Search - Iren Marik :: Bartók in the Desert: The Art of Irén Marik

Yet another Arbiter discovery worth hearing - repeatedly

Rick Robertson | Roanoke, Alabama, USA | 01/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Bartok in the Desert: The Art of Irn Marik"

Arbiter 143

2 mid price CDs



Yet another Allan Evans discovery - yet another pianist transplanted to an unlikely area because of the social and political horrors abroad, and yes, another historical pianist who deserves a listen. In my opinion, this is a "discovery" at least as important as that of Ignace Tiegerman, and Iren Marik left us many, many more recordings to enjoy. I keep returning to her Liszt "Benediction de Dieu dans le solitude", her "Jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este", and her Bartok.



Those of you who may have been underwhelmed by the recordings of Michal Hambourg in her old age should not overlook Iren Marik - many of these performances are from stereo recordings made in the 50s and 60s, and she was on top of her form. Her playing is vital and rhythmic - with just a touch more rubato than we are accustomed to hearing in Bartok today.



I would like to share some impressions on some of the performances included. The disc opens with Liszt's "Benediction de Dieu dans le solitude". Now, I must admit that I do not care for Liszt when he got in his religious mode and wrote things such as "Jesus takes a bubble bath" - but this piece caught me off guard. Her playing is spacious, her tone rich and full, with beautiful voicing. This work is taken from an old LP on the little-known Zodiac label, and the recording earned some strong praise from none other than Harold C. Schonberg, who said "This kind of singing line, with such an accurate mechanism to boot is not too common nowadays. It is to be hoped that Miss Marik is heard in more Liszt - or indeed anything she feels like playing". I also enjoyed her "Harmonies du soir", and ESPECIALLY her "Les jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este", which I may dare to rank close to Arrau. Her attention to the inner voices here is especially nice.



She studied with Bela Bartok, but admitted that she only played one of his works for him - "he said it was fine, so there was no need to spend more time on his music." Bartok is represented here with the first Rondo on Folk Themes, the Suite op. 14 (a personal favorite), Allegro Barbaro, and a selection from Mikrokosmos. The Suite is an especially fine performance, and the Mikrokosmos selections are colorful. At first I did not like her Allegro Barbaro. It is a previously unpublished take (for good reason - there is at least one misreading and measures are left out) but after having lived with this CD for a couple of weeks, I have decided that there is much to learn from this performance otherwise, and I am glad that it was included.



Bartok's contemporary Zoltan Kodaly is also represented, with a rhythmically vital performance of the Dances from Marosszk. Brahms is represented with the second of the op. 116 pieces, Beethoven with an impressive op. 109, Bach with a Sinfonia in D minor, ...and Debussy.



Her performance of the second book of Images is simply lovely. The sound of the 1974 vintage recording is quite good, and her variety of touch and immersion in the idiom make this a performance I will listen to repeatedly.



The transfers are all quite good - presumably from the original master tapes.



She was a contemporary of Etelka Freund, and if this is the only recording of hers that sees the light of day (Arbiter promises more), it alone is a more impressive legacy than what Freund left behind, in my opinion.



I recommend this release highly. Especially if you admire Liszt and Bartok."

No Mirage

John Atherton | CINCINNATI, OHIO United States | 01/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Allan Evans, the Indiana Jones of the classical piano world who previously unearthed lost recordings by the likes of Ignace Tiegerman, Etelka Freund and Madeleine de Valmalete, is sharing with us his most precious treasure yet. Professional reviewers and ardent amateurs have lauded these performances, but I truly believe Marik's playing defies description. At its heart -- in Liszt, Debussy and Bartok -- there is a unique stillness. Whether it derives from the California desert or simple, honest musicianship devoid of ego, this stillness, this wholeness in Marik's otherwise ravishing playing has all the mystery of innocence. You must hear these recordings, and Evans -- who was bequeathed Marik's archive -- must be encouraged to share even more."

Review of "Bartok in the Desert"

Edythe Gilbreath | 07/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am not particularly knowledgeable about music, but I have always loved piano music. What has been wonderful about this is the variety of composers represented, the powerful and yet subtle inflections of the music, and the seeming sponteneity of some of the musical interpretations. It does not have the plastic sound of a recording studio. The personality of Iren Marik is not erased with studio tricks.

The experience is a revelation each time I listen to it."