Much of the music by Anglo/French composer Maurice Ohana (1913-1992) either draws from Andalusian folk sources or embraces microtonality. However, his Études d’Interprétation for piano solo evoke the sensuality of Debussy’s late-period language as harmonically updated by Messiaen. Mouvements parallèles is a good example of this. There are alluring flurries of parallel minor-ninths played with the hands in extreme registers, while Agrégats sonores is a study in cannily organized cluster chords. Aphoristic, lightning-quick arpeggios, rapid single lines, and bass rumblings characterize one of the most demanding yet rewarding etudes for the left hand alone ever composed.
Ohana also offers four etudes based upon fifths, sevenths, seconds, and ninths, presumably to complement Debussy’s etudes in thirds, fourths, sixths, and octaves. Of these four, I especially love the Etude in Fifths’ widely spaced chords and gorgeous harmonic combinations. It should be said that the music’s gestural, stop/start nature and lack of melodic immediacy could wear thin if you listen to all 10 etudes in one sitting.
There’s much to admire in Maria Paz Santibañez’s solid technical command and innate feeling for Ohana’s finely-honed textures, although I suspect that her limited dynamic range may be due to the slightly drab sonics. That said, I still prefer Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s more incisively nuanced and altogether quicker performances on the obscure Harmonic label. Unlike Santibañez, Bavouzet includes the cycle’s two etudes scored for piano and percussion, both of which reveal Ohana’s more assertive, dramatic side. Still, one must credit Santibañez’s advocacy and devotion to an overlooked yet substantial late-20th-century keyboard opus.
