The Mighty Handful was a quintet of Russian composers --
Modest Mussorgsky, Mily Balakirev, César Cui, Alexander Borodin, and
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov -- whose music explored Russian nationalist ideas. For a Russian audience of the late 19th century programming them together would have made sense, but the idea is rarely explored nowadays. British pianist
Philip Edward Fisher here takes a shot at grouping the Mighty Handful in the realm of piano music; his efforts make more sense in some places than in others, but there are some delightful moments here. The program is bookended by two well-known works, the original version of
Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (known the world over in orchestral arrangements) and Balakirev's Islamey, a whirl of Orientalist ideas and sheer pianistic fireworks.
Fisher is superb in the latter work, although his Pictures at an Exhibition doesn't quite capture the rough-edged quality of
Mussorgsky's piano writing. The real innovation of the program lies in the works by the other three of the Mighty Handful, and these works are something of a mixed bag. The three little pieces by
Rimsky-Korsakov, essays not too far removed from the
Chopin style, have little to make you remember them, but a large nocturne by Cui has an attractive, relaxed quality. Best of all is the Petite Suite of Borodin, another work more often heard in orchestral transcription. It's not particularly a Russian nationalist work, but it's marvelously graceful, and
Fisher succeeds in making these little pieces absolutely entrancing. Sample the "Intermezzo" (track 20), where he nails the moment at the end where the music disperses like steam as the final harmony rises through several registers. This album is definitely recommended for lovers of Russian music, and it pegs
Fisher as an original young talent to watch.