Konstantin Lifschitz seems to relish cyclical programs, like all the Schubert Impromptus together, the complete Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues, and the present recital given over to the three Beethoven Bagatelle cycles with opus number, recorded live on July 12, 2001 in Williamstown, Massachusetts under the auspices of the Taubman Institute. The pianist warms up with the C minor Bagatelle WoO 52, stressing its implicit cross-rhythms with funky accents and marked dynamic contrasts that Artur Schnabel would have adored. This sets the stage for continued intensity and concentration in the seven Op. 33 pieces. While Lifschitz gives the willful quirky gestures in Nos. 4 and 5 their due, you can’t help but be drawn to his limpid, caressing touch in the lyrical passages. He similarly adjusts his touch to exploit the last piece’s frequent shifts between una corda and tre corde pedal markings.
The quiet C major Bagatelle WoO 56 provides a brief bridge into Lifschitz’s sensitively characterized traversal of the Op. 119 group. Although you might miss Serkin’s nervous energy and angularity, Lifschitz’s more restrained demeanor proves no less stylish. He seems to intuit No. 6’s petulant mood changes and justifies his deliberation over No. 5’s Risoluto by way of sophisticated voice leading. Op. 126 abounds with beauty, insight, and felicitous details, such as No. 1’s sensuously molded trills and No. 3’s hymn-like sobriety.
Perhaps the presence of microphones indirectly influenced the slight inhibition and heaviness I infer from No. 4 (hardly the true Presto that Richter makes it out to be) as well as No. 6’s wild introductory measures and abrupt coda. The engineering gets a little clangy at loud moments yet still does justice to Lifschitz’s range of colors. For collectors seeking these three Bagatelle sets on one disc, I have no trouble recommending Lifschitz as a live alternative to the very fine if not ideal studio reference versions listed above.
