) ...and again here...
- (16:25) ...and again here!
(18:32) Restart of original opening figure of the finale
(19:00) Divergence from that opening; novel restatements of the finale theme
(19:23) Canon of the melody from left to right hand (with dense triplet embellishments)!
(19:58) Canon ends here, with beautiful harmonic motion driven by chords in left hand; the chromaticism is so rich (especially at 20:03)!
(20:12) Fantastic scintillating closure to the finale!

Hope you enjoyed the piece with the walkthrough; leave your comments below and share it with your friends!