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The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 2: Medtner Piano Concertos nos. 2 & 3





Nikolai Medtner
(Moscow, January 5, 1880 - London, November 13, 1951)

Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor, op. 50 (1920, rev. 1927)
I. Toccata (Allegro risoluto) [17:37]
II. Romanza (Andante con moto) [9:52]
III. Divertimento (Allegro risoluto e molto vivace) [11:08]

Piano Concerto no. 3 in E minor, op. 60 (1940-43)
I. Con moto largamente [15:21]
II. Interludium (Allegro molto sostenuto, misterioso) [1:36]
III. Finale (Allegro molto. Svegliando, eroico) [18:37]

Nikolai Demidenko, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Jerzy Maksymiuk

Recorded in Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh on 7, 8 November 1991
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1992 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66580


GRAMOPHONE AWARD WINNER
LUISTER-CD VAN HET JAAR 1992

‘Performances as searingly intense as they are ardently lyrical. Truly extraordinary fire and brilliance’ (Gramophone)
‘A triumph’ (CDReview) ... ‘Dazzling virtuosity’ (Classic CD)
‘Waste no time in acquiring this magnificent disc’ (Piano International)

If you want to hear Medtner’s music purged of all possible superfluity or convention, vitalized in a way that previously seemed impossible, then Demidenko is your man. I have not heard a more thrilling recording of a virtuoso romantic concerto since Michelangeli’s legendary EMI disc of Rachmaninov’s Fourth Concerto. Medtner, as much as any composer, requires a very special advocacy, an unwavering commitment expressed in a truly blazing keyboard temperament and pianistic resource combined with an innate sense of Russian lyricism. For despite many unsatisfactory tags ("the Russian Brahms" was one Medtner particularly disliked) and suggestions of cosmopolitanism, Medtner remains indubitably Russian. And it is this central elixir or quality which Demidenko conveys to perfection in performances as searingly intense as they are ardently lyrical. In page after page of these superficially diffuse and rambling scores his playing pulsates with a truly extraordinary fire and brilliance. Listening to other pianists you have your doubts concerning the music’s ultimate quality but with Demidenko all possible sense of clichй or staleness is swept into oblivion. From him you would never think for one second that you were listening to music that is "strangely twice told". The opening of the Second Concerto’s Toccata is launched with a super-charged, molten bravura followed by a second subject caressed with the most insinuating ease and grace. Listen to Demidenko in the following al rigore di tempo (2’44") as an example of his razor sharp rhythm, or try 9’35" where his all-Russian virtuosity creates a truly vertiginous effect, almost as if one was being suddenly pitched down a mountainside. - Similar wonders and felicities abound throughout the Third Concerto, arguably the most endearing of the three. Demidenko’s is urgent with the opening theme, with its soaring melody and churning undertow, and the sweep and glamour of his pianism at, say, 4’00"' are hard to resist. In page after page his sheer agility allows him an expressive freedom and verve that bring every bar vividly and authentically alive. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra sound well equipped for their admittedly daunting task (Demidenko’s abrupt changes of tempo and direction keep everyone on the qui vivre) and the recording is are outstanding, the balance very much as you would hear it in a live concert-hall performance. Above all you find confirmation of the words, quoted on Hyperion’s excellent sleeve, "being a Russian is a duty. For Medtner coming to England did nothing to change that. The Moscow nights, the Russian spring, the basilicas and bards of his young manhood; such was his heritage, a chalice of dreams and memories to hold for always. Prince of truth, he was one of Russia’s great sons."
Gramophone.co.uk



Nikolai Demidenko

This splendid disc is given a fine recording, good orchestral playing from a Scottish orchestra under a Polish conductor and, above all, truly coruscating and poetic playing from the brilliant young Russian pianist Nikolai Demidenko. Medtner was a contemporary and friend of Rachmaninov; he settled in Britain in the 1930s, and like Rachmaninov he was an excellent pianist. But while the other composer became immensely popular, Medtner languished in obscurity, regarded as an inferior imitation of the former who wrote gushing music that was strong on gestures but weak on substance. The fact is that he can be diffuse (not to say long-winded) and grandiose so that his music needs to be played well to come off. When it is, there’s much to enjoy as here in Demidenko’s hypnotically fiery and articulate accounts.
The Gramophone Good CD and DVD Guide, 2005

Three languages-, 20 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (see: Indexes – Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 3: Mendelssohn Concertos for Two Pianos


Of the myriad Piano Concertos composed in the second half of the 19th century all but a handful are forgotten. The survivors are played with a regularity that borders on the monotonous: pianists, promoters and record companies play it safe and opt for the familiar. Even a masterpiece can become an unwelcome guest, especially when subjected to an unremarkable outing by yet another indifferent player, as happens so frequently today. How refreshing, then, to have the dust brushed off ... forgotten specimens of 19th century piano concertos and rendered clean and polished for inspection again. Refreshing and rewarding, for they are exactly the sort of pieces that make one wonder why we are forced to live off such a limited concerto diet. How is it that such appealing, well-crafted, imaginative works with their high spirits and luscious tunes could have vanished from the repertoire? ... It is time for those who promote and play piano music to be more adventurous and imaginative in their programming."
© 1991 Jeremy Nicholas





Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
(Hamburg, February 3, 1809 - Leipzig, November 4, 1847)

Concerto in A flat major for two pianos (1824)
I. Allegro vivace [17:26]
II. Andante [9:45]
III. Allegro vivace [14:17]

Concerto in E major for two pianos (1823)
I. Allegro vivace - Poco piщ allegro [12:58]
II. Adagio non troppo [9:17]
III. Allegro [8:20]

Stephen Coombs & Ian Munro, pianos
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Jerzy Maksymiuk

Recorded in City Hall, Glasgow on 31 August, 1 September 1991
Recording engineer, Philip Hobbs. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1992 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66567


Mendelssohn’s mature piano style was derived not so much from the orchestral texturing of Beethoven and Schubert, as from the filigree intricacies of the German virtuoso piano school, represented principally by Hummel and Weber, further enhanced by a Mozartian emphasis on textural clarity. It was never Mendelssohn’s intention to push contemporary keyboard instruments beyond that of which they were comfortably capable, more to utilise those qualities for which they were best adapted – brilliant clarity in the treble register, and the ability to sustain a flowing, cantabile melody without undue bass risonance. Mendelssohn’s first surviving works in concerto form date from 1822: the D minor Violin Concerto (not the popular E minor, a much later composition) and the Piano Concerto in A minor, both with string orchestra accompaniment, closely followed by a D minor Concerto for violin, piano and strings in May 1823. The Concertos for two pianos also belong to this early group, the E major being dated 17 October 1823, and the A flat major 12 November1824. both works had entirely dropped out of the repertoire until, in 1950, the original manuscripts were ‘rediscovered’ in the Berlin State Library. Mendelssohn’s sister, Fanny, was also a gifted pianist, and it is almost certain that the E major Concerto was written with her in mind. However, it also appears likely that the A flat major Concerto was inspired by Felix’s first encounter with the young piano virtuoso Ignaz Moscheles. Upon seeing the boy Mendelssohn play, even Moscheles could barely believe his eyes: "Felix, a mere boy of fifteen, is a phenomenon. What are all other prodigies compared with him?" - The major criticism levelled at the Two-Piano Concertos is their tendency to overstretch relatively fragile musical material, as, with two soloists to contend with, Mendelssohn had been keen to ensure that the music was shared equally, thus involving an unusual amount of repetition. It would hardly be fair to expect even Mendelssohn to have achieved the miraculous thematic concision and structural cohesion of the E minor Violin Concerto and G and D minor Piano Concertos at such an early age.
© Julian Haylock, from the booklet notes.



Ian Munro - Stephen Coombs

"... Coombs and Munro prove ideal advocates, playing with delectable point and imagination" (Penguin Guide to Compact Discs) "... Fine talent is on display here ... this programme makes ideal listening as well as offering welcome insight into Mendelssohn’s great genius" (CDReview) "..The sheer joy of playing this music bubbles over in every measure" (American Record Guide) ".. Sensitive and enchanting" (Piano International)

This new record is a fair recommendation to those who are curious about, or fond of, the two-piano concertos – sometimes ingenious, sometimes pleasantly tuneful or stimulating works which lack the quality of the solo concertos. The performances also lack something of the required energy and dash, and occasionally the speeds adopted overtake clarity and precision of fingerwork. This is noticeable especially in the virtuoso passagework of the protracted first movement of the A flat work; the Weberian glitter of the E major Concerto’s finale comes off pretty well. The pianists’ greatest strength is in their lyrical playing of the slow music, in particular the Adagio non troppo of the E major. The recording might have made more of the musical alternations which Mendelssohn exploits, especially in the finale of the E major.
Gramophone.co.uk

Three languages-, 10 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (see: Indexes – Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 4: Arensky & Bortkiewicz Piano Concertos



Anton Stepanovich Arensky
(Novgorod, July 12, 1861 - Perkijarvi, Finland, February 25, 1906)

Piano Concerto in F minor, op. 2 (1881)
I. Allegro maestoso [12:16] - II. Andante con moto [6:49]
III. Scherzo - Finale : Allegro molto [6:48]
Fantasia on Russian Folksongs, op. 48 (1899) [9:05]

Sergeij Bortkiewicz
(Kharkov, Ukraine, February 16, 1877 - Vienna, October 25, 1952)

Piano Concerto no. 1 in B flat major, op. 16 (1912)
I. Lento - Allegro deciso [16:50] - II. Andante sostenuto [6:39]
III. Molto vivace e con brio [12:14]

Stephen Coombs, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Jerzy Maksymiuk

Recorded in Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow on 21, 22 August 1992
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1993 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66624

At the end of his balanced and informative sleeve-note Jeremy Nicholas suggests that "there must always be a place for those like Arensky and Bortkiewicz who reflect so elegantly and expertly on what has gone before, rather than shake us by the ears and grab us (sometimes screaming) into the future". That’s well said (though other alternatives do suggest themselves) and pertinent to the concertos here recorded. Anton Arensky’s Op. 2 is an apprentice piece from 1881, an engaging cocktail of Liszt, Chopin and Grieg, with echoes of Liszt’s E flat Concerto having the first and last word; Sergei Bortkiewicz’s Op. 16, premiered in 1912, is a true product of Russia’s Silver Age, the scent of the Nicholas and Alexandra era evoked by a blend of Rachmaninov and Parsifal. All three works are reminders of the pleasures of easy-listening music from an age before the whole concept was hijacked by commercialism. If this is the sort of thing you like, you’ll surely like this sort of thing, as they say. Both concertos fall pleasantly on the ear neither it seems to me, is destined for concert-hall revival; both find their natural place on disc. Stephen Coombs and the BBC Scottish pay the music the compliment of careful preparation and sensitive, wholehearted advocacy. Hyperion’s balance has the piano rather backward, not allowing it to sparkle as it ideally should, and there are times when the music seems to demand a more outsize soloistic personality. Otherwise this is a model issue from a source which has become a byword for the best in enterprise.
Gramophone.co.uk



Stephen Coombs

"... A couple of piano concertos that have been waiting in the wings for the committed advocacy they deserve and have finally received’ (Fanfare, USA) "... Coombs is an artist of great sensitivity and effortless virtuosity, and he makes the best possible case for both" (The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs) "...Coombs’s musicianship and authority carry all before it" (Piano International)


Three languages-, 16 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (see: Indexes – Collections)

А сколько всего будет volumes?

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 5: Balakirev & Rimsky-Korsakov Piano Concertos





Nikolaj Andreevic Rimsky-Korsakov
(Tikhvin, March 6, 1844 - Lyubensk, June 8, 1908)
Piano Concerto in C sharp minor, op. 30 (1882-3)
I. Moderato - Allegretto quasi polacca - attacca: [6:22]
II. Andante mosso - attacca: [4:15] - III. Allegro [4:03]

Milij Alekseevic Balakirev
(Nizhny Novgorod, January 2, 1837 - St. Petersburg, May 29, 1910)
Piano Concerto no. 1 in F sharp minor, op. 1 (1856) [13:42]
Piano Concerto no. 2 in E flat major, op. posth. (1861-1910)
I. Allegro non troppo [13:07] - II. Adagio [10:07]
III. Allegro risoluto (compl. Sergei Lyapunov) [8:54]

Malcolm Binns, piano
The English Northern Philharmonia
David Lloyd-Jones

Recorded in Huddersfield Town Hall, West Yorkshire on 25, 26 October 1992
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1993 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66640

‘Op. 1’ and ‘Op. posth.’ says a lot about Balakirev’s two piano concertos. The First is a single movement only, composed at the age of 18 and massively indebted to the Chopin concertos. The Second was begun not long after, in 1861, but abandoned after the first movement; Balakirev apparently extemporized the rest to fellow-Mighty-Handful members but was only persuaded to write the other movements down near the end of his life. At his death in 1910 the finale had to be completed by Lyapunov, which may be partly why it sounds so splendidly rambunctious, so close in places, I felt, to Gershwin. The concerto was certainly worth the efforts of all concerned; the first movement’s fugal episodes and the slow movement’s tinges of Russian Orthodox gloom stay in the mind, compensating for Balakirev’s occasional recourse to inflating and over-decorating short sub-phrases. The First Concerto, too, has little flashes of individuality which keep you listening despite the obvious naivety and derivative quality of the material. The Rimsky-Korsakov has come and gone from the catalogue over the years and is currently not listed. It is in effect more of a folk-song fantasia than a concerto, but there is much post-Liszt-and-Grieg-ian charm, as well as a striking foretaste of Rachmaninov’s Paganini Rhapsody (Paganini’s famous opening motif coincidentally also begins the second strain of Rimsky’s chosen theme). These three works make an excellent programme, then. And Malcolm Binns, though not the most sparkling of soloists, plays with commendable solidity. A tighter focus on some sections of the orchestra might have improved the recorded sound; but the quality of the English Northern Philharmonias contribution is high, and all in all this is an admirably conceived and executed disc.

Gramophone.co.uk



Malcolm Binns

Three languages-, 12 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes – Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 6: Dohnanyi Piano Concertos





Erno (Ernst von) Dohnanyi
(Poszony / Bratislava, July 27, 1877 - New York City, February 9, 1960)

Piano Concerto no. 1 in E minor, op. 5 (1897-8)
I. Adagio maestoso - Allegro - Adagio [18:02]
II. Andante [10:02] - III. Vivace - Cadenza con orchestra - Vivace [17:07]
Piano Concerto no. 2 in E minor, op. 42 (1946-7)
I. Allegro - attacca: [14:12] - II. Adagio, poco rubato - attacca: [7:44] - III. Allegro vivace [7:51]


Martin Roscoe, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Fedor Glushchenko

Recorded in Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow on 17, 18 June 1993
Recording engineer, Philip Hobbs. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1993 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66684

BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE BEST OF THE YEAR

The sixth disc in Hyperion’s admirable "Romantic Piano Concerto" series, this coupling provides a salutary reminder of two of Dohnбnyi’ most substantial if sadly neglected works. Both concerto concertos (separated by 50 years, but mildly rather than radically different in their musical language) burgeon with sufficient heartfelt melody and high-flying pianistics to satisfy even the most ardent aficionado of the genre. And if, as the insert-note so aptly puts it, Dohnбnyi hardly provides anything so important as a bridge between Liszt and Bartуk, and remains "stuck in a style somewhere between Brahms and Saint-Saлns", his alternation of dark and scintillating ideas is accomplished with an easy and professional aplomb. The Second Concerto’s crisply accented finale in whirling and nationalistic duple time is notably attractive. Martin Roscoe’s superbly authoritative performances are majestic and glittering as required, and his survival of his recessed placing in relation to the orchestra is doubly to his credit. Fedor Glushchenko’s partnership is excellent and, overall, the recordings are of high quality.
Gramophone.co.uk



Erno Dohnanyi & Martin Roscoe

The Hungarian composer Ernst (Erno) von Dohnanyi is well known in his homeland but less celebrated internationally. Over the years his most famous composition has been another piano concerto, the Variations on a Nursery Song, but in truth he was prolific, and was admired by fellow musicians from the time of Brahms (whom he knew) through to his final years in the United States. As a young man Dohnбnyi was a virtuoso pianist, and it shows in his Piano Concerto No. 1, which he composed in 1897-98. It is nothing if not substantial in scale, lasting for a full 45 minutes, and cast in the conventional three-movement design with the slow movement at the centre. The style is very much of its time, with a full awareness of Liszt and Brahms, but without the challenging qualities of the harmonic language of Bartуk. There is an heroic, almost epic quality about the outer movements, both of which approach 20 minutes in duration. This puts a strong demand upon the soloist, of course, and in this sense Martin Roscoe does not disappoint. For he is a splendid pianist, who sounds very much inside the music and thoroughly in command of the technique required. If there is a criticism of the performance it is probably more to do with the balancing of piano and orchestra, since the solo piano does sometimes sound swamped by the massive orchestral sound, and details of articulation can disappear. Of course Dohnбnyi’s skilful orchestration does not always place this consideration uppermost on the agenda, and in a movement of the size and scale of the opening Allegro maestoso there are many turns of direction and manner. Slow movement is perhaps the best, a brave and imaginative touch in the orchestration is that the strings play pizzicato for most of the time, while the melodic shaping is derived in large part from a subtle transformation of first movement material. It is all particularly well judged, and Roscoe plays with care and taste in every bar. The finale returns to the heroic epic scale, and becomes more compelling as it reaches its final stages. Here Roscoe and the orchestra sweep the music on to a particularly exciting conclusion, just what the romantic piano concerto is all about. - There are fifty years between these two concertos, though the listener would not know it from the music. The Piano Concerto No. 2 was completed in 1947. It remains romantic in style (thus justifying its position in Hyperion’s series), but the construction seems tighter than that of its earlier companion, and it is none the worse for that. This is reflected in the length, which comes out at around the 30 minute mark. Again there are three movements in the traditional sequence, but the large first movement dominates the work, forming a half of its duration. Dohnбnyi opens with a theme which he develops obsessively, in the style of a motto, but there is also room for more indulgent lyric romantic gestures. The artists manage these contrasts well, maintaining the flow and convincing the listener of the structural purpose. In his useful insert notes, the distinguished musicologist Otto Karolyi refers to the slow movement as occupying ‘a stylised Hungarian gypsy style’. But it is not an indulgence, for in the final two movements the unity of the conception is a real priority, as the motto returns and the lively finale emerges as the only possible conclusion for the whole work. Again Roscoe is a convincing interpreter. Of the two concertos, the more carefully constructed Second is probably the more compelling, but the experience both works offer is thoroughly satisfying, and wholly justifies Hyperion’s foray into this little known territory.
Terry Barfoot, www.musicweb-international.com

Three languages-, 16 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes – Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 7: Henselt & Alkan Piano Concertos





Adolf von Henselt
(Schwabach, Bavaria, May 12, 1814 - Warmbrunn, October 10, 1899)
Piano Concerto in F minor, op. 16 (1843-4)
I. Allegro patetico - Religioso - Reprise [13:44]
II. Larghetto [8:06] - III. Allegro agitato [8:14]
Variations de Concert, op. 11 (1840) [17:52]
on ‘Quand je quittai la Normandie’ from Jacob Meyerbeer’s Robert le Diable


Charles-Valentin Alkan
(Paris, November 30, 1813 - March 29, 1888)
Concerto da Camera in C sharp minor, op. 10 no. 2 (1833) [7:40]
Concerto da Camera in A minor, op. 10 no. 1 (1832) [14:18]


Marc-Andre Hamelin, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

Recorded in Govan Town Hall, Glasgow on 2, 3 December 1993
Recording engineer, Philip Hobbs. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1994 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66717

GRAMOPHONE EDITOR’S CHOICE / CRITICS’ CHOICE
BEST OF THE YEAR, BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE

"An admirable disc for all lovers of bravura virtuoso piano writing" (CDReview)
"Recommended without reservation" (American Record Guide)
"You could hardly ask for a more brilliant display of fireworks" (Classic CD)
"Hamelin’s performance can only be described as sensational" (Piano International)

If, like me, you have derived a great deal of pleasure from the six previous issues in Hyperion’s enterprising series, The Romantic Piano Concerto, then you will surely want to explore the latest volume which, to my mind, could well be counted amongst the finest, if not the finest, to have appeared so far. Much of the credit must go to the phenomenal playing and superb musicianship of Marc-Andre Hamelin (whose account of the staggeringly difficult Henselt Concerto is quite breathtaking) but plaudits must also go to the imaginative programming and excellent accompanying booklet-notes.

The main work of the disc, both in terms of quality and length, is of course the above-mentioned Henselt F minor Concerto, which, although once an active participant in the repertoire of most top league pianists during the late nineteenth century (at least those sufficiently technically equipped to approach it), dropped out of sight in the early part of this century until revived by those ‘champions of the forgotten’, Raymond Lewenthal and Michael Ponti. As a concerto it is particularly ‘giving’ to the listener and very unforgiving to the pianist, as the extreme technical difficulties are concealed in such a way that they become almost transparent to the ear – which probably accounts for its disappearance from the repertoire. Rubinstein once recounted that "I procured the Concerto and his Etudes, but after working on them for a few days I realised it was a waste of time, for they were based on an abnormal formation of the hand. In this respect Henselt, like Paganini, was a freak." Egon Petri described it as one of the hardest pieces he had ever played. Musically the concerto owes allegiance to Chopin (in the Larghetto) and Thalberg and Mendelssohn in the outer movements, but generally the overall Henseltian style has its own peculiar flavour which I am sure will win many friends through Hamelin’s highly persuasive and thoroughly committed performance.



Marc-Andre Hamelin

The slightly earlier Variations de Concert (on a theme from Meyerbeer’s Robert le Diable) is admittedly slighter fare but is nevertheless an attractive and enjoyable work which hails from the same stable as Chopin’s Lа ci darem la manoVariations. The remainder of the disc consists of two ‘mini’ concertos by Henselt’s exact contemporary and fellow ‘reticent’ Charles-Valentin Alkan (Henselt, like Alkan, gave very few public concerts due to stage-fright that bordered on the pathological). The two early Concerti da Camera (the only surviving concertante pieces by Alkan) are not, it has to be said, ‘major’ Alkan works, but they are original in invention and full of melodic appeal, with more than a hint or two of the Alkan of later years. Hamelin delivers them with astonishing dexterity and panache and, as in the Henselt pieces, he is given equally committed support from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Martyn Brabbins. A thoroughly enjoyable disc, well worth exploring!
Michael Stewart, Gramophone.co.uk

Three languages-, 36 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes – Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 8: Medtner Piano Concerto no. 1 & Piano Quintet





Nikolai Medtner
(Moscow, January 5, 1880 - London, November 13, 1951)
Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor, op. 33 (1915-17)
I. Allegro - attacca: [11:52] - II. Theme and Variations - attacca: [13:13]
III. Recapitulation - attacca: [2:32] - IV. Coda : Allegro molto [6:38]
Piano Quintet in C major, op. posth. (1940-43)
I. Molto placido [7:47]
II. Andantino con moto [4:54]
III. Finale : Allegro vivace [11:58]


Dmitri Alexeev, piano
BBC Symphony Orchestra led by Alexander Lazarev on Piano Concerto no. 1
The New Budapest Quartet on Piano Quintet

Recorded between 18 and 25 March, 1994
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Arthur Johnson
© 1994 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66744]

‘A tour de force of impassioned eloquence and white-hot intensity’ (Piano International)
... ‘Once again Hyperion hold the day. Strongly recommended ... for a first-rate performance of one of the finest
of all late-Romantic concertos ever composed, and for a fresh look at a chamber-music masterpiece’ (CDReview)
... ‘This concerto is endlessly inventive and splendidly original’ (BBC Music Magazine)

Medtner would have been both grateful and astonished by his present and ever-increasing recognition. Once dismissed as an unsatisfactory betwixt-and-between composer, one without a convincing personal voice who was overshadowed by Rachmaninov’s greater glamour and accessibility, his time has truly come. For Dmitri Alexeev the First Concerto is Medtner’s masterpiece, an argument he sustains in a performance of superb eloquence and discretion. Even the sort of gestures later vulgarized and traduced by Tinseltown are given with an aristocratic quality, a feel for a love of musical intricacy that takes on an almost symbolic force and potency, but also for Medtner’s dislike of display. You may occasionally miss the torching brilliance of Demidenko’s Medtner (his solo recital, and the Gramophone Award-winning disc of the Second and Third Concertos, also for Hyperion, are of unique authority), yet time and again Alexeev makes you pause to reconsider Medtner’s quality, and his reserve brings its own distinctive reward. The early Abbandonamente ma non troppo has a haunting improvisatory inwardness and later, as the storm clouds gather ominously at 11’55", his playing generates all the necessary electricity.

How thankful one is, too, for Alexeev’s advocacy of the Piano Quintet where, together with his fully committed colleagues, he recreates music of the strangest, most unworldly exultance and introspection. Instructions such as poco tranquillo (sereno) and Quasi Hymn take us far away from the turbulence of the First Concerto (composed in the shadow of the First World War) and the finale’s conclusion with glissando and tremolo for added effect, is wonderfully uplifting. The recordings are judiciously balanced in both works, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Lazarev are as alert as they are sympathetic. Alexeev’s own accompanying notes, with their reference to the strange paradox of Medtner’s genius and his joy in the re-discovery of music "imbued with the strength of his powerful spirit and the beauty he believed in", provide a crowning touch to this brilliantly enterprising disc; the eighth, and certainly one of the finest, in Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto series.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone.co.uk



Dmitri Alexeev & Nikolai Medtner

Three languages-, 16 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes – Collections)

Друзья! А когда же будет продолжение гиперионовской серии? Уж я жду, жду.. а Германа vpenev'a все нет.

vpenev Все еще облавы и опасность? А то уж очень хочется продолжения релизов.

:hi: Большое спасибо за продолжение серии.

Какая жуть по среди ночи. Балгарская полиция прям как герои фильмов ужаса. Кошмар!

Спасибо за музыку! :nopity: Спасибо за смелость! :hi:

vpenev!!! Чтобь жизнь продолжала без кошмаров и лишных сотрясениях надо менять старую шкуру! :laugh:

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 11: Scharwenka & von Sauer Piano Concertos

GRAMOPHONE AWARD WINNER / RECORD OF THE YEAR 1996





Franz Xaver Scharwenka
(Samtner near Poznan, Poland, January 6, 1850 - Berlin, December 8, 1924)
Piano Concerto no. 4 in F minor, op. 82 (1908)
I. Allegro patetico [18:39] - II. Intermezzo. Allegretto molto tranquillo [6:56]
III. Lento, mesto - attacca [7:25] - IV. Allegro con fuoco [6:41]</span>

Emil Georg Conrad von Sauer
(Hamburg, October 8, 1862 - Vienna, April 27, 1942)
Piano Concerto no. 1 in E minor (1907-8)
I. Allegro patetico [11:00] - II. Scherzo. Molto vivace - Andante con moto, quasi Allegretto [6:51]
III. Cavatina. Larghetto amoroso [7:45] - IV. Rondeau. Tempo giusto[4:36]

Stephen Hough, piano
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Lawrence Foster

Recorded in Dudley Town Hall, Warwickshire on 18, 19 December 1994
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1995 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66790

Here, surely, is the jewel in the crown of Hyperion’s absorbing series, The Romantic Piano Concerto; a flawless marriage of composer, performance, recording and presentation. These are both premiиre recordings in performances of super-charged bravura and the keenest poetry, ideally partnered and balanced. As its opening Allegro patetico declares, Scharwenka’s Fourth is no sugar-and-spice concerto but a hugely ambitious work alive with difficulties that have frightened off even the most intrepid pianists. At its second performance, given in 1910 with Scharwenka as soloist and Mahler as conductor, it was described of being of a "truly Dionysian and bewildering brilliancy", a phrase that, lifted into our times, encapsulates Stephen Hough’s astonishing performance. He leaps through every blazing hoop with a nonchalance and know-how that recall a bygone age of imperial gifts though, in truth, few pianists of the past could have equalled his power, йlan and, perhaps above all, his seamless legato and cantabile. In the sustained, quasi-operatic slow movements of both concertos he sings his heart out, lavishly or delicately colouring his sound, seemingly at will. Sauer’s First Concerto, while clearly a lighter offering, is no mere makeweight. And affectionate, over-the-shoulder glance at Chopin, it proffers one delightful, scintallatingly embroidered surprise after another. The Cavatina has a haunting generosity of spirit and only a puritan could mistake the finale’s high-jinks for levity. Lawrence Foster and the City of Birmingham SO are clearly infected by their soloist’s sheer joy of music-making. Together they provide a perfect setting for a virtuoso who, in Liszt’s classic definition, makes "emotion speak and weep and sing and sigh, who calls up scent and blossom and breathes the breath of life". But my final word must go to Stephen Heliotis who first offered these concertos to Hough for his delectation and unremitting toil, and whose accompanying notes deserve separate publication for their wit and perspicacy.
Gramophone, 1995 & 1996 Awards issues

This excellent recording allows us to listen, for the first time, to two neglected romantic concertos. It is hard to understand how two works of such bravura and of such calibre as these, that sound so immediately appealing, have remained forgotten for so long. Fortunately, the superlative quality of these versions compensates in excess for the wait ... Stephen Hough performs memorably in both of these scores. A pianist of the subtlest musicality and unsurpassable technical resources – a powerful sound, clear and precise fingerings, insurmountable octave playing, enormous dynamic range – he knows how to lend eloquence and fluidity to his splendid musical discourse (Classica)



Franz Xaver Scharwenka
Stephen Hough
Emil Georg von Sauer

‘Virtuosity as impish as it is magisterial ... [he] wings his way through every good-humoured page with a poetic and technical zest that takes us back to the great pianists of the past; to a golden age of piano playing’ (BBC)

‘The pianism of Hough leaves one breathless. His technique is fabulous, and tasteful phrasing wonderfully sensitive to the needs of the period ... Musts for fans of 19th-century virtuosity’ (In Tune)

‘Here are two long-neglected piano concertos that will thrill and delight you ... Stephen Hough’s playing of it confirms his place as one of the half dozen greatest piano technicians of our time ... Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto survey has never had a more distinguished protagonist than Stephen Hough’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘This Gramophone Award-winning disc thrills from start to finish ... Hough’s meticulously voiced and glistening pianism really takes some believing considering the technical pressure exerted by these caruscatingly ingenious scores ... Anyone who has yet to catch up with this remarkable disc should do so without delay’ (International Piano)

Emotions run high, melody runs vibrantly and virtuoso playing takes the breath away ... Hough rises fabulously to every demand with big-boned sound and grand-scale musical vision, jousting at full strength with the robust playing of the CBSO ... It might seem unlikely for two obscure piano concertos to achieve such success at the Gramophone Awards, but this disc richly deserved its prize and remains one of Hyperion’s best releases to date. (Amazon)

Three languages-, 32 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes – Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 13: Glazunov & Goedicke Piano Concertos





Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov
(St. Petersburg, August 10, 1865 - Paris, March 21, 1963)
Piano Concerto no. 1 in F minor, op. 92 (1910-11)
I. Allegro moderato [13:15] - II. Tema con Variazioni [18:08]
Piano Concerto no. 2 in B major, op. 100 (1917)
I. Andante sostenuto - Allegro [6:39] - II. Andante - Moderato tranquillo [3:13]
III. Allegro - Allegretto scherzando - Allegro moderato [10:29]

Alexander Goedicke
(Moscow, February 20, 1877 - Ivi, July 9, 1957)
Concertstьck in D major, op. 11 (1900) [13:50]
Andante sostenuto - Allegro molto sostenuto e maestoso - Moderato quasi andante

Stephen Coombs, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

Recorded on 11, 12 January 1996
Recording engineer, Mike Hatch. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1996 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66877

How good it is to have Glazunov’s rich and endearing examples of opulent Russian romanticism available in modern recordings where their many felicities can be savoured to the full. In the First Concerto memories of Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony may colour the second subject yet the presentation in both concertos is unusual if not original. The F minor work concludes with a set of variations with subtitles such as chromatica, eroica, quasi una fantasia and mazurka, while the B major recalls the organic unity of the piano concertos of Liszt and, more locally and importantly, of Rimsky-Korsakov. Less academically, both concertos (and particularly the Second with its heart-easing Andante) glow with the sort of bittersweet melodic charm and intricate pianism inseparable from the Russian romantic piano concerto. As in his solo piano Glazunov recordings, Stephen Coombs remains the most amiable and gentlemanly of virtuosos. But while his affection and sympathy are rarely in doubt he lacks the projection and intensity necessary if such music is not to seem unduly rambling and discursive. The First Concerto[/i]’s cadenza (interestingly placed near the beginning, and taking in the exposition of the principal theme) provides a case in point, and lacks both urgency and articulacy. Both here and elsewhere I missed an authentic virtuoso edge and brilliance as well as a more caressing warmth and ardour. Part of the fault lies in an overly resonant recording but also in an inability to ‘voice’ and differentiate the sort of textures which, as Francis Pott points out in his excellent notes, are at the very heart of Glazunov’s often strenuous and full-blooded demands. The music’s romantic ebb and flow is nicely caught, but even a touch of anaemia and the spell is lost, the opportunity to refresh and invigorate the composer’s longueurs missed.

If Medtner was cruelly overshadowed by Rachmaninov, then Goedicke (1877-1957) was eclipsed by Medtner (his first cousin). His demands are altogether fiercer and more overt than Glazunov’s, and here Stephen Coombs rises to a considerable challenge with more energy. In his main offering, however, he is no match for the 1978 Melodiya disc of both Glazunov concertos by Alexei Nasedkin and Dmitri Alexeev respectively. Not an entirely lucky issue No. 13, then, in Hyperion’s tirelessly enterprising and expanding Romantic Piano Concerto series.
Bryce Morrison



Alexander Glazunov and Stephen Coombs


... Stephen Coombs is on scintillating form throughout, turning even the most standardised of virtuoso gestures into remarkable utterances (Piano International) ... As in his four-disc set of Glazunov’s complete solo piano music, Stephen Coombs is poetic and powerful. The rare Goedicke concertante makes a charming filler. (The Guardian) ... Sparkling performances ... his playing is by turns gloriously extrovert and affectionately intimate ... superbly recorded orchestral colours (BBC Music Magazine)

Three languages-, 20 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 14: Litolff Piano Concertos no. 2 & 4





Henry Charles Litolff
(London, February 6, 1818 - Bois-Colombes near Paris, August 5, 1891)
Concerto Symphonique no. 2 in B minor, op. 22 (1844)
I. Maestoso [16:11] - Scherzo [4:07]
III. Andante [5:20] - IV. Rondeau : Allegretto [6:47]
Concerto Symphonique no. 4 in D minor , op. 102 (1851-2)
I. Allegro con fuoco [13:37] - II. Scherzo : Presto [6:29]
III. Adagio religioso [7:28] - IV. Allegro impetuoso [10:26]

Peter Donohoe, piano
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Andrew Litton

Recorded on 18, 19 October 1996
Recording engineer, Mike Hatch. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1997 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66889

Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto series is surely one of the most absorbing and enterprising of current recording projects. Now up to volume 14, it shows no signs of becoming stale and, as this marvellous issue demonstrates, there is still a wealth of rare and often previously unrecorded repertoire waiting to be rediscovered. Henry Litolff (1818-91) wrote five Concertos symphoniques of which four survive. As their title suggests these works are symphonic in conception, and the addition of a Scherzo (placed second, after late-Beethoven) to the classical concerto model, and the large orchestral resources, replete with four horns and three trombones, underline their symphonic weight. (Nevertheless, Berlioz’s view of these works not as concertos, but rather as symphonies with piano obbligato, seems to me to overstate the case.)
Peter Donohoe offers the first recording of the Second Concerto (1844), and he is authoritative and commanding. He produces a characteristically full tone which suitably complements the fullness of the orchestral writing, yet his brilliant articulation of the rondeau finale shows that he can be as glittering and effervescent as he can be majestic. It is the Fourth Concerto (1851-2), however, which is most striking. The Scherzo, with its sprightly gait and colourful orchestration is justly famous and usually performed separately. It is good, therefore, to be able to hear it in context, framed by an imposing first movement and a lovely Andante religioso slow movement followed by a full-scale sonata-structured finale. Again Donohoe’s playing is an almost perfect balance of bold assertiveness, lively animation and subtle delicacy. In certain passages one might wish for a slightly more caressing tone, or a little more open affection, but this does not detract from what is a hugely impressive achievement. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra create a wonderful sound and, as one has come to expect from Hyperion, the recording and presentation are first-class.
Tim Parry, Gramophone, April 1997



Henry C. Litolff Peter Donohoe

... Magical playing ... the music is irresistibly melodious, inventive and dazzlingly virtuosic. Donohoe throws off the technical pyrotechnics with insouciance. A fine recording only enhances the joys of this entertaining music and Donohoe's exhilarating performance. (The Sunday Times) ... Donohoe and Litton rise to the occasion magnificently with panache and poetry in equal measure ... for the fourteenth time in this historically important series of recordings we can raise our hats and say "Thank you, Hyperion" (Classic CD) ... Peter Donohoe assume parfaitement les dйfis de ces pages flamboyantes, dans lesquelles l’Orchestre de Bournemouth fait preuve de tout l’йclat appropriй (Diapason, France) ... This entertaining Hyperion CD is one of the year’s surprises and very much worth having. (The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)

Three languages-, 20 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 15: Hahn & Massenet Piano Concertos





Jules Massenet
(Montaud near Saint-Иtienne, May 12, 1842 - Paris, August 13, 1912)
Piano Concerto in E flat major (1903)
I. Andante moderato - Allegro non troppo [14:22]
II. Largo [9:40] - III. Airs Slovaques : Allegro [7:14]

Reynaldo Hahn
(Caracas, Venezuela, August 9, 1875 - Paris, January 28, 1947)
Piano Concerto in E major (1931)
I. Improvisation : Modйrй trиs librement [12:00] - II. Danse : Vif [2:47]
III. Rкverie, Toccata et Finale : Lent - Gai, fortement rythmй - Allegro [13:43]

Stephen Coombs, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Jean-Yves Ossonce

Recorded on 15, 16 June 1996
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Amanda Hurton
© 1997 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66897

These are a real find. Massenet’s well-earned reputation as an opera composer has totally eclipsed his orchestral pieces, including this lively and appealing Piano Concerto. The finale, in particular, is an exhilarating exercise in Slavic exoticism that would bring the house down in a live performance. Hahn’s Concerto shares exactly the same qualities of good tunes, sparkling orchestration, and a grateful part for the soloist. Like Massenet, Hahn was best known as a composer of vocal music (and as Marcel Proust’s lover), but that didn’t prevent him from writing a concerto that stands with the best that this century has to offer. Marvelous performances and great sound add to this disc’s manifold attractions.
David Hurwitz, Amazon. com editorial review

Massenet finished his Piano Concerto in 1902, when he was 60, so officially in his list of compositions it comes in between two of his most famous operas, Le Jongleur de Notre Dame of 1902 and Cherubin of 1905. It would seem that Massenet had first sketched it as long before as 1866, when he was living in Rome. In the 1860s it would have sounded astoundingly modern, and although today it seems charmingly romantic, I think even in 1903 when Louis Diemer gave the first performance it must have struck some listeners as forward looking. I couldn’t help wondering, listening to this spirited performance by Stephen Coombs, whether Massenet had heard Rachmaninov’s Second Concerto (first performed that same year); it seems almost impossible – great minds think alike, for no one would ever think that Massenet belonged to any other time than Paris in the belle йpoque. The first movement opens with a dreamy theme, taken up by the orchestra and then given a series of rollicking variations. In the orchestration one immediately begins to hear echoes of typical Palais Garnier ballet music with the piano taking the place of the prima ballerina. The much shorter slow movement has a tune as haunting as any tenor aria from one of Massenet’s operas – this is highly polished, professional music. Some people may feel they need to go on a sugar-free diet afterwards, but anyone who loves Massenet’s operas will delight in the whole thing; the whizz-bang third movement subtitled "Airs Slovaques" is an unashamed parody of Liszt.

Massenet’s pupils included Reynaldo Hahn, who was already an established figure in Paris in 1903. By the time he came to compose his own Piano Concerto in 1930, Hahn had moved away from the chamber works and melodies with which he had made his name, and become a highly successful composer of light operas and musical comedies. Hahn’s concerto was dedicated to Magda Tagliaferro, who recorded it with the composer conducting in 1937. Stephen Coombs found himself using the same score that Hahn had marked for Tagliaferro for that recording – the only surviving complete edition of the work. Several cuts had been made and these have been restored for this first modern recording. Hahn, of course, was an accomplished pianist : he and Ravel were both members of a "French Committee for the Diffusion of Musical Studies", formed in 1929 and both were then at work on their piano concertos. How one would like to know whether they compared notes; as it is the opening movement of Hahn’s concerto has something of the same questioning, sprightly element of the Ravel G major. The tiny second movement, "Danse", gives way to the three-part finale – this is the section where the new recording expands on Tagliaferro’s original. The shimmering, chattering dialogue between piano and orchestra is beautifully conveyed in Stephen Coombs’s virtuoso performance and the clear, bright recorded sound. Jean-Yves Ossonce conducts both performances with a great feeling for the lightness of touch necessary to avoid any cloying sentimentality. This sort of music isn’t to everyone’s taste, but if you’d sooner have fraises des bois and creme Chantilly rather than foie gras and trumpets, this is for you.
Patrick O’Connor, Gramophone, July 1997



Stephen Coombs
Jules Massenet
Reynaldo Hahn

Another Romantic Piano Concerto winner from Hyperion; heartily recommended. (Fanfare) ... Coombs believes implicitly in both compositions and his restrained brand of pearly virtuosity (right for the music) added to a considerable musical sensibility puts forward a persuasive case. (Hi-Fi News) ... One of the finest releases in Hyperion’s ongoing series of Romantic piano concertos. There’s no reason why these pieces aren’t standard repertoire, especially in performances like this: Coombs literally plays the pants off both of them, and Ossonce matches him lick for lick. (Classical Pulse!, USA)

Three languages-, 24 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 16: Huss & Schelling Piano Concertos



Henry Holden Huss
(Newark, New Jersey, June 21, 1862 - New York City, September 17, 1953)
Piano Concerto in B major, op. 10 (1898)
I. Allegro maestoso [14:12]
II. Andante tranquillo [7:42]
III. Finale : Allegro vivace [9:23]

Ernest Henry Schelling
(Belvedere, New Jersey, July 26, 1876 - New York City, December 8, 1939)
Suite Fantastique for piano and orchestra, op. 7 (1905)
I. Allegro marziale[10:31] - II. Scherzo : Molto vivace, scherzando e molto leggiero [4:05]
III. Intermezzo [7:59] - IV. Virginia Reel : Molto vivace [7:06]

Ian Hobson, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

Recorded on 9, 10 January 1997
Recording engineer, Tryggvi Tryggvason. Recording producer, Amanda Hurton
© 1997 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66949

Two virtually unknown American late-romantics make a surprising contribution to Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto series. Henry Holden Huss (pronounced ‘Hoos’) was of German extraction and so went back there, like Chadwick and Parker, to study composition with Rheinberger. He also studied the piano but, according to Tchaikovksy, had technical shortcomings: a critic advised him no to play his own music. Huss died at the age of 91 in 1953 and, like Schelling, was barely known on record – just a setting of Tennyson’s Crossing the Bar and a single prelude for piano. He looks like a one-work composer and this Concerto, in the unusual key of B major, is getting its first real chance exactly a century after he wrote it. At first it sounds like a predictable assembly of all the gestural paraphernalia of the romantic idiom with some pleasant orchestral textures. But, after further hearings, Huss gradually convinces with his own dialect of this inherited language, although reminiscences of other composers can be irritating; for example, a subsidiary theme from Chopin’s Fourth Ballade in the second movement at 3’13" and later, and a certain hovering on the edge of Wagner’s Liebestod. But Huss does forge a continuity which, although not original, is convincing – especially in a committed performance like this. Hobson, who had to score a small missing passage, makes no grand claims in the CD booklet, preferring to let the music speak for itself.

Ernest Henry Schelling had a piano piece recorded by Paderewski on HMV, who was one of his teachers, and a symphonic poem, A Victory Ball (after Alfred Noyes) by the New York PO under Mengelberg in 1926. Otherwise the recording of his Suite Fantastique from 1905 must be his finest hour. Unlike the Huss, it was particularly successful in Europe. Schelling, a child prodigy who went to study in Paris at the age of six, gave the first performance of the Suite with the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Mengelberg and it was regularly played by Moiseiwitsch, including a Prom under Wood in 1914. the work has a certain superficial charm with some neat touches. The central section of the very Russian scherzo in in five-time (1’24") and the last movement, written when Schelling was homesick for the US, combines popular songs in the manner of Gottschalk rather than Ives. What makes this release unexpectedly compelling listening is the real dedication brought to these performances by Hobson and the BBC Scottish SO under Brabbins.
Peter Dickinson, Gramophone, Awards 1997



Ian Hobson
Henry H. Huss
Ernest Schelling

Three languages-, 24 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 17: Mendelssohn Piano Concertos





Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
(Hamburg, February 3, 1809 - Leipzig, November 4, 1847)

Capriccio Brillant in B minor, op. 22 (1832) [10:46]
Piano Concerto no. 1 in G minor, op. 25 (1830-31)
I. Molto allegro con fuoco - attacca: [7:15]
II. Andante - attacca: [5:37]
III. Presto - Molto allegro e vivace - Tempo I [6:47]
Rondeau Brillant in E flat major, op. 29 (1834) [10:50]
Piano Concerto no. 2 in D minor, op. 40 (1837)
I. Allegro appassionato - attacca: [9:09]
II. Adagio : Molto sostenuto - attacca: [5:01]
III. Finale : Presto scherzando [6:57]
Serenade and Allegro Giocoso in B minor, op. 43 (1838) [12:51]

Stephen Hough, piano
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Lawrence Foster

Recorded in Dudley Town Hall, Birmingham on 9, 10 January 1997
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1997 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66969

Looking at the list of contenders, you might think Stephen Hough faced impossibly stiff competition in the Mendelssohn concertos. But Andrбs Schiff, brilliant as he is, rarely sounds completely engaged, intellectually or expressively, and while Murray Perahia probes more deeply than Schiff, it’s in the three solo piano pieces Sony add as fillers that he reveals real love for Mendelssohn. There’s more affection and feeling for drama in Benjamin Frith’s versions of the concertos on Naxos – very appealing altogether, despite the occasionally percussive piano tone. But with Stephen Hough we enter a new dimension. The soft, stylish arpeggios that open the first work on the disc, the Capriccio Brillant, announce immediately that something special is on the way. But this is just a preparation for the First Concerto. Here again, ‘stylish’ is the word. One can sense the background – especially the operatic background against which these works were composed (Weber is very much present). The first solo doesn’t simply storm away, fortissimo; one hears distinct emotional characteristics: the imperious, thundering octaves, the agitated semiquavers, the pleading appoggiaturas. It’s far from overdone, yet after Hough Schiff seems merely impersonal, Perahia even a teensy bit mannered. The revelation is the First Concerto’s slow movement: not a trace of stale sentimentality here, rather elegance balanced by depth of feeling. Yes, I did say depth – forget what you may have read about Mendelssohn’s ‘artificiality’. Some of the praise must go to the City of Birmingham SO and Lawrence Foster; after all it’s the CBSO violas and cellos that lead the singing in that slow movement. And I also like the way Foster and the orchestra open the Second Concerto – too often dismissed as the less inspired sequel to No. 1. The first bars are hushed, sombre, a little below the main tempo, so that it’s left to Hough to energize the argument and set the pace – all very effective. I’m not sure the other two short pieces add much. I even marginally prefer Frith in the Rondo Brillant – his sustained rhythmic drive makes this slight piece more compelling. But Hough is now clearly first recommendation in the concertos. If you still doubt that Mendelssohn could be possessed by genuine creative fire, discs like this, should be enough to show you how wrong you are.
Stephen Johnson, Gramophone, September 1997



Felix Mendelssohn
Stephen Hough

You can tell this is special from the first chord ... I don’'t think [Stephen Hough] has an equal on record in this music, even with competitors like Andras Schiff and Murray Perahia. Issues like this add to the feeling that the great Mendelssohn reappraisal is underway at last. It’s long overdue. (The Independent) ... Once again we have Stephen Hough lavishing his exciting gifts upon a splendid Mendelssohn programme. I cannot envisage this splendidly recorded disc being absent from the year's honours list. (Classic CD) ... Biting intensity, yet with freer expressiveness and bigger contrasts he also brings out extra poetry and ... a sparkling wit ... A constant delight. (The Guardian) ... An impressive achievement all round. (Piano International) ... [Hough] can scamper with the best and is able to incorporate delightful capriciousness without derailing the flow of thought ... These performances boast of nearly ideal lightness, vivacity and impetus. (BBC Music Magazine) ... Hough offers far greater elegance and plusher tone ... he is, as always, a delight to listen to, such as in his quicksilver scattering of thirds in the last movement of the Second Concerto. (Fanfare) ... Stephen Hough has the ideal qualities of sharp attention to rhythmic detail and an impeccable fluidity of line and phrase. (The Observer)

Three languages-, 28 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 18: Marx & Korngold Piano Concertos





Joseph Marx
(Graz, May 11, 1882 - Ivi, September 3, 1964)
Romantische Klavierkonzert in E major (1918-19)
I. Lebhaft (Allegro moderato) [14:52]
II. Nicht zu langsam (Andante affettuoso) [10:47]
III. Sehr lebhaft (Allegro molto) [11:20]

Erich Wolfgang Korngold
(Brünn / Brno, May 29, 1897 - Los Angeles, November 29, 1957)
Piano Concerto in C sharp major, op. 17
for the left hand ( <- :lol: ) in a single movement (1905)
Mäßiges Zeitmaß, heldisch, mit Feuer und Kraft [27:42]

Marc-Andrй Hamelin, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä
Recorded on 19, 20 June 1997
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Martin Compton
© 1998 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA66990

GRAMOPHONE CRITICS’ CHOICE
DIAPASON D’OR

Lush as lush can be - that’s the Joseph Marx Romantisches Klavierkonzert. It’s all the most wildly romantic concertos you can think of rolled into one huge pianistic feast. Without sounding too much like a wine expert, it’s early Scriabin, it’s Korngold (particularly in the ravishing slow movement), it’s Debussy (I’m thinking of the Fantasie for piano and orchestra here), it’s Delius, it could even at times be the grandaddy of all those 1930s and 1940s quasi-piano concerto film scores. From the very first bar you know why Joseph Marx (1882-1964) gave the concerto the epithet Romantic. Though by no means a profound piece, it’s a delight to listen to and a work of exceptional craftsmanship also. Its pianistic difficulties are legion and this could well be the reason for the work’s neglect since the 1920s. Jorge Bolet had it in his repertoire but this is the first commercial recording of the piece. As ever Marc-Andrи Hamelin delivers the music with consummate ease.

After a similar period of neglect Korngold’s left-hand Piano Concerto is making a remarkable comeback on disc. Unlike many of the pieces composed for Paul Wittgenstein after he lost an arm in the First World War, this one actually makes a virtue out of all the inevitable spread-chords trickery required when writing for one hand. Listening to the Concerto afresh it struck me how incredibly difficult it would be to play it with both hands and still make it sound the way the composer intended – perhaps this was why Wittgenstein enjoyed playing it so much. Whatever, it’s a splendid work that thoroughly deserves its current revival. Its gladiatorial solo part certainly emphasizes the ‘struggle’ inherent in the concerto form, but it is certainly not a concerto in the traditional sense, more, as Brendan Carroll suggests in the booklet-notes, a symphonic poem for piano and orchestra. Hamelin’s main rival here is a fine account by Howard Shelley and Matthias Bamert on Chandos. Shelley’s approach is, overall, more luxuriant perhaps, but Hamelin’s reading has plenty of poetry as well and is allied to tremendous power and authority. I’m sure I will vacillate between these two performances, but for now Hamelin just gets my recommendation. Korngold fans will want both, and of course there’s the marvellous Marx Concerto to get acquainted with. An inspired coupling. Good recorded sound, and superb accompaniment from the BBC Scottish SO under Osmo Vдnskд.
(Michael Stewart, Gramophone, April 1998)




Marc-André Hamelin
Joseph Marx
Erich W. Korngold

A superb coupling ... the frankly outrageous challenges set by these unfailingly inventive scores are overcome by Hamelin with a nonchalance bordering on effrontery. A revelation. (Piano International) ... Mesmerising playing from Hamelin in two fascinating late-romantic concertos. Enthusiasts for virtuoso piano writing of the most fearsome difficulty will find it impossible not to be overwhelmed by the sheer brilliance of Hamelin’s playing (Classic CD) ... One of the most memorable in Hyperion’s much-valued Romantic Piano Concerto series. (The Scotsman) ... Exceptional pianism. (BBC Music Magazine) ... Heroic piano playing of monumental proportions. (In Tune, Japan / USA)

Three languages-, 28 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 19: Tovey & Mackenzie Piano Concertos





Sir Donald Francis Tovey
(Eton, July 17, 1875 - Edinburgh, July 10, 1940)
Piano Concerto in A major, op. 15 (1903)
I. Energico [15:38]
II. Adagio ma non troppo [7:54]
III. Alla marcia, non presto - Presto [9:59]

Sir Alexander Campbell Mackenzie
(Edinburgh, August 22, 1847 - London, April 28, 1935)
Scottish Concerto, op. 55 (1897)
I. Allegro maestoso - Allegretto - Andantino - attacca: [9:54] - II. Molto lento [9:20]
III. Allegro vivace (ma non presto al principio) - Andante tranquillo, quasi dolente -
Tempo I - Molto piщ mosso - Piщ mosso ancora [8:59]

Steven Osborne, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

Recorded in City Hall, Candleriggs, Glasgow on 8, 9 January 1998
Recording engineer, John Timperley. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1998 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67023

From the horns’ call-to-arms at the outset to the irrepressible merrymaking of the closing pages, Edinburgh-born Sir Alexander Mackenzie’s Scottish Concerto (1897) spells firm enjoyment, and I find it astonishing that it is only now receiving its first recording. Cast in three movements, each of which employs a traditional Scottish melody, it is a thoroughly endearing, beautifully crafted work which wears its native colours without any hint of stale clichй or cloying sentimentality; indeed, the canny wit, genuine freshness and fertile imagination with which Mackenzie treats his material are evident throughout, nowhere more so, perhaps, than in the lovely central Molto lento, a raptly tender meditation on the shepherd’s love-song, The Waulking of the Fauld. This is preceded by an initially majestic Allegro maestoso (based on The Reel of Tulloch) which soon bursts into mischievous life. The latter tune is also worked into the delectably scored finale (which borrows Green Grow the Rushes O for its main idea).

By contrast, Edinburgh-based Sir Donald Tovey’s Piano Concerto in A major (1903) exhibits a rather more formal demeanour, its three movements brimful of youthful ambition and possessing a very Brahmsian solidity and dignity. Certainly, there’s plenty to admire in the imposing, lucidly structured first movement, which boasts a development section of impressive emotional scope and satisfying rigour. To get some idea of Tovey’s considerable compositional prowess, listen from the muscular orchestral paragraph beginning at 6'43'' through to the powerfully achieved recapitulation (from 9'50''). The ensuing F sharp minor Adagio ma non troppo features some radiantly luminous dialogue between piano and orchestra, and the concerto concludes with a vigorous, high-spirited Alla marcia finale. As the fugato episode early on in this last movement demonstrates, Tovey’s idiomatically assured writing is not always entirely untouched by a certain academic earnestness, but on the whole any unwanted stuffiness is deftly kept at bay. In fact, repeated hearings have merely strengthened my admiration for this work, and I am now intrigued to hear some of Tovey’s other works (there exists a Symphony from 1913 as well as the Cello Concerto, written for Casals and premiиred by him in 1934). No praise can be too high for Steven Osborne’s by turns outstandingly sensitive and dashing contribution, while the excellent Martyn Brabbins draws a splendidly stylish and alert response from his fine BBC group. Sound and balance are excellent too. As ever, John Purser’s extensive annotations are a veritable storehouse of background information, infectious enthusiasm and perceptive observation. All told, a super disc.
(Andrew Achenbach, Gramophone, October 1998)




Steven Osborne

Another hugely enjoyable release of Scottish music from Hyperion (The Scotsman) ... What a bonanza this Hyperion offering is! If you fancy piano concertos you’ll find plenty in these two neglected specimens to challenge and enchant you (Fanfare, USA) ... A marvellous and magnificent disc (Hi Fi News) ... 'A fascinating release. The whole enterprise could hardly wish for a more eloquent or dashingly persuasive exponent than Steven Osborne, who clearly believes in every note. (Piano International)

Three languages-, 28 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

Первоначальный релизер обещал выпустить всех 42 дисков с приблизительной скорости - 1 диск за неделю. Вчера вечером он залил volumе 19. Так что здесь уже залиты все диски, которые залиты до сих пор и в первоначальном трекере. Дальше будем двигаться со скоростью начального релизера. :)

Обратите внимание на volumе 18!!! Там эсть две особености - оба окрашены в фиолетовый цвет:

Вах! Тысячи благодарностей за продолжение банкета!
Непонятно вот почему леворукий концерт Кронголда нечасто исполняется - это ж такая халява для пиниста, свободной то рукой можно и почесаться и пивка глотнуть. Загадка.

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 20: Brull Piano Concertos





Ignaz Brull
(Prossnitz, Moravia, November 7, 1846 - Vienna, September 17, 1907)
Piano Concerto no. 1 in F major, op. 10 (1860-61)
I. Allegro moderato - (Cadenza) - Tempo I [13:32]
II. Andante : Molto espressivo [5:21] - III. Finale : Presto [8:11]
Andante and Allegro, op. 88 (1902)
I. Andante moderato, con moto [6:26]
II. Allegro vivace [9:48]
Piano Concerto no. 2 in C major, op. 24 (1868)
I. Allegro moderato [13:44]
II. Andante ma non troppo [8:30] - III. Allegro [7:20]

Martin Roscoe, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

Recorded in Caird Hall, Dundee on 7, 8 May 1998
Recording engineer, John Timperley. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1999 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67069

Ignaz Brьll (1846-1907) is remembered today for two things: first his hugely successful opera Das goldene Kreuz, and secondly, for being a member of Brahms’s circle in Vienna. His association with Brahms has to some extent militated against an independent evaluation of his work, something this recording should go some way towards redressing. As so often with earlier volumes, we are indebted to Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto series for unearthing such a wealth of wonderful music and presenting it so superbly. Brьll was an early developer (the booklet contains a photograph of him aged 24 with a six-inch beard!) and his two piano concertos are youthful works. The first was written when he was just 14, and it shows an incredible fertility of ideas and maturity of formal and orchestral handling. The first movement is bold and passionate, and the finale is witty and brilliant, but it is the powerful central Andante that most impresses. The Second Concerto, written when Brьll was 22, is a more accomplished work, with a stronger melodic vein and more varied and imaginative orchestral writing. After its publication in 1875 it was more widely played than the First Concerto, and unlike the other works on this disc it has been recorded before. The Andante and Allegro, Op. 88 (1902) is a more mature work, the lyrical first section (based on an earlier unpublished song) offset by a sparkling finale.

The performances are exemplary, full of warmth and character from soloist and orchestra. Indeed, this is one of the finest discs I’ve heard from Roscoe, his muscularity and authoritative firmness of style complemented by his delicacy and range of colour. And the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra offer tonal refinement and some lovely woodwind playing. All this is helped by the full and clean recorded sound – the clarity, balance and tonal blending really are magnificent – and the lucid and informative booklet-essay further adds to the value of this disc. Another Hyperion triumph.
Tim Parry, Gramophone, April 1999



Ignaz Brьll
Martin Roscoe

... The most enjoyable and successful pair of revivals since Stephen Hough’s award-winning resurrection of Sauer’s No 1 and Scharwenka’s 4th. Life-enhancing minor masterpieces in superb sound and dashing, committed performances. (Classic CD) ... All of the music on this disc is absolutely delightful. (Fanfare) ... This is a welcome discovery or recovery for lovers of Romantic music. (Contemporary Review)

Three languages-, 24 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

прикрепил тему, чтобы было удобнее :hi:

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 21: Kullak & Dreyschock Piano Concertos





Theodor Kullak
(Krotoschin / now Krotoszyn, Poland, September 12, 1818 - Berlin, March 1, 1882)
Piano Concerto in C minor, op. 55 (1850)
I. Allegro [16:24]
II. Adagio [8:22]
III. Allegro moderato ma con fuoco [10:16]

Alexander Dreyschock
(Zбky, Bohemia, October 15, 1818 - Venice, April 1, 1869)
Piano Concerto in D minor, op. 137 (18??)
I. Allegro ma non troppo [10:07]
II. Andante con moto [6:10]
III. Allegro vivace [8:08]

Piers Lane, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Niklas Willйn

Recorded in City Hall, Glasgow on 3, 4 March 1999
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Amanda Hurton
© 1999 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67086

Hyperion’s adventurous exploration of little-known or unknown romantic piano concertos continues with two more first recordings, performed with the kind of zestful spirit and communicative flair that has rightly won this series so many plaudits. There are certainly no laurels being rested upon: indeed, the score and parts of the Dreyschock concerto took some tracking down and were eventually secured from a private collection in Japan. In fact, it is the concerto by Kullak (1818-82) that has the strongest claim on our attention, particularly its arresting first movement. The Beethoven influence is tangible (accentuated by the C minor tonality, with its noble and powerful antecedents), although the solo part is more reminiscent of Hummel and Weber. This is a finely crafted work, with attractive melodic ideas, an intense lyricism and a blend of poignant gravitas and dashing pianistic display. The two remaining movements are not quite on the same level; nevertheless, this performance makes one grateful for the availability of such an appealing work. That by Dreyschock (1818-69) is an altogether more fluffy affair, with plenty of sparkling pianistic charm but without really memorable melodic content. The texture is even more piano-dominated than in the Kullak, with a severely restricted orchestral role, and the level of musical invention and variety is limited. This is, of course, a piece very much of its time and culture, an ephemeral work written for Dreyschock’s own use, and while it has its attractions it demands only an occasional airing. Piers Lane sums it up admirably: ‘Of course it is not particularly profound, but nor is it pretentious. It fizzes with the sort of champagne brilliance Dreyschock’s audiences must have loved.’
This series arouses constant admiration for the way polished interpretations are created from scratch, and this issue is no exception. Piers Lane, equipped with an enviable technical facility that makes light of the considerable demands, is consummately attuned to his task: his tone and phrasing throughout are attractive, his delicacy and colouring hugely persuasive. As ever, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra provides a reliable backdrop to the pianist’s flamboyance, and its tonal warmth and stylish playing unobtrusively adds to the authority of these performances. Piers Lane’s lively accompanying essay is as engaging as his playing, although ideally I would have liked the heavily anecdotal narrative complemented by a little more detail about the music (do we know, for example, when Dreyschock actually composed his concerto?). But he does quote a delightfully wicked and witty contemporary review of Dreyschock’s Etudes Op. 1, and sets these two interesting but peripheral figures in an eloquent historical context. The recorded sound is excellent. Recommended.
Tim Parry, Gramophone, October 1999




Piers Lane

The 19th century had an amazing flowering of composing talent that is being discovered even to this day, as Hyperion’s celebrated Romantic Piano Concerto series certainly proves. With two world premiere recordings in this disc, Hyperion has served up one of the best in its series. Theodor Kullak’s Piano Concerto in C minor has the impulsiveness and dexterity of Beethoven but filtered through a light Mendelssonian sensibility. Kullak was a virtuoso too which accounts for this concerto’s Chopinesque flourishes, played with effortless dexterity by the nimble-fingered Piers Lane. The Piano Concerto in D minor by Alexander Dreyshock also has a fetching lightness and charm. With touches of the dark-hued dynamism and vigor that would later emerge in full force with Schumann and Brahms, this piece is a real firework of a concerto. Are these piano concertos newly discovered masterpieces? Perhaps not. But they are nonetheless delightful and engaging works. Certainly this outstanding recording and performance (Lane has also written a splendid essay to accompany these pieces) gives these neglected works the overdue treatment they deserve.
(Arkivmusic.com)

... These two new works...[are] functional concertos, designed to show off the technical facilities of their composers....Certainly, Piers Lane does everything he can to bring them to life....this is one the piano buffs will have to have... Fanfare, 1-2/00 ... Delightful concertos. Kullak’s in particular strikes me as a gem. Piers Lane plays both with dexterity and wit. A winner. (The Sunday Times) ... 'I can’t stop playing the disc: the anticipation of a number of ear-tickling passages, notably in the Kullak, is too delicious for words. Effervescent, lightweight music transformed into entertaining and compelling minor masterpieces. (Classic CD) ... This is one of the very finest of Hyperion’s 'Romantic Piano Concerto series. (The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)

Three languages-, 40 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

щас зарядил в торрент все 20 дисков, понемногу идет :w00t:

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 22: Busoni Piano Concerto





Ferruccio Busoni
(Empoli, Italy, April 1, 1866 - Berlin, July 27, 1924)
Concerto in C major for pianoforte,
orchestra and male chorus, op. 39 (1902-04)
I. Prologo e Introito : Allegro, dolce e solenne [15:36]
II. Pezzo giocoso : Vivacemente, ma senza fretta [9:47]
III. Pezzo serioso : Andante sostenuto, pensoso - Andante, quasi adagio [23:14]
IV. All’Italiana (Tarantella) : Vivace [12:17]
V. Cantico* : Largamente [10:52]

Marc-Andrй Hamelin, piano
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
* Men's voices of The City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
Mark Elder

Recorded in Symphony Hall, Birmingham on 20, 21 June 1999
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 1999 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67143

GRAMOPHONE EDITOR’S CHOICE
CLASSIC CD 100 GREATEST DISCS OF THE DECADE

Busoni’s Piano Concerto has never become a repertoire piece. It fits awkwardly into a concert programme, due to its length and its choral finale, and the extreme difficulty of its solo writing (discouraging to learn if you’re only going to be asked to play it once in a blue moon) cannot quite disguise the fact that it's really more of a symphony with an elaborate piano part than a real concerto. This new recording might just change all that, for like no other performance that I’ve heard it proves what a richly enjoyable piece it is. Without in the least understating the grandeur of the central movement (or its Faustian pointers to Busoni’s later style), it finds humour not only of the gallows kind in the first Scherzo (even a touch of irony to its nostalgic centre), while the brilliant tarantella second Scherzo is often very funny indeed: Busoni celebrates his Italian ancestry, but at times bursts into helpless laughter at it as well. Hamelin obviously loves the work’s opportunities for grand romantic pianism and barnstorming, and he has a fine ear for its stark boldness. But it’s a piece that also needs absolute conviction from the conductor, and Elder is splendidly eloquent, from the nobly Brahmsian introduction to the full-throatedly sung (but properly distanced: Busoni wanted the chorus to be invisible) finale. Both are at their best in the central Pezzo Serioso, which is grand and grave, but alert to the presence of Chopin as well as Liszt. The recording is warm and spacious, the piano at times just a touch (but forgivably) close. Hyperion reprints Ronald Stevenson’s flamboyant programme-notes to one of John Ogdon’s pioneering performances of this concerto 40 years ago. "Effusion is germane to both the music and my writing on it", he says in a semi-apologetic postscript, but his mots are very often justes: "a sad defeated fanfare on a ruined glory of D major, and a string chord hangs like a breath on the air" is exactly how the end of the first Scherzo sounds in this remarkable performance.
Michael Oliver, Gramophone, December 1999

In his time, Ferruccio Busoni was known better as a pianist than as a composer: indeed, he was thought to be among the greatest to ever play the instrument. However, it is as a composer that Busoni defined himself, and since his passing, his music has become a monument to his dreams. His lavishly orchestrated Piano Concerto in C Major is a magnificently unique piece, so unusual that it is rarely performed in concert. Certainly a concerto of this length (over 70 minutes) is a rarity, but it is Busoni’s distinctive musical vision that truly sets the piece apart. Sweeping the audience away as if on an ocean, Busoni’s melodies pass through the majestic piece in waves. Lyrical, yet too subtle for a dance, the concerto is an immersion in Busoni’s sensual world.
Mark Elder and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra capture the tactile nature of the music beautifully, and pianist Marc-Andrй Hamelin has the deft touch required for Busoni’s highly technical work.
Archivmusik.com



"It is the idea of my piano concerto in one picture and it is represented by architecture, landscape and symbolism. The three buildings are the first, third and fifth movements. In between come the two ‘living’ ones; Scherzo and Tarantelle; the first, a nature-play, represented by a miraculous flower and bird; the second by Vesuvius and cypress trees. The sun rises over the entrance; a seal is fastened to the door of the end building. The winged being quite at the end is taken from Oehlenschlager’s chorus and represents mysticism in nature."(Busoni in a letter to his wife, July 1902)

Sensational ... Anyone who has the slightest doubts about Busoni’s stature as a composer will surely be won over by this magisterial recording. (Piano International) ... Dark, turbulent, horribly difficult to play, very long – and probably my disc of the year ... This fine new recording does full justice to every aspect of the work. It will surely help to establish Busoni as an unarguably major composer. (Classic CD) ... Busoni makes ridiculous demands on pianists, but in Marc-Andrй Hamelin’s hands, it all sounds perfectly reasonable. It isn’t: it’s noble, hilarious, impressive and gloriously over the top. (BBC Music Magazine) ... The biggest blockbuster of them all. Mark Elder and the CBSO support Hamelin to the hilt and the result does full justice to one of the mightiest epics of the piano repertoire. (The Times) ... Hamelin’s account is quite extraordinary, especially in the cadenza, in which the virtuosity he unleashes reaches barely credible heights ... one of his finest achievements to date. (International Piano Quarterly) ... A dazzling disc. If any pianist can clarify and define this bewildering work it is Hamelin, with his razor-sharp reflexes, a technique that knows no difficulties and, even more important, a ready sympathy for Busoni’s abrupt changes of ace and direction ... a spine-tingling experience. Another awe-inspiring feat from this prodigiously virtuosic Canadian (Gramophone)



Marc-Andrй Hamelin
Ferruccio Busoni
Mark Elder

Three languages-, 32 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 23: Holbrooke & Wood Piano Concertos





Joseph Holbrooke
(Croydon, England, July 5, 1878 - London, August 5, 1958)
Piano Concerto no. 1, op. 52
"The Song of Gwyn ap Nudd" (1906-08)
I. Maestoso - Allegro - Animato - a tempo - Tempo I - Piщ mosso al fine [12:43]
II. Poco adagio con sentimento - Tempo poco Allegretto [9:29]
III. Allegro moderato ma con fuoco [14:03]

Haydn Wood
(Slaithwaite, Yorkshire, March 25, 1882 - London, March 11, 1959)
Piano Concerto in D minor (190?-09)
I. Maestoso e moderato - Tranquillo - Cadenza - Allegro [15:00]
II. Andante [5:51] - III. Finale : Vivace [12:18]

Hamish Milne, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

Recorded in Caird Hall, Dundee on 4, 5 June 1999
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 2000 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67127

Gwyn ap Nudd, the King of Faerie, is the lover of Cordelia, daughter of Ludd or Lear, familiar from Shakespeare’s play. He fights for her with Gwythyr ap (i.e. the son of) Greidawl on the first of May each year ‘until the day of doom’. Much of Halbrooke’s music evokes atmosphere or characters rather than underlining action. However, Celtophobes should not turn away, for the music can be enjoyed as a straightforward Romantic piano concerto; for those who wish to follow the story, the full poem as printed in the score appears [in the booklet, with German and French versions] with the CD entry points before each appearance of a quotation in the full score.
(from the booklet notes)

CLASSIC CD DISC OF THE MONTH

I confess to having been frustratingly underwhelmed, in the past, by what little I have heard of the Croydon-born composer and pianist Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958). But the present ambitious First Piano Concerto (first performed by Harold Bauer under the composer’s baton in November 1910) is by some margin the most impressive orchestral piece of his I’ve yet encountered. Dubbed a symphonic poem by its creator, it follows the narrative of a poem based on a Welsh legend by his patron Lord Howard de Walden (writing under the pseudonym of T. E. Ellis) entitled The Song of Gwyn ap Nudd (the full text of which is printed in the admirable booklet), yet, as annotator Lewis Foreman correctly observes, the work can also be appreciated perfectly well as a red-blooded romantic concerto, very much in the grand tradition. On first acquaintance, I wondered whether Holbrooke’s music had a strong enough thematic profile, but a second hearing soon uncovered plenty of ideas securely lodged in the memory bank (you somehow just know that the first movement’s gorgeous second subject is destined to reappear in all its grandiloquent glory before the end). And there’s no denying the deft resourcefulness and vaulting sweep with which Holbrooke handles proceedings. What’s more, it receives an outstandingly eloquent, tirelessly committed treatment here – clearly the product of many hours of painstaking preparation.

Before he made his name in the field of light music, Haydn Wood (1882-1959) was a gifted violinist and composition pupil of Stanford at the Royal College of Music. Indeed, it was Stanford who conducted the Queen’s Hall premiere of Wood’s big-boned D minor Concerto in July 1909. It’s an altogether more straightforward, less individual confection than its partner. Greig’s Concerto is the obvious template, and there are plentiful stylistic echoes throughout ot Tchaikovskys, Rachmaninov and MacDowell. The opening movement is full of effective display and boasts a ravishing secondary idea. Tuttis incline to overthickness (a recurring problem in both outer movements), yet there’s some delightfully transparent scoring elsewhere (try from the start of the first-movement development section at 6’56"). The finale starts promisingly (the unison horns at the outset imediately call to mind the start of Tchaikovsky’s First Concerto), but tends to lose its way. By far the best music comes in the central Andante – a genuinely haunting, deeply felt essay, boasting some wistfully fragrant orchestral sonorities. Not a great work, by any means, but incurable romantics will devour it. Again, the performance is securely in the luxury class, as are the Keener / Faulkner production-values. An altogether exemplary release, then.
Andrew Achenbach, Gramophone, April 2000



Joseph Holbrooke
Haydn Wood

... (The Holbrooke concerto) is extremely well played by Milne and the excellent BBC Scottish SO....The Haydn Wood D minor Concerto (...) is the better work, more clearly defined, somewhat better orchestrated and more certain as to where it is going (...) If you are attracted by the repertoire, give it a try: you will not be disappointed.(International Record Review) ... The playing is first class and the recording is super. (American Record Guide) ... Marvellous performances and recording. (Hi-Fi News & Record Review) ... Hamish Milne plays "to the manner born" in his elegant and mesmerizing realization of both scores. A must for the ‘Romantic’ collector. (Fanfare, USA) ... One for the end of year awards. An outstanding issue in every way (Classic CD)

Three languages-, 44 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.[/i]
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)[/size][/font]

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 24: Vianna da Motta Piano Concertos



Jose Vianna da Motta
(Sao Tome, April 22, 1868 - Lisbon, June 1, 1948)
Piano Concerto in A major (1887)
I. Moderato [9:41] - II. Largo - Variations - Coda (Molto vivace) [16:28]
Ballada for solo piano, op. 16 (1905) [9:17]
Fantasia Dramбtica for piano and orchestra (1893)
I. Allegro moderato [10:54]
II. Andante [7:45] - III. Animato - Maestoso [10:14]

Artur Pizarro, piano
Orquestra Gulbenkian
Martyn Brabbins

Recorded in the Grande Auditуrio, Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon on 12, 13 July 1999
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 2000 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67163

Hitherto, Jose Vianna da Motta (1868-1948) was quite unknown to me. Artur Pizarro’s informative note fills the main gaps: born in Africa, he was a pupil of Schaffer, Liszt and von Bьlow, later becoming a leading interpreter of Beethoven and Liszt. He played with Casals, Sarasate and Ysaяe and was a friend of Busoni, with whom he edited a complete Liszt edition. Vianna da Motta’s main importance to posterity was his cultivation of non-operatic music in Portugal, his own compositions leading the way. Ironically, the larger works here scarcely contributed, the Concerto (1886-87) being premiиred the day before this recording, the Fantasia dramatica (1893) played just once before. Both are early works, full of youthful exuberance. The Concerto betrays many influences, Wagner not least, but is largely Schumannesque in structure. Its unconventionality reminded me of Busoni’s early concerto (though less massive), consisting of just two movements, the variation-form second functioning as slow movement and scherzo-finale. The concerto-sized Fantasia dramatica (the largest item here) is more assured technically, switching Liszt for Schumann as model. Vianna da Motta’s Ballada for solo piano is later still (1905), a fully mature creation in expressive design and the skill of its keyboard writing. Based on two popular songs from Portugal, it does lack the sheer vitality and fun of the works with orchestra, though its being placed between them sets it in the best possible light. The performances – firmly directed by Brabbins – are very strong (Pizarro doesn’t put a foot wrong). The superlative recording is a further plus, letting one hear even the rasp of the bassoons beneath the Fantasia’s final climax. A joy to listen to.
Guy Rickards, Gramophone.co.uk

The Piano Concerto is clearly out of the Schumann school: fantasy and a rattlingly romantic approach are the order of the day. There is a dash of turbulent spirit from the Brahms First Piano Concerto: the very Germanic brass motto at the start of the largo affirms the tremendously Brahmsian sense of conflict. Amid the storm there is a Waldszenen faerie delicacy. The recording does the music wondrous justice although it does show up the less than smooth string contribution. Even so, in no sense, is the orchestra ‘rough’ just missing the quality of refinement: they premiиred the concerto in concert the day before the recording was made. The gale-tossed unrest of the Ballada heaves with Lisztian Richter-scale bravura but is also not short on marmoreal reflection akin to Chopin’s Nocturnes. This is a work of recursive depth of feeling. Certainly worth a return trip! The three-movement Fantasia is effectively a second piano concerto in a single movement (in three sections) as against the first concerto’s two. There is not a trace of barn-storming in most of the first section Allegro. All is undulating, rippling, charming, mellifluous, emollient as is the pivotal Andante (surely reflecting affectionate knowledge of the central episodes in Beethoven’s Fourth and Fifth piano concertos). The Animato is Tchaikovskian shaken with dark brass figures and rumbling with restless romantic invention. In this work da Motta is grasped by a strong individuality (not to mention exoticism - note the gong stroke at 2.30 in track 11) not always evident in the other works on this disc. Pizarro is beyond criticism and a sure friend to the composer: he also contributes the complementary notes.
Rob Barnett, Musicweb.international.com



Jose Vianna da Motta & Artur Pizarro

Pizarro performs prodigies in getting around these unfamiliar scores with hair-raising aplomb and the utmost conviction (Piano International) ... Goza, ademбs, de una toma sonora esplйndida (Scherzo, Spain) ... Pizarro gives the music exactly the full-bodied treatment [the piece] requires. A fine, satisfying disc, well worth exploring. (Fanfare, USA) ... To hear Pizarro is always a pleasure ... lyrical phrasing wrapped in one of the most entrancing and expressive pianissimos of any pianist. (International Record Review)

Three languages-, 20 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 25: MacDowell Piano Concertos



Edward MacDowell
(New York City, December 18, 1860 - Ivi, January 23, 1908)
Piano Concerto no. 1 in A minor, op. 15 (1882)
I. Maestoso - Allegro con fuoco [10:50]
II. Andante tranquillo [8:00] - III. Presto [8:28]
Second Modern Suite for solo piano, op. 14 (1881) [23:12]
Piano Concerto no. 2 in D minor, op. 23 (1885)
I. Larghetto calmato - Poco passione [12:30]
II. Presto giocoso [5:10] - III. Largo - Molto allegro [9:02]

Seta Tanyel, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

Recorded in Caird Hall, Dundee on 14, 15 September 2000 [Opp. 15, 23]
and in Henry Wood Hall, London on 17 December 2000 [Op. 14]
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producers, Andrew Keener and John West
© 2001 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67165

To many Edward MacDowell (1860-1908), an exact contemporary of Gustav Mahler, is remembered for his To a Wild Rose (from the Woodland Sketches) and little else. Yet he composed a few orchestral suites, symphonic poems, as well as numerous piano pieces and songs. He was widely considered the most important American composer of his day, but Gottschalk (1829-1869) has a far stronger claim to that title. He was among the earliest to use America’s indigenous rhythms and melodies his music, offering a direction which others ignored for nearly half a century. MacDowell was in essence a European composer and in his music it is rare to find any significant use made of American themes or rhythms. His miniatures, composed after 1895, certainly take their inspiration from the very fields, lakes and forests of the America that MacDowell deeply loved. These are richly melodic compositions produced by a gifted ‘German’. MacDowell has a rightful claim to being ‘the first American-born composer to have his works favourably compared with those of his European-born peers’.

The Piano Concerto No 1 in A minor is dedicated to Franz Liszt. The concerto, so the story goes, was composed in just two weeks. It was Joachim Raff who spurred MacDowell into writing it. Calling on his American pupil one day, he asked MacDowell what work he had in hand. Standing rather in awe of Raff at that time, MacDowell without thinking blurted out that he was working on a concerto (in fact, he had no thought of doing so). Raff asked him to bring the work to him the following Sunday by which time MacDowell had just managed to write the first movement. Evading Raff until the following Sunday - still not finished - he put him off again until the Tuesday by which time he had completed the concerto. Raff was so delighted with the results that he advised his pupil to travel to Weimar and show the work to Liszt. This MacDowell did, playing the work to the great man with Eugen d’Albert, no less, playing the orchestral part at the second piano. Despite this impressive background, one could hardly regard this first Piano Concerto as a high ranking work, especially when set beside MacDowell’s later pieces. Somewhat immature, I find the development is predictable and certain bar groups tend to become repetitious. I agree with the notes that the work is of academic interest but doubt that ‘one can sense the white-hot inspiration in which it was written’.
After the opening maestoso chords (enhanced in a second edition, published in 1910 apparently), the soloist leads off into the fiery Allegro con fuoco. A gentle, lightly scored Andante tranquillo (second movement) suggests those ideas of simple lyricism that were later to become trademarks of the MacDowell's miniatures and this contrasts considerably with the crude opening movement. The Presto has a strong opening before launching into its virtuoso theme, deftly handled by Seta Tanyel. Changing chromatic moods are found to be punctuated by Dvořákian New World horn chords that lead to a rousing finale. [Interestingly, this Concerto was written 8 years before the more famous New World symphony was performed (1893) so did Dvořák borrow from MacDowell when in America forming his friendship with Herbert? No mention is made of any of this in the notes yet the concertgoers at the time must surely have recognised the similarity.]

The Second Modern Suite, dedicated to Mrs Joachim Raff, follows Liszt’s suggestion to write a series of pieces for solo piano. Many of the six pieces in this second suite were written apparently when commuting between Frankfurt and Darmstadt in order to give lessons. The themes are engaging and convey a number of moods. The Fugue unmistakably echoes Bach (and Raff) whilst the Rhapsodie hints of Brahms and the Scherzo of Schumann. The Piano Concerto No 2 in D minor opens with the orchestra setting a dreamily tranquil scene before the piano interrupts with a short passage recognisable as similar to the ‘Warsaw concerto’. An enjoyable love theme later runs through the first movement. The work wakes up with true inspiration in the second movement with catchy thematic and rhythmic content, and clever orchestration. It provides an opportunity for good virtuosity and Tanyel rises to the occasion. It is understandable that this movement is sometimes played as a separate piece. The third movement moves to a sombre mood and back to the opening ‘Warsaw’ theme. Eventually it gathers strength to bring the piece to a rousing crescendo before relaxing into a dreamy passage. Energy gathers again for a spectacular finale.

The recording is first class with an exciting resonant bass lift to the piano’s lower octave, providing additional depth to the instrument. The piano is not placed too forward to drown orchestral detail and their excellent playing. Brabbins handles the orchestra sensitively and provides a good degree of colour. Interesting and lengthy notes are given on the composer, but little is mentioned about MacDowell’s ideas in planning the pieces, which would have been useful to know about.
Raymond J. Walker, Musicweb.international.com



Seta Tanyel

... Vol. 25 in this Hyperion series deserves to become a best-seller (Hi-Fi News) ... The piano writing exudes scintillation and brilliance and seems custom-made for Seta Tanyel’s lush, colourful sonority and effortless leggiero fingerwork (International Record Review) ... Tanyel can totally identify with this kind of post-Lisztian lyric bravura style (BBC Music Magazine) ... The Piano Concerto No 2 is a barnstorming, big-hearted, tune-filled warhorse of a piece that audiences would love if they heard it (Punch) ... Seta Tanyel’s thoughtful and richly coloured new performances make a distinguished addition to the catalog ... a winner. Strongly recommended (Fanfare, USA)

Three languages-, 32 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 26: Litolff Piano Concertos no. 3 & 5



Henry Charles Litolff
(London, February 6, 1818 - Bois-Colombes near Paris, August 5, 1891)
Concerto Symphonique no. 3 in E flat major, op. 45 "National Hollandais" (1846)
I. Maestoso [11:03] - Presto [5:35]
III. Andante [6:33] - IV. Allegro vivace [7:36]
Concerto Symphonique no. 5 in C minor , op. 123 (1867)
I. Allegro maestoso [14:43] - II. Largo [6:27]
III. Intermиde (Scherzo) : Vivace [4:46] - IV. Allegro [9:12]

Peter Donohoe, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Andrew Litton

Recorded in Caird Hall, Dundee on 27, 28 October 2000.
Recording engineer, Tony Faulkner. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 2001 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67210

This recording is the companion to Donohoe and Litton’s earlier recording of Litolff’s Concertos no. 2 & 4 and completes Hyperion’s survey of the composer's works for piano and orchestra (Litolff’s First concerto was never published and is lost). Both works owe the ‘Symphonique’ title to their four-movement structure (all Litolff’s concertos contain a Scherzo in addition to the three conventional movements), and the importance of the orchestra in their thematic development. The Third Concerto was (along with the Fourth) the most popular in Litolff’s lifetime and was written for performance in the Netherlands: it uses two popular Dutch melodies which no doubt explains it early success. The Fifth Concerto is the most obscure of the four extant works yet it is the most ambitious in scale with a particularly imposing orchestral exposition. Unfortunately by the time the work was composed, Litolff had faded from the public eye and the work received few, if any, performances. Its Scherzo, obviously modelled on the equivalent ‘hit’ piece from the Fourth Concerto, has the potential to be almost as popular, though its virtuosic leaping octave passages are likely to deter all but the most muscular of pianists. (Hyperion.co.uk)

Volume 26 in Hyperion’s engrossing ‘Romantic Piano Concerto’ series completes Peter Donohoe’s magisterial survey of Litolff’s five piano concertos (sadly‚ the First is lost). Litolff’s dauntingly capacious and ambitious structures accommodate every possible style‚ looking forwards and backwards Janusstyle‚ yet reaching out in the strange almost Alkanesque oddity of the Fifth Concerto’s last two movements towards a more personal and distinctive style. Admired by Tchaikovsky‚ Liszt and Berlioz (though with some telling reservations)‚ Litolff enjoyed a hectic career (part idyll‚ part drama and novelistic intrigue according to the pianist Marmontel) which is mirrored in writing of a formidable intricacy. So even if claims that he was ‘the English Liszt’ and that his development sections are similar to late Beethoven seem farfetched‚ the sheer energy and resource of Litolff’s writing are absorbing. Few pianists of any nationality could approach‚ let alone top‚ Peter Donohoe’s blistering virtuosity in these works. His performances throughout are as rocksteady as they are dazzling‚ sweeping aside torrents of notes with both affection and an imperious authority. Hear him in the fugal cadenza of the Fifth Concerto’s finale‚ in the exultant whirl which opens the Third Concerto’s finale‚ or (to recall for a moment Litolff’s most popular work) in his ferocious clip through the Scherzo of the Fourth Concerto‚ and you can only marvel at such unfaltering command‚ ideally complemented by Andrew Litton and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. The recordings are even more successful in terms of sound and balance than on Volume 14, and Jeremy Dibble’s superb notes are a major asset. The Fifth Concerto receives its first recording‚ and this is an invaluable issue for lovers of intriguing repertoire and pianoplaying of pulverising mastery.
Gramophone.co.uk, July 2001



Henry C. Litolff
Peter Donohoe

Henry Litolff's delightful works for piano and orchestra published under the label "Concerto Symphonique" have not deserved their current neglect, and Hyperion’s advocacy on their behalf represents one of many high points in its estimable Romantic Piano Concerto series. A dedicated anti-monarchist, Litolff composed his Third Concerto order to express his gratitude to the people of the Netherlands for providing a refuge after his escape from an English jail. The work incorporates several Dutch tunes, and places the scherzo second. Peter Donohoe and Andrew Litton have a field day with this charming piece. Here, as in the rather weightier opening movement of Concerto Symphonique No. 5, their light touch and buoyant rhythmic foundation prevent this sometimes foursquare music from bogging down. They imbue both slow movements with an appealingly operatic lyricism and project the music of the scherzos with a real sense of fun. Donohoe offers an especially well-paced finale to No. 5, an ambitious work that can all-too-easily succumb to excessive grandiosity, but which here remains freshly imagined from first note to last. Excellent sound completes a mightily attractive picture.
David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

... I found the first Litolff disc delightful, and this new release is just as captivating. Very warmly recommended. (Fanfare, USA) ... Peter Donohoe ... is the ideal man for such music, while the BBC Scottish SO under Andrew Litton offers razor-sharp support. A wonderfully clear recording (BBC Music Magazine) ... Donohoe’s pianism is ideally suited to this music, calling as it does for a brilliant, incisive tone, a dazzling leggiero touch and rhythmic punch ... dash out and buy the disc forthwith’ (International Record Review)

Three languages-, 32 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 27: Saint-Saens complete works for Piano and Orchestra





Charles Camille Saint-Saens
Paris, October 3, 1835
Algiers, Algeria / colonial France then, December 16, 1921

Disc 1
Piano Concerto no. 1 in D major, op. 17 (1858)
I. Andante - Allegro assai [11:37]
II. Andante sostenuto, quasi adagio [8:35] - III. Allegro con fuoco [6:25]
Piano Concerto no. 2 in G minor , op. 22 (1868)
I. Andante sostenuto [10:08]
II. Allegro scherzando [5:23] - III. Presto [6:09]
Piano Concerto no. 3 in G minor , op. 22 (1869)
I. Moderato assai - Piщ mosso (Allegro maestoso) [12:26]
II. Andante [6:16] - III. Allegro non troppo [7:06]
Wedding Cake, op. 76 (1886)
Valse-Caprice for piano and strings [5:58]

Disc 2
Piano Concerto no. 4 in C minor, op. 44 (1875)
I. Allegro moderato [11:18] - II. Allegro vivace [13:24]
Piano Concerto no. 5 in F major, op. 103 (1896)
I. Allegro animato [10:11]
II. Andante - Allegretto tranquillo [11:07] - III. Molto allegro [5:49]
Rapsodie d’Auvergne, for piano and orchestra op. 73 (1884) [9:02]
Allegro Appassionato, for piano and orchestra op. 70 (1884) [5:11]
Africa, Fantasie for piano and orchestra op. 89 (1889-91) [9:47]

Stephen Hough, piano
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Sakari Oramo

Recorded in Symphony Hall, Birmingham on 22-24 January and 6-8 September 2000;
And in Warwick, Arts Centre on 3 July 2001 (Concerto No. 3)
Recording engineers, Tony Faulkner and Mike Clements. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 2001 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67331/2


Cast your eye over the listings of these concertos in the classical catalogue and you’ll find half a column of versions of No. 2, including three by Rubinstein and a celebrated live recording by Gilels – while representation of the other four is so sparse as to suggest their days are over. No. 4, once the rival to No. 2 in popularity, does have Cortot’s glorious recording of 1935 to speak for it, but when do you ever hear it in concerts now? Richter’s name pops up in No. 5, in a 1952 account with Kondrashin and a Moscow youth orchestra. As to No. 1 and No. 3, they have faded almost to vanishing point. (...) Enough background: forward Stephen Hough, whose arrival is timely. His set is well recorded and presented, and conductor and orchestra are with him in a proper collaboration. It includes moreover the four shorter solo pieces with orchestra, which are characteristically pleasing compositions in a genre the composer liked to cultivate and of which Africa and the Rhapsodie d’Auvergne are especially worth having. If Saint-Saлns’s idiom once answered (and maybe still does) to qualities fundamental to the French musical character, it must straight away be said that Hough sounds the complete insider. My first impression of coolness and a slight reserve was soon banished by a recognition that his voice is ideally pitched. He commands the range of the big statements, whatever their character, as well as sparkle and panache, a sense of drama and seemingly inexhaustible stamina; and he can charm. Yet perhaps most delightful is the lightness and clarity of his decorative playing: even when subservient to the orchestra, one notices that every note of his roulades and filigree comes up glistening. And it is a bonus not to have the virtuoso passages sounding hectic or overblown – for Saint-Saлns, virtuosity always had an expressive potential. There is an air of manufcature about the writing sometimes, certainly, but as Hough knows, there must be nothing mechanical in the delivery of it. All of it tells. Sweeping across the keyboard, dipping and soaring through the teaming notes, he flies like a bird.



Camille Saint-Saens
Stephen Hough

Trying to single out a quality which makes him particularly admirable, I think it should be his acuteness of ear in all matters relating to sonority and balance. He conveys what makes these pieces tick: fine workmanship, fantasy, colour, and the various ways Saint-Saлns was so good at combining piano and orchestra. Gounod remarked that his younger colleague ‘played with and made light of the orchestra as of the pianoforte’, and these scores are textbooks of lean but firm orchestration from which at least one major French composer learned: Ravel, another eclectic, who must have seen the ‘old bear’ as a kindred spirit and whose G major Piano Concerto might surely not have been written the way it is without the example of Saint-Saлns’s achievements. The days are past when the CBSO under Louis Frйmaux was considered Britain’s ‘French’ orchestra, but with Sakari Oramo it does splendidly here, playing alertly with its inspiring soloist. It is a partnership which often goes beyond the punctual and the musicianly, and in the picture-postcard orientalism of the ‘Egyptian’ Fifth Concerto achieves a level of exceptional vivacity and definition. The recording balances are fine, with lovely piano sound and plenty of orchestral detail in natural-sounding perspectives. There is more personal music in these concertos and the four smaller pieces than I had remembered and these performances have brought it up as fresh as paint. Irreproachably elegant on the surface, the music is all the better for sometimes disclosing a basic vulgarity, as if a streak of plebeian blood were there to act as a safeguard against the nervous instability inherent in good breeding. It is shot through not only with good tunes but with touches of the vernacular and the theatrical. It is never insipid and rarely banal. This seems to me a spiffing set and pleasurable discoveries and rediscoveries await.
Stephen Plainstow, Gramophone, November 2001



Algiers in 1921, at the time of Saint-Saens passing

... Superlative (The Independent) ... Superb... Hough’s new set in Hyperion’s outstanding Romantic Piano Concerto series sweeps the board (The Guardian) ... A delightful set that does this underrated composer full credit (Classic FM Magazine) ... 'It is unalloyed pleasure to sit through all five at a sitting ... the quite outstanding pianism of Stephen Hough makes this an unmissable addition to anyone remotely interested in the barnstorming, physically exhilarating concertos of the late nineteenth century (International Record Review) ... Marvellous performances, full of joy, vigour and sparkle. The recording is in the demonstration bracket and this Hyperion set includes no fewer than four encores. An easy first choice (The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)

Three languages-, 28 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 28: Stojowski Piano Concertos





Zygmunt Stojowski
Strzelce near Kielce, Poland, May 4, 1870
New York City, November 5, 1946

Piano Concerto no. 1 in F sharp minor, op. 3 (1890)
I. Andante poco mosso - Allegro un poco maestoso - Lento, poco a poco animato [14:57]
II. Andante sostenuto e molto cantabile [9:40] - III. Allegro con fuoco - Presto [10:32]
Piano Concerto no. 2 in A flat major, op. 32 (1909-10)
I. Prologue: Andante con moto [7:36]
II. Scherzo: Presto [5:02]
III. Variations: Tema and Variations I-X [20:22]

Jonathan Plowright, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

Recorded in Caird Hall, Dundee on 6, 7 June 2001
Recording engineer, Mike Clements. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 2002 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67314

Volume 28 in Hyperion’s absorbing series‚ The Romantic Piano Concerto‚ unearths two gloriously worthwhile rarities in superb performances. To briefly paraphrase Joseph Herter’s informative liner notes‚ Zygmunt Stojowski (18701946) - born in the Russian partition of Poland and later a favourite pupil of Delibes in Paris - was a diehard Romantic who‚ after a dazzling start‚ fell victim to changing taste and fashion. Yet in both his piano concertos‚ where yearning melody and outsize heroics are expressed in writing of the most exalted virtuosity‚ his energy and ardour are a glowing reminder of another age. As a review in 1897 had it‚ such music only stands a chance in the hands of a great pianist. The challenge is immense both in terms of technique and‚ more elusively‚ style‚ and it is met by Jonathan Plowright with imperturbable authority. His musicianship is unfailing‚ his virtuoso command of the sort that clears every hurdle with yards to spare. Hear the visceral impact of his chording at 3'19" in the First Concerto‚ or the delicacy and precision of his playing of the decorative detail which immediately follows‚ and you are clearly in the presence of a master pianist. Even more remarkable is his unaffected warmth at 12'03"‚ and in the second movement Andante sostenuto the way he allows a melody lost in starry reflection at 1'17" to blossom and unfold. In the Second and more enterprising concerto‚ in which Stojowski uses the variation form to exploit every form of pianistic ingenuity (thirds‚ octaves‚ flying semiquaver figuration‚ etc)‚ Plowright is a no less trenchant and ardent advocate‚ relishing the Romantic fullness of Variation 9‚ tossing aside the second movement Scherzo with a scintillating disregard for difficulty and catching his listeners in a final whirl of events which leads up to a surprisingly restrained and poetic coda. Even when compared to the most outstanding performances in this series (chiefly by Stephen Hough and Marc-Andrй Hamelin), Jonathan Plowright’s performances are a rare example of technical and musical integrity. He is backed to the hilt by Martyn Brabbins and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra‚ and both sound and balance are natural and exemplary.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone, June 2002

... Pianist Jonathan Plowright proves a remarkably adept and confident exponent of these two obscure piano concertos. Stojowski writes music in the ripe, late-Romantic tradition of Paderewski, and both works feature brilliant writing for soloist and orchestra as well as some really good tunes. Piano Concerto No. 1 has the traditional three movements and employs a touch of cyclical form, in that tunes from the preceding movements return at the end of the finale. Plowright plays the outer movements with the necessary bravura and turns in a poetic account of the lovely central Andante sostenuto. The Second Piano Concerto commits a cardinal sin that has understandably doomed it to obscurity: it ends quietly. Composed in a single continuous arch of music consisting of a Prologue, Scherzo, and Variations (10 of them), it’s both more brilliant and more subtle than the First Concerto, and quite a discovery. The long final variation set also benefits from being based on a really memorable theme, and Jonathan Plowright again does an impressive job, putting over that quiet ending with a genuine sense of rightness. Martyn Brabbins does his usual professional job on the podium, the orchestra sounds fine, and Hyperion’s sound lives up to its usual high standard. A winner.
David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com



Stojowski in New York City, 1913

...Throughout this disc Jonathan Plowright’s playing is simply a knockout. In the power and trenchancy of his playing (when required) he reminded me of John Ogdon at his finest. But besides calling for sheer virtuosity these concertos offer ample opportunities for him to display delicacy, sensitivity and fantasy and never is he found wanting. The same is true of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under the energetic and perspicacious direction of Martyn Brabbins. Their accompaniments are superb, matching the flair, dexterity and passion of their soloist. Many CDs are issued which feature so-called neglected masterpieces but all too often it is readily apparent that the neglect of the works in question has not been unjustified. This is emphatically not the case here. Stojowski does sometimes linger a little self-indulgently but overall these concertos are expertly crafted and they contain memorable thematic material – all, right, let’s be honest, good tunes, in fact. In short, both are hugely enjoyable. I count them as major discoveries and I have no doubt that when the editor seeks nominations for CD of the year this release will be very high on my shortlist. In summary, this CD offers top class musicianship, excellent notes, fine recorded sound and an opportunity to hear two marvellous, scandalously neglected romantic piano concertos. Enjoy!
John Quinn, Musicweb.com

... This is a simply tremendous release ... A truly great recording, an award-winner if ever I heard one (International Record Review) ... A composer with a strong personal identity that never falls back on the commonplace or routine. Jonathan Plowright is on breathtaking form (International Piano) ... This is a welcome addition to the Romantic Piano Concerto series that Hyperion is issuing. Jonathan Plowright plays both concertos brilliantly, and Martyn Brabbins leads the orchestra enthusiastically. The sound is superb (American Record Guide) ... Jonathan Plowright has the chops and instinct for this kind of music ... The first piano concerto alone would make this new release a must for mavens of neglected Romantic era works. However, its companion piece takes matters entirely to a new level. Stojowski’s Piano Concerto No. 2 deserves to be far better known, and this recording supplies an excellent introduction (Fanfare, USA) ... Stojowski could hardly have found a better interpreter than Jonathan Plowright, who plays with affection, understanding and sometimes breathtaking virtuosity (BBC Music Magazine) ... Jonathan Plowright and Martyn Brabbins give both works an ardency that’s all the more persuasive for its detail of light and shade (The Irish Times)



Jonathan Plowright
Zygmunt Stojowski

Three languages-, 24 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 29: Moscheles Piano Concertos no. 2 & 3





Ignaz Moscheles
Prague, May 23, 1794
Leipzig, March 10, 1870

Piano Concerto no. 2 in E flat major, op. 56 (1815-21)
I. Allegro moderato [12:37] - II. Adagio [7:59]
III. Allegretto : tempo di polacca [10:32]
Piano Concerto no. 3 in G minor, op. 60 (1821)
I. Allegro moderato [15:11]
II. Adagio [5:11] - III. Allegro agitato [9:18]
Anticipations of Scotland : A grand fantasia, op. 75
for piano and orchestra (1826) [14:58]

Howard Shelley, piano and conducting
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

Recorded in Federation Concert Hall, Hobart, Tasmania on 7-9 August 2001
Recording engineer, Andrew Dixon. Recording producers, David Garrett & Howard Shelley
© 2002 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67276

In March 2000‚ I lamented the lack of outstanding recordings of Moscheles’ music and suggested a golden opportunity for Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto series. My prayer is answered by Howard Shelley who‚ in his triple role of pianist‚ conductor and producer‚ offers yet another disc of aristocratic brilliance and distinction. In the words of Harold Schonberg‚ Moscheles may have ‘practised his piano and watched the world go by’‚ but his outward calm masked a fierce desire to excel‚ and I can easily imagine a wry look from Shelley at the mention of such geniality. ‘Try playing him‚’ you almost hear him exclaim‚ ‘and see whether you still think him genial!’ Certainly both the Second and Third Concertos bristle with enough savage jumps and hurdles to throw a less than first class performer; woe betide the pianist without flawless scales and arpeggios (often twisting into awkward and unpredictable patterns). Moscheles’ contemporaries‚ hungry for heartstopping acrobatics‚ surely left the concert hall thrilled and gratified. But there are also many fascinating purely musical surprises. The Polonaise which ends the Second Concerto may be fashionable rather than proudly nationalistic but there is a startlingly dramatic turn at the close of the Third Concerto’s Adagio‚ a prophecy of the rhetorical recitatives at the heart of the Larghetto from Chopin’s F minor Concerto which followed three years later. Finally‚ and most engagingly‚ Moscheles was highly responsive to local colour‚ paying tribute to his adopted city of London in his Fourth Concerto by quoting the ‘March of the Grenadiers’ and‚ in his Anticipations of Scotland: A Grand Fantasia‚ to folk songs and dances north of the border. Who can resist the assurance of ‘Auld Robin Grey’ (though even he breaks out into a flash of virtuosity) or a strathspey sufficiently perky to set all true Scotsmen’s blood tingling. The recordings‚ made in Tasmania‚ are excellent‚ the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra enter into the spirit of things with verve and affection‚ and Nicholas Temperley’s scholarly essay is an added bonus. Curiosity concerning Lord Moira (1754-1826 – as in ‘Lord Moira’s Strathspey’) is certainly satisfied when we learn that he was a popular commander-in-chief in Scotland and later GovernerGeneral of India. Hyperion’s immaculate presentation includes a photograph of the frontispiece for Anticipations of Scotland and there are several fine portraits of both Moscheles and Howard Shelley. What good news that more Moscheles is promised from this source.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone, August 2002



Anticipations of Scotland’s original title page

Prague-born Ignaz Moscheles grew to maturity as a young virtuoso alongside such contemporary titans as Hummel, Cramer and Weber. Venerating Mozart and Clementi, he lived to see the adulation of the Liszt cult and it’s perhaps tempting to see Moscheles as a locus classicus of the early romantic dilemma – inheritor of Mozartian procedures but straining to encompass a wider body of expression. In that of course he was not alone – and I think it would be fair to say that he succeeded far more comprehensively and more persuasively in his solo piano works than in his concertos. He apparently admitted that he found problems with the orchestration of the Concertos, though there is certainly nothing either improper or limited in a conventional sense about the carapace he placed around the solo part. But there is, ultimately, a lack of melodic distinction to these works that render them peripheral to the struggles of the early romantic literature, though not, obviously, without moments of interest.

Moscheles wrote eight Piano concertos between 1819-38. The Third is the best known and has been recorded several times before. It’s a strong, powerful work that struggles to balance Classical equilibrium with more subjective Romantic elements. The maintenance of such dichotomous material was inherently problematical, though it has to be said that Moscheles’ acknowledgment of it was implicit in his scores and it’s a welcome sign of his imaginative engagement that he was prepared to attempt the coalescence of such material in his writing. To the Mozartian frame Moscheles looked to Beethovenian propulsion: this added a determined syntax to the development of the First Movement of the Third Concerto which still manages to breathe effortlessly. The slow movement’s brass interjections and thematically rather theatrical gestures lead to the piano’s scampering insouciance; Moscheles floods the movement with lightness and a measured largesse of spirit but is reluctant ever to plumb great fissures of feeling. He remains an urbane cosmopolitan when it comes to depth. In the earlier Second Concerto, published in 1825 but first performed some years previously his Mozartian proprieties are fleshed out orchestrally, extended but never inflated. Throughout the first movement elements of Polonaise rhythm threaten to become explicit and the anticipation of Chopin is palpable here; it wasn’t only Field and Hummel who occupied some amorphous proto-Chopinesque territory. Again Moscheles’ slow movement is a decorative and rather frilly one whilst the dotted noted finale makes clear what the first movement hinted at – a Polish dance movement. The grandiloquently titled Anticipations of Scotland; A Grand Fantasia was written when Moscheles lived in England – as he did for over twenty years; playful, frequently variational in form, employing the expected dance rhythms. Performances are good; sometimes the strings sound undernourished in the Concertos. Not a disc of undiscovered masterpieces obviously but a sure reflection of the dilemmas confronting a talented composer, thematically and stylistically, during two decades of the early 19th century. Jonathan Woolf, Musicweb.com



Ignaz Moscheles
Howard Shelley

Very agreeable music of the Romantic era, well constructed and melodious. Highly recommended (International Record Review) ... Two concertos in richly-textured performances, full of decorative appeal and romantic melody (The Daily Telegraph) ... Highly recommended (Fanfare, USA)

Three languages-, 20 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)
Please note that Hyperion wrongly states the Third Piano Concerto
as op. 58 instead of the correct opus number, 60.
Check Moscheles’ complete catalogue at Moscheles.org.

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 30: Lyapunov Piano Concertos





Sergei Mikhailovich Lyapunov
Yaroslavl (Central Russia), November 30, 1959 – Paris, November 8, 1924

Piano Concerto no. 1 in E flat minor, op. 4 (1889-90)
I. Allegro con brio - attacca: [6:53] - II. Adagio non tanto - attacca: [3:06]
III. Allegro moderato e maestoso - attacca: [4:54] - IV. Adagio non tanto - attacca: [3:28]
V. Allegro con brio [4:07]
Rhapsody on Ukrainian Themes, op. 28 (1907)
I. Andantino pastorale - attacca: [6:59] - II. Allegretto scherzando - attacca: [3:02]
III. Andantino pastorale - attacca: [2:17] - IV. Allegro giocoso [4:50]
Piano Concerto no. 2 in E major, op. 38 (1908-09)
I. Lento ma non troppo - attacca: [5:34] - II. Allegro molto ed appassionato - attacca: [1:31]
III. Allegro moderato - attacca: [2:36] - IV. Allegro molto - attacca: [3:22]
V. Lento ma non troppo - attacca: [1:12] - VI. Allegro molto [5:05]

Hamish Milne, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

Recorded in City Hall, Glasgow on 13 and 14 June 2002
Recording engineer, Simon Eadon. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 2002 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67326

Hyperion celebrates the 30th release in its invaluable The Romantic Piano Concerto series with a disc of Lyapunov’s works for piano and orchestra as beautiful as it is comprehensive. Whether in Opp 4, 28 or 38, you could never fail to guess the composer’s nationality, and even when you sense Balakirev’s eagle-eyed scrutiny of the First Concerto or Liszt’s influence in the Second, Lyapunov’s style invariably transcends the sources of his inspiration. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say, as Edward Garden does in his excellent accompanying essay, that the hushed nocturnal opening to the Second Concerto is among the loveliest in the repertoire, setting the stage for every starry-eyed wonder. The writing is as lavish and ornate as even the most ardent lover of Russian Romantic music could wish – at 3’35" it’s like some richly embroidered cloth winking and glinting with a thousand different lights and colours. More generally, everything is seen through such a personal and committed perspective that all sense of derivation or of a tale twice told is erased. Such an overall impression would not, of course, occur if the performances were less skilful or meticulously prepared. Throughout, Hamish Milne holds his head high, lucidly and affectionately commanding cascades of notes, and he is stylishly partnered by Martyn Brabbins. There is competition in the Second Concerto from the urbane and scintillating Howard Shelley who is rather more immediately recorded on Chandos. But to have all three works on a single disc (the First Concerto receiving its first recording) is an irresistible bonus.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone, March 2003.



Sergei Lyapunov
Hamish Milne

... Yet another programme that makes incomprehensible the narrow choice of 19th-century piano concertos heard in our concert halls today (BBC Music Magazine) ... Russian melodic flavour, colourful orchestration and sonorous piano writing is present in abundance throught this very welcome release ... The combination of Lyapunov’s complete piano-and-orchestra output on one disc, in excellent performances and superb recorded sound, make a favourable recommendation mandatory (International Record Review) ... With the risk of the laser beam totally ruining this new Hyperion release from repeated playing, I am now prepared to throw away a few more symphonies just to make room for more Lyapunov! (Pianist) ... Milne, as usual, offers resilient rhythms and tightly focused phrasing marked by a refreshing attention to detail ... you’re unlikely to hear a better performance of this repertoire in the foreseeable future (Fanfare, USA) ... This is one of the very best entries in Hyperion’s ongoing survey, and I’m pleased to recommend it to you without the slightest hesitation' (American Record Guide) ... This is bejewelled writing carried off with spiritual and technical mastery by Milne (musicweb.uk.net) ... There’s no denying the sumptuous virtuosity inherent in these pieces, which pianist Hamish Milne tosses off with obvious relish and technical assurance (ClassicsToday.com)

Three languages-, 24 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections).

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 31: Fuchs & Kiel Piano Concertos





Robert Fuchs
(Frauental an der LaЯnitz, southern Austria, February 15, 1845 – Vienna, February 19, 1927)
Piano Concerto in B flat minor, op. 27 (1879-80)
I. Allegro maestoso ed energico [17:28] - II. Andante sostenuto [8:49]
III. Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo [10:10]

Friedrich Kiel
(Bad Laasphe, Puderbach, southwestern Germany, October 8, 1821 – Berlin, September 13, 1885)
Piano Concerto in B flat major, op. 30 (1864)
I. (without tempo marking) [14:28]
II. Adagio con moto [5:01] - III. Allegro vivace [7:34]

Martin Roscoe, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

Recorded in City Hall, Glasgow on 7, 8 December 2001
Recording engineer, Simon Eadon. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 2003 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67354

Music in Germany in the later 19th century found itself divided into two camps; the modernists, led by Liszt and Wagner, and the traditionalists who took Brahms as their model and who upheld the values of the classical period and Beethoven in particular. Fuchs and Kiel are very much in the later camp and both spent their lives in academic posts, as so often befits such establishment figures. They each wrote only one piano concerto and, as one might expect, these are not vehicles for empty virtuoso display but rather ‘symphonic’ concertos, both written in the traditional three movements, the first of which is a weighty sonata form allegro. The influence of Beethoven can be heard in each and the later Fuchs piece also shows a debt to Brahms. ... Martin Roscoe, who did such a fine job with the similar Brьll concertos is our soloist and Martyn Brabbins and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra give their usual inspired accompaniment. Both works are premiere recordings.
Arkivmusic.com

Joseph Fuchs (1847-1927) and Friedrich Kiel (1821-85) each wrote a piano concerto and, while hardly neglected masterpieces, they form impressive additions to Hyperion’s superbly presented Romantic Piano Concerto series (amazingly this is the 31st issue). High praise for both works comes from Hartmut Wecker in his long and scholarly accompanying essay. Countering claims that Fuchs was ‘a fossil of a bygone age,’ too close to Brahms to attain independent artistic respect, he writes of ‘a beautiful, masterly and virtuoso piece’ and, more particularly, claims that, once heard, the reprise of the chorale from the second movement will never be forgotten. Regarding Kiel, he notes how the influence of Chopin, Mendelssohn and Schumann is ‘absorbed into a thoroughly personal style’ and that the Piano Concerto is ‘an undisputed masterpiece’.
Yet despite such enthusiastic claims, both concertos quickly fell into dusty oblivion and I doubt whether, even given Martin Roscoe’s imperturbable grandeur and authority and Martyn Brabbins’s expert partnership, either concerto stands much chance of survival. Fuchs’ themes may be appealing but they are rarely memorable, and Kiel’s more obvious virtuoso trimmings derive too obviously from other truly great composers (as well as Scharwenka whose glittery Second Concerto is a key influence) to leave a lasting impression. Fuchs, too, was surely intimidated as well as privileged to live under the shadow of Brahms, who kept an eagle eye on his protйgй – clearly admiring him so long as he knew his place, existing within the sun of his own glory. Still, if neither concerto is of genuine stature they could hardly be performed in a more masterly and eloquent style and this time Roscoe has been ideally balanced with his orchestra. Hyperion’s sound is of demonstration quality and all lovers of a fascinating series will have to add this to their collection.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone, July 2003



Robert Fuchs
Friedrich Kiel

... Iirresistible (The Independent) ... Martin Roscoe’s performances with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Martyn Brabbins make strong advocacy for these two 19th century charmers (The Times) ... Both works are immediately attractive and good-hearted, stuffed full of engaging musical ideas satisfyingly exploited in craftsmanship of a high order ... I enjoyed this disc enormously (International Record Review) ... Needless to say, the performances and recording are immaculate (Classic FM Magazine) ... You can’t fault the magic wand of Martyn Brabbins, the sincere advocacy of the superlative Martin Roscoe nor the spirited and sensitive playing of the BBC Scottish band (BBC Music Magazine) ... Roscoe, the BBC SSO and Brabbins play these attractive works with devotion and panache (Sunday Times) ... This release has everything a Romantic piano concerto could wish for ... the interplay between Roscoe and Brabbins lifts the music way above the dusted life it had for years (Pianist).

Three languages-, 28 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.[/i]
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

Я уже в очереди стою месяц. Скажите, у меня есть шансы скачать эти файлы? Ратио у меня где-то 1,8, т.е. положительный.

Спасибо.
SOS нашел.
А вот кому писать ЛС, если сидов нет, по-прежнему непонятно.
Форсированно стартовал три закачки, спасибо, с остальными-то что делать, сидов нет, например, на дисках 28-31?

А я-то стеснялся форсированно стартовать закачки. Думал, что нужно придерживаться очереди, не лезть вперед других.

Спасибо. Начальные тома у меня все есть, Те, которые в закачке - качаются все. Спасибо за урок, учту.

11 я не качал, у меня он есть на диске. 12,13,19 пустил. 1 успел уничтожить торрент, увы.

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 32: Moscheles Piano Concertos no. 1, 6 & 7



Ignaz Moscheles
(Prague, May 23, 1794 – Leipzig, March 10, 1870)

Piano Concerto no. 1 in F major, op. 45 (1818 rev. 1823)
I. Allegro maestoso [9:17] - II. Adagio [6:32]
III. Rondeau : Allegro vivace [6:32]
Piano Concerto no. 6 in B flat major, op. 90 "Fantastique" (1834)
I. Allegro con spirito - attacca: [6:17] - II. Andante espressivo - attacca: [5:24]
III. Allegro agitato - attacca: [1:17] - IV. Vivace [4:07]
Piano Concerto no. 7 in C minor, op. 93 "Pathйtique" (1835)
I. (no tempo marking) [11:33]
II. Allegro agitato - attacca: [3:46] - III. Allegro con brio [6:56]

Howard Shelley, piano and conducting
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

Recorded in ABC Odeon, Hobart, Tasmania on 30 August - 2 September 1999
Recording engineer, Andrew Dixon. Recording producers, David Garrett & Howard Shelley
© 2003 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67385

In last year’s August issue I celebrated the arrival of the first of Howard Shelley’s Moscheles concerto cycle, marvelling at his stylistic elegance and nimbleness in a triple role of pianist, conductor and producer. Here in Volume 2 he once again lays a sparkling enchantment across even the most innocent pages, while also reminding us in his subtlety wit and pace of Moscheles’s only outwardly conservative nature. As Henry Roche so finely puts it in his accompanying notes, ‘the earlier five concertos retain a firmly classical orientation, even though each shows different facets of the composer’s originality and exploratory bent’. Later, in his last three concertos, Moscheles moved on with an increasing sense of drama and novelty, his titles – Fantastique, Pathйtique and Pastorale (No 8) and his directions at the conclusion of the Seventh Concerto (con furia, con abbandono, frenetico and con disperazione) declaring their Romantic provenance. Even so, it is hard not to fall for the First Concerto’s memories of Mozart, of its amiability and clear-sightedness. In the finale, in particular, one frisky delight follows another; with its toy fanfares, bustle and importance and concluding rush of events, it is as if Lilliput had taken to the battlefield.
The later concertos are richer, darker and more inclusive, with ideas growing and expanding with a greater expressive intensity. Moscheles may have grumbled at what he saw as Chopin’s ‘irregularities’ and audacity, but in Concertos Nos 6 and 7 he takes on board a recognisable wistfulness and floridity, adding to the influences of Hummel and Mendelssohn while at the same time maintaining his own distinctive voice. Nonetheless, such music demands a very special performance if its virtues are to outshine its limitations and Shelley’s expertise, his immaculate charm and brio cast a brilliant light on every page. His Tasmanian orchestra is with him all the way and Hyperion’s sound and balance are of demonstration quality. An exemplary issue; I can scarcely wait for Volume 3.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone.co.uk



Ignaz Moscheles
Howard Shelley

The Moscheles of the 1818 concerto instantly announces himself as a Mozart disciple. The style is best likened to the Mozart of concertos 20-25, though Moscheles laces the perfection of elegance and regret with cheeky spirited confidence as in the Rondeau finale of the first concerto. Twenty years later, in the other two concertos the ebullience and gentle ardour have moved very close to Schumann. However there is something distinctively personal in the magically unpredictable and elusive Andante as well as in the tempestuous Allegro and Vivace of the Fantastique. There are some brilliantly effective musical gestures such as the solo line from 00.53-1.38 in the Vivace finale. The same can be said of the first movement of the overcast first movement of the Pathйtique which is Bohemian and storm-pent. This style is familiar from Mendelssohn as in the Ruy Blas or Fair Melusine overtures. After a skittish Allegro agitato comes an allegro con brio which is touched with the grace phrases we expect from early Beethoven. These are by no means the ‘glitter and surface’ affairs you might have expected: this is supremely fashioned entertainment with a touch of pathos along the way. They will appeal to lovers of the concertos by Mendelssohn, Schumann and Beethoven. These are freshly performed and directed by Howard Shelley and well documented by Henry Roche. No need for Hyperion to do anything other than hold their heads high over this one.
Rob Barnett, musicweb.com

... I defy anyone not to be captivated by this delightful, witty, rhythmically vital and spontaneously inventive work, especially when played as stylishly as here (International Record Review) ... Shelley’s nimble, elegant playing, while leading his excellent Tasmanian players, is a musical wonder (Classic FM Magazine) ... Howard Shelley and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra give solid accounts of these intriguing scores (The Times) ... a thoroughly enjoyable disc (BBC Music Magazine) ... Howard Shelley's account of the First, Sixth and Seventh of the eight Moscheles piano concertos provides powerful argument for their return to the repertoire (International Piano) ... played with a taste and vivacity that reflect the temperament of the music ... The thing that strikes you most about this music is its lively originality (The Daily Telegraph)

Three languages-, 16 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 33: Scharwenka Piano Concertos no. 2 & 3



Franz Xaver Scharwenka
(Samtner near Poznan, Poland, January 6, 1850 – Berlin, December 8, 1924)

Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor, op. 56 (1880)
I. Allegro [20:40] - II. Adagio [10:49]
III. Allegro non troppo [9:16]
Piano Concerto no. 3 in C# minor, op. 80 (1899)
I. Maestoso [15:53] - II. Adagio [9:20]
III. Allegro non troppo [12:49]

Seta Tanyel, piano
Radio Philharmonie Hannover des NDR
Tadeusz Strugala

Recorded at Grosser Sendesaal, Funkhaus Hannover des NDR in 1996
Recording engineer, Bjцrn Brigsne. Recording producer, John H. West
© 2003 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67365
Originally issued on Collins Classics, 14852

In the 1990s Seta Tanyel recorded a sizeable amount of Scharwenka for the now defunct Collins Classics, and it is gratifying to find her series re-surfacing on Hyperion. Hearing the Second and Third Piano Concertos again, I was struck by her elegant way of easing through every intricacy and arabesque with the instincts of a born musical aristocrat. She can thunder with the best of them in, for example, the Third Concerto’s cadenza, but it is always ‘sweet thunder’ and you never hear an unmusical note or an ill-shaped phrase. Terms like dolce take on a special meaning in such sympathetic hands – never more so than in the Third Concerto’s winning Adagio, where Scharwenka so loves his main theme that he returns to it again and again, compelling the listener to delight in its romantic yearning. In more frisky territory, Tanyel is light-fingered and resilient in the Polish dance of the Third’s first movement (at 6'10"). But if I miss something of Michael Ponti’s spine-tingling bravura in the Second’s display and ricocheting syncopation, and in much of the finale – where Martin Eastwick notes a ‘distinctly Eastern, perhaps...a slightly Yiddish colouring’ – Tanyel’s playing is more musical, less angular and intent on cutting a dash. This is No 33 in Hyperion’s ‘Romantic Piano Concerto’ collection, an admirable addition to an admirable series. The recordings retain their original excellence and Tadeusz Strugala and the German orchestra back their stylish soloist to the hilt.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone.co.uk



Xaver Scharwenka
Seta Tanyel

... Seta Tanyel’s outstanding performances are suffused with the very epitome of the romantic soul (American Record Guide) ... there is a meaty flamboyance to both these concertos, giving them a personality of their own. Seta Tanyel brings to them an impressive strength of purpose and a rhapsodic lyrical spirit that project the music with appealing panache (Daily Telegraph)

Three languages-, 12 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

А можно без очереди? но оно как раз подходит к vol. 33, дополняя её! Hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc! :dance:



THE ROMANTIC PIANO CONCERTO

Vol 38 - Rubinstein & Scharwenka

SCHARWENKA Piano Concerto No 1 in B flat minor Op 32; ANTON RUBINSTEIN Piano Concerto No 4 in D minor Op 70
MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN piano
BBC SCOTTISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
MICHAEL STERN

Track List:
Xaver Scharwenka
(1850-1924)
1. Piano Concerto No 1 in B flat minor†Op 32 [28'05] Allegro patetico [10'23]
2. Allegro assai [7'11]
3. Allegro non tanto - Allegro patetico (come prima) [10'21]

Anton Rubinstein
(1829-1894)
Piano Concerto No 4 in D minor†Op 70 [31'23]
4. Moderato assai [11'40]
5. Andante [10'38]
6. Allegro [8'58]

TORRENT

eDonkey Link

Гордый!!! Очень, очень!!! рад твоего включения!!! :punk: :hi: :laugh: Релизы разные и из разных источниках. Так что все в порядке конечно!!! :D:

Сейчась просто перезаливаю те волумы, которые потерялись при апгрейд трекера. Надеюсь также залеть всю серию в том виде, в котором начал, где то до середине августа!

НАЗДРАВЕ!!! :beer:

vpenev
поправил шапку :)

yury_usa
Вот окончательный список:
Post Link: The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series
Поправь плиз вол. 19 тоже в шапку, а этот пост + тот пост который содержит список, как и все и связаные с этим списком мои посты пошли к тю тю... :laugh:

ндааа... сильно. Будем брать.

Спасибо всем принявшим участие.

Рекомендую послушать 1 концерт Ксаверия Шарвенка (том 38), также очень хорош концерт Маккензи (том 19).
Я уже не говорю о выдающихся концертах Николая Карловича Метнера.
Стоит также обратить внимание на концерты Хензельта и Алькана.

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 34: Pierne complete works for Piano and Orchestra



Henri Constant Gabriel Pierne
(Metz, Lorraine, August 16, 1863 – Ploujean, Finistere (Northwestern France), July 17, 1937)

Piano Concerto in C minor, op. 12 (1886-87)
I. Allegro [8:01] - II. Scherzando [4:35] - III. Finale [7:04]
Poлme Symphonique in D minor, op. 37 (1903) [13:02]
Fantaisie-Ballet in B flat major, op. 6 (1885) [11:20]
Scherzo-Caprice in D major, op. 25 (1890) [8:08]

Stephen Coombs, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ronald Corp

Recorded in Caird Hall, Dundee on 16, 17 May 2002
Recording engineer, Simon Eadon. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 2003 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67348

Too often the petits maоtres of French music have been written off as merely a kind of compost out of which the great masters bloomed, and the very fact that there have always been so many of them has also reduced their chances of receiving their due. Gabriel Piernй was a good deal more than compost. For nearly 50 years from 1890, when he took over from Cйsar Franck as organist at Ste Clotilde, to his death in 1937 he was a leading light of the French musical Establishment, as organist, conductor and composer. Nor was he any kind of stick-in-the-mud. In 1920 he conducted the premiиre of the first suite from Milhaud’s Protйe through prolonged whistling and booing: his response was to play the work again a week later.
Nothing on this disc is in any sense revolutionary, but we are able to follow the development of a real musician from apprentice work of the mid-1880s to maturity in 1903. It is curious to think that Piernй, a Prix de Rome winner in 1882, was at work on his Fantaisie-Ballet/ in the Villa Medici in Rome three years later while, in another room just along the corridor, Debussy was wrestling unsuccessfully with ideas that would eventually be subsumed into the Prйlude а l’aprиs-midi d’un faune. Piernй’s piece has quite a few jolly moments and is of its time in toying with modality, but at a little over 11 minutes it slightly outstays its welcome. The more serious Piernй is heard in the Piano Concerto of 1886/7, where C minor has its traditional effect, varied by a light scherzo clearly modelled on the one in Saint-Saлns’ Second Concerto, though understandably falling short of that master’s ability to conjure tunes out of nowhere or to tease the ear with new orchestral sounds. But three years can be a long time in an apprenticeship, and the Scherzo-Caprice of 1890 is far more assured. The melodic material is stronger, the textures more imaginative, and the whole thing is great fun. Piernй’s last work for piano and orchestra was the Poиme symphonique of 1903, the year he was appointed deputy director of the Concerts Colonne. This is a gloom-to-triumph piece in the best Beethovenian / Franckian tradition, and it is a real find. Whereas in his apprentice works Piernй had problems holding the form together, here everything flows naturally and convincingly, and the result is decidedly powerful. Stephen Coombs’s playing, like that of the orchestra, does everything for this music that one could ask, and the sound is well up to Hyperion’s usual high standard.
Roger Nichols, Gramophone / February 2004



Stephen Coombs

Gabriel Piernй’s music is exquisite, and it deserves far greater exposure than it normally receives. The C minor Piano Concerto is openly modeled on Saint-Saлns’ Second, particularly its Scherzando second movement, which is every bit as delightful as its model. A bit less than 20 minutes long, it has all of the best traits of French music: polish, craftsmanship, good tunes, and of course, concision. Stephen Coombs clearly sounds as though he’s enjoying himself with music designed to make the soloist look good, and the whole performance sparkles, with Ronald Corp leading lively accompaniments ... Of the remaining items, all done as well as the concerto, the Fantasie-Ballet and Scherzo-Caprice belong to a long and delightful list of short pieces (Saint-Saлns’ Wedding Cake is another) that never get performed at all, as they are not of concerto length and no soloist living today seems intelligent or enterprising enough to group three or four of them together to make a full program. They are immaculately written light pieces of great charm and melodic appeal. The Poлme symphonique is another story altogether: a grander, richer version of Franck’s Les йolides, and a miniature masterpiece if ever there were one. Beautiful recorded sound and excellent balances, especially in this last work where the piano plays constantly but seldom dominates the proceedings, cap as interesting and rewarding a program of unfamiliar music as we’re likely to find today. Pure pleasure!
David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

... Stephen Coombs savours the more exotic keyboard writing with confidence and a sure sense of style, contributing appropriately dazzling and light-fingered virtuosity when required (International Record Review) ... This is the greatest thing since ice cream! ... Coombs and conductor Ronald Corp catch the concerto’s sly leg-pull and puff the airy graciousness suffusing these youthful pieces with soufflй-like savoir-faire (Fanfare, USA) ... Every track on this disc is an absolute winner. Stephen Coombs revels in the myriad of notes that tear around the keyboard in such light-hearted mood, the pro-active orchestral partnership captured in a superb recording (The Yorkshire Post - The Guide)

Three languages-, 16 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 35: Herz Piano Concertos no. 1, 7 & 8





Henri (Heinrich) Herz
Vienna, January 6, 1803
Paris, January 5, 1888

Piano Concerto no. 1 in A major, op. 34 (1828)
I. Allegro moderato [12:26] - II. Larghetto [4:59]
III. Allegro moderato [8:27]
Piano Concerto no. 7 in B minor, op. 207 (1864)
I. Allegro moderato [6:39] - II. Romance : Larghetto - Andantino cantabile [5:03]
III. Rondeau Espagnol : Allegretto [6:14]
Piano Concerto no. 8 in A flat major, op. 218 (1873)
I. Allegro molto moderato [5:27]
II. Andantino [3:24] - III. Polonaise [5:20]

Howard Shelley, piano and conducting
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

Recorded in Federation Concert Hall, Hobart, Tasmania on 9-12 September 2003
Recording engineer, Andrew Dixon. Recording producer, David Garrett
© 2004 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67455

Rescued from oblivion, Henri Herz’s Piano Concertos Nos 1, 7 and 8 (amazingly, Volume 36 in this superb series) are dusted down to emerge into scintillating light. Herz (1803-88) was an unapologetic salon entertainer who, even when lambasted by Schumann (who was high on his list of detested notespinners and philistines) charmed his audiences senseless with his elegant acrobatics and musical know-how. Indeed, it is not difficult to imagine his listeners’ shock and horror when they heard Brahms’s First Piano Concerto in 1859, music the reverse of Herz’s grace and sparkle. Try 3'02" in the First Concerto’s finale for an example of the most fashionable ear-tickling virtuosity, or sample the Rondeau espagnol finale of No 7 with its triangle and foot-tapping attempt at exoticism. True, there is little to inflame the senses or activate the brain but such is Howard Shelley’s expertise that the superficiality becomes engaging. There are few more dextrous or musicianly pianists than Shelley and although I would dearly love to hear him in, say, the Chopin concertos, I am more than grateful for an artist who, like Herz himself, can make you think ‘that a bird had escaped from his fingers and went undulating and singing through the air’ (The New York Times in 1846). To crown it all, Jeremy Nicholas, in his booklet-note, has a field-day with the 19th-century glitz and pell-mell course of Herz’s hyperactive life.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone.co.uk

Henri Herz was yet another one of those virtuoso composer / performers whose music was very popular in its day, but which has disappeared from sight since. He was a great crowd pleaser and entertainer, and the three concertos here would make excellent "pops" program novelties. All are conservatively tuneful, brilliantly laid out for the soloist, and quite brief (14 – 25 minutes). The Seventh Concerto concludes with a lively Rondeau espagnol that doesn't in fact sound at all Spanish, but that doesn’t matter. Neither does the fact that none of the slow movements is longer than about five minutes: in short, we are not dealing here with a high level of profundity. This is, instead, good fun and just the kind of thing that’s nice to have on recordings. Schumann, who gets a rather spiteful thrashing in the otherwise excellent booklet notes, detested Herz for his lack of seriousness, which is of course his most endearing quality. "Endearing" is also a good way to describe these performances, in which Howard Shelley both plays and conducts an enthusiastic Tasmanian Symphony with panache and class. He tosses off the most finger-twisting licks in the finales with aplomb, and finds something close to poetry in the slow movements, particularly the lovely Romance in the B minor Concerto (No. 7). Excellent balances and warm recorded sound cap yet another success in a series that goes from strength to strength. We can only hope that Hyperion keeps ‘em coming for the next few decades. God knows there’s probably enough music!
David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com



Henri Herz - Howard Shelley

... Shelley and the Tasmanians are persuasive advocates for these three piano concertos: this is charming, tuneful music, deftly orchestrated by a man who obviously knew his Chopin, Rossini and, in the nocturne-like slow moverments, John Field. (The Sunday Times) ... If you’ve enjoyed previous volumes in Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto Series, you’ll certainly warm to this delightful release (BBC Music Magazine) ... Shelley makes even the most plainspun of phrases sound like long-lost treasure being discovered anew. First-rate accompaniment and resplendent sonics round out an unexpected delight (Classic FM Magazine) ... Shelley et les Tasmaniens jouent avec une verve, une beautй de sonoritй, un noble abandon qui attisent les bravos (Diapason, France) ... Howard Shelley, who performs the dual role of piano soloist and orchestral director, delights in the charm and the considerable technical challenge of it all, and with his always fluent and controlled fingerwork, he makes it sound easy (International Record Review)

Three languages-, 24 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 36: Moscheles Piano Concertos no. 4 & 5





Ignaz Moscheles
Prague, May 23, 1794
Leipzig, March 10, 1870

Piano Concerto no. 4 in E major, op. 64 (1823)
I. Allegro maestoso [13:12] - II. Adagio [4:53]
III. Rondeau : Allegretto - Tempo di Marcia [7:56]
Piano Concerto no. 5 in C major, op. 87 (1826-31)
I. Allegro moderato [13:37]
II. Adagio non troppo [7:12] - III. Allegro vivace [9:47]
Recollections of Ireland, fantasia for piano and orchestra op. 69 (1826)
I. Fantasia : Allegro moderato [5:51] - II. The Groves of Blarney [3:44]
III. Garry Owen [2:14] - IV. St Patrick’s Day [3:33]

Howard Shelley, piano and conducting
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

Recorded in Federation Concert Hall, Hobart, Tasmania
on 23-25 September 2002 (concertos) and 6 September 2004 (Recollections of Ireland)
Recording engineer, Andrew Dixon. Recording producers, David Garrett & Ben Connellan
© 2005 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67430

With these two life-affirming concertos from 1823 and 1826/31 respectively, and Hyperion’s two earlier volumes, we are now able to hear for the first time all Moscheles’ extant works in this form. Mozart, Beethoven, Hummel and prescient Chopin all contribute to the distinctive voice of this once-revered composer. You have to hand it to Howard Shelley: it’s one thing to lead a concerto from the keyboard but to do this when the solo part is so demanding and with such insouciance is quite another thing. The outer movements of the two concertos are relentless – thirds, repeated notes, wide leaps, arpeggios, rapid scales and the like. Shelley executes them with the grace of a gazelle and an invigorating rhythmic precision. If, at times, the writing threatens to descend into a parade of technical exercises, Shelley and his crisp, stylish Tasmanians elevate it into an exhilarating roller-coaster ride of seamless and often unexpected invention. The last movement of the E major Concerto is a brilliant rondo treatment of The British Grenadiers. If it doesn’t leave you wreathed in smiles then, really, there’s no hope for you. In place of Moscheles’ final, Eighth Concerto (no one has been able to track down its orchestral parts) comes the fantasy on Irish airs, a delightfully batty period confection from 1826. The last rose of summer, Garry Owen and St Patrick’s Day all take a turn, the last two treated contrapuntally. Completed by Henry Roche’s trenchant and engaging booklet notes, this is an issue which I cannot praise too highly.
Jeremy Nicholas, Gramophone.co.uk

If you have already collected the first two volumes in this series then you know what to expect: polished performances of charming music, played with commitment and flair by Howard Shelley, and solidly accompanied by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. The Fourth Concerto has an irresistible rondo finale based on the tune The British Grenadiers, while the Fifth (as the booklet notes suggest) features perhaps the most beautiful slow movement in all of these Moscheles concertos. They are attractive, deftly crafted pieces, and it sounds like Shelley is thoroughly enjoying himself exploring their many felicities. Recollection of Ireland’s potpourri of popular melodies ... will be familiar to many listeners. Moscheles certainly knew how to present them effectively, and the work’s brief fifteen minutes fly past effortlessly. What a great "pops" piece this would make! Sonically the two concertos, recorded back in 2002, sound a touch veiled as compared with the 2004 engineering in Recollections of Ireland. Since the parts for the Eighth Concerto seem to have vanished (if they’re in your attic, please contact Hyperion right away!), this disc brings a delightful sub-series in Hyperion’s 36-title (to date) collection of Romantic Piano Concertos to a jolly and most entertaining conclusion.
David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com



Ignaz Moscheles Howard Shelley

... Imagine Paganini’s Rossinian verve, Schumann’s poetic sensibility and Mendelssohn’s gentle humanity rolled into one, and you won’t be far from the sound-world of these wonderful concertos (Classic FM Magazine) ... Directing the performances from the keyboard, Shelley takes every prestidigitational hurdle with immaculate precision and aristocratic aplomb. He displays an exemplary range of touch and fluidity, communicates an intense pleasure in the music and indeed seems to revel in its abundant charm. The recording is of the same excellent standard as previous releases in this series. Listeners who have already enjoyed the other Moscheles concertos will not hesitate; if you haven’t, this is a good place to start (International Record Review) ... Pianist-conductor Howard Shelley... delivers very fine and sensitive performances on a Steinway piano. This recorded is a valuable addition for listeners interested in building their collection of nineteenth-century concertos or in tracing the history of the genre (Nineteenth-century Music Review)

Three languages-, 20 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 37: Napravnik & Blumenfeld Piano Concertos





Eduard Frantsovitch Napravnik
Bэљt near Hradec Krбlovй, Bohemia, August 24, 1839
St. Petersburg, November 23, 1916
Concerto Symphonique in A minor, op. 27 (1877)
I. Allegro energico - attacca: [12:58]
II. Larghetto - attacca: [7:15] - III. Allegro vivace [11:07]
Fantaisie Russe in B minor, op. 39 (1881) [12:19]

Felix Mikhailovich Blumenfeld
Kovalevka near Kherson, southern Ukraine, April 17, 1863
Moscow, January 21, 1931)
Allegro de concert in A major, op. 7 (1889) [14:01]

Evgeny Soifertis, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Alexander Titov

Recorded in Caird Hall, Dundee on 15, 16 September 2004
Recording engineer, Simon Eadon. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 2005 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67511

Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto project is, I believe, one of the most significant series of piano recordings ever undertaken. Given the company’s recent defeat in its copyright action case, I would like to be able to give Volume 37 a rave, but sadly it comes as a relative disappointment (despite Hyperion’s usual immaculate standards of production, recording and performance). Eduard Nбpravnнk (1839-1916) wrote his Concerto symphonique in 1877. It begins promisingly with a gesture reminiscent of the ‘Dies irae’ from Verdi’s Requiem. The snaking second subject, too, is arresting but the writing soon descends into a development of note-twirling vacuity. Unlike the artists in some previous less-than-first-rate works in this series, Soifertis and Titov lack the wherewithal to elevate the three movements into the ‘forgotten gem’ class. Similarly, the 1881 Fantaisie russe runs out of inspiration soon after the opening ‘Volga Boatmen’ though is partly redeemed by its spirited third subject and coda. Felix Blumenfeld (1863-1931), remembered as the teacher of Horowitz and for his iconic Etude for the Left Hand, was more of a melodist, as manifested in the succession of sweeping Russian-Romantic themes of his Allegro de concert of 1889. This brief work (13’54"), with its heroic Lisztian figurations and heartfelt lyricism, is reason enough to buy the disc and sample all three of these world premiиre recordings.
Jeremy Nicholas, Gramophone.co.uk



Eduard Nбpravnнk
Felix Blumenfeld
Evgeny Soifertis

The Concerto Symphonique is a perky, extrovert piano concerto, full of nifty passage-work, if light on musical substance, and The Fantaisie Russe, full of Lisztian flourishes and apparently much admired by Tchaikovsky, is based on three Russian folk tunes ... all of it happily negotiated by Evgeny Soifertis, who sounds a very accomplished pianist indeed (The Guardian) ... It’s hard to dismiss music that tries so hard to be likeable. Certainly, if you’ve been collecting the rest of Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto series, you'll enjoy this latest addition as well. There are strong notes and typically fine Hyperion engineering (International Record Review) ... Both composers are fortunate in having as their champion here such a charming and polished virtuoso as Evgeny Soifertis, whose gift for combining an almost childlike simplicity with scintillating bravura is perfectly suited to the music at hand, and who receives splendid support from Titov and the orchestra (Piano) ... Napravnik’s Concerto Symphonique throws just about everything into the melting pot, from Verdi’s Requiem to Tchaikovsky. The The Fantaisie opens arrestingly with a massive rendition of The Volga Boatmen, and if Blumenfeld’s Allegro proves slightly less individual, in performances as fiery and impassioned as these, it makes an indelible impact (Classic FM Magazine) ... None of these pieces was perhaps destined to change the course of Russian music, but they all attest to creative exuberance and skill, slightly anonymous in style maybe, though with a resourcefulness and sparkle to the piano-writing that Evgeny Soifertis communicates with йlan иi](Daily Telegraph)[/i] ... Hyperion’s recorded sound is excellent, soloist Evgeny Soifertis contributes impeccably manicured playing, and the orchestra performs with immaculate accuracy under Russian maestro Alexander Titov. So if you are interested in exploring the Romantic concerto literature at its most obscure, here's your opportunity (Fanfare, USA)

Three languages-, 20 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 38: Scharwenka & Rubinstein Piano Concertos





Franz Xaver Scharwenka
Samtner near Poznan, Poland, January 6, 1850
Berlin, December 8, 1924
Piano Concerto no. 1 in B flat minor, op. 32 (1870-74)
I. Allegro patetico [10:28] - II. Allegro assai [7:13]
III. Allegro non tanto - Allegro patetico (come prima) [10:34]

Anton Rubinstein
Vikhvatinets, Transnistria, Moldova, November 28, 1829
Peterhof near St. Petersburg, November 20, 1894
Piano Concerto no. 4 in D minor, op. 70 (1877)
I. Moderato assai [11:45] - II. Andante [10:38] - III. Allegro [8:58]

Marc-Andrй Hamelin, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Michael Stern

Recorded in Caird Hall, Dundee on 18, 19 February 2005
Recording engineer, Simon Eadon. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 2005 Hyperion Records Ltd. SACDA67508

Described by one respected critic as the greatest living pianist, Marc-Andrй Hamelin soars to ever new heights of virtuosity. In Volume 38 of Hyperion’s invaluable ‘Romantic Piano Concerto’ series, his phenomenal if nonchalantly deployed dexterity is matched by a cool, lyrical insight, making these performances virtually unsurpassable. Earl Wild’s account of the Scharwenka, aptly described in America as ‘a wing-ding of a romp’, is a hard act to follow but there are few pianists of world class more adept at trumping other people’s aces than Hamelin. His recent recording of Albйniz’s Iberia – territory long occupied exclusively by Alicia de Larrocha – provides a case in point and here it is possible to see his Scharwenka as equally dashing and razor-sharp as Wild’s but with a subtler, more inclusive sense of poetry. There is never a question of virtuosity for its own sake. - Writing of Rubinstein’s Fourth and best Piano Concerto, the august authors of The Record Guide once claimed that if the swelling introduction promises great things, all that emerges is a rather large mouse. But such words were written long before the advent of Hamelin, whose brilliance sets every potentially tired page alive with a truly blazing conviction. His concentrated force in the finale sweeps all before it, and he pulls out all the stops in the gloriously over-the-top conclusion. Hamelin is superbly partnered and recorded, and lovers of lush, romantic melody embellished with hundreds and thousands of winking sequins need look no further.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone, October 2005



Had Rachmaninov not come along and written his Second and Third Concertos, there’s a good chance that the Scharwenka First and Rubinstein Fourth would have remained in the Romantic concerto showpiece canon. Both have great tunes, varied orchestration, plus, of course, plenty of opportunities for dazzling keyboard display. For speed, accuracy, and sheer poise, Marc-Andrй Hamelin's staggering piano mastery transcends all studio-recorded competition in these works. Granted, Hamelin won’t shock you out of your seat in the Rubinstein with explosive accents and fanciful filigree а la Josef Hofmann’s live 1937 version, nor titillate you with Shura Cherkassky’s liquid inner voices. But if there were ever a pianist who could storm Rubinstein’s difficult cadenzas or toss off Scharwenka’s demanding figurations with that rare combination of power and equanimity, it’s Hamelin. Although these are concertos that you listen to for the piano playing rather than the conducting, Michael Stern must receive credit for providing a bracing, sonorous, and rhythmically alive orchestral framework that supports and prods his soloist at every juncture. This splendidly engineered disc is a crown jewel both in Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series and in Hamelin’s standard-setting discography. Bravo! [12/8/2005]
Jed Distler, Classictoday.com



Xaver Scharwenka
Anton Rubinstein

Marc-Andrй Hamelin gives a dazzling account (BBC Music Magazine) ... Hamelin’s legendary technique thrills at every turn, and in the Rubinstein his scorching virtuosity and emotional intensity mesmerises from beginning to end. Anyone who loves Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninov should investigate this stunning disc without delay! (Classic FM Magazine) ... Rubinstein’s Fourth Concerto can hold its own against Tchaikovsky’s infinitely better known First and, on the strength of this recording, deserves to regain a place in the classical repertoire. There is musical swagger, pathos, poetry and heroism in both of the works couple on this album (Music Week) ... 'Hamelin, who makes out the best possible case for the music, is now the version to have. In any case, his many admirers will flock, and rightly, to acquire this excellently recorded disc of two fairly unfamiliar concertos which, whatever their virtues and failings, provide ideal vehicles for Hamelin’s abundant talents (International Record Review) ... We have been in need of a modern recording by a pianist of the stature of Hamelin who can deliver Rubinstein’s passion, impetuosity, quick changes of mood, and technical demands with ease. He gives a performance of the last movement that is so rousing that it has never sounded so convincing on disc ... an excellent disc that is highly recommended (International Piano) ... Virtuoso repertoire, virtuoso playing – there’s breathtaking snap and clarity to the rhythms, imposing weight to the climaxes ... surely one of the peaks of Hyperion’s ‘Romantic Piano Concerto’ series. All in all, urgently recommended (Fanfare, USA)

Three languages-, 24 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 39: Delius & Ireland Piano Concertos





Frederick Albert Theodore Delius
Bradford, West Yorkshire, northern England, January 29, 1862
Grez-sur-Loing near Fontainebleu, Ile de France, June 10, 1934
Piano Concerto in C minor (1897-07)
First recording of the original 1904 version
I. Allegro ma non troppo [10:58]
II. Largo [6:07] - III. Maestoso con moto moderato [11:38]

John Nicholson Ireland
Bowdon near Manchester, August 13, 1879
Rock Mills in the Downs, southern Sussex, June 12, 1962
Legend for piano and orchestra (1933) [11:45]
Piano Concerto in E flat major (1930)
I. In tempo moderato [8:47]
II. Lento espressivo - Allegro - cadenza - attacca: [7:12]
III. Allegretto giocoso [7:51]

Piers Lane, piano
Ulster Orchestra
David Lloyd-Jones

Recorded in Ulster Hall, Belfast on 8, 9 March 2005
Recording engineer, Simon Eadon. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 2006 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67296

BBC Music Magazine - Orchestral Choice



The old castle’s remains at Grez-sur-Loing,
Frederick Delius' death place

Having already given us a scintillating version of Delius’s 1907 Piano Concerto with Vernon Handley and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Piers Lane now turns his attention to the composer’s original thoughts. The piece actually began life in 1897 as a single-movement fantasy for piano and orchestra, which Delius subsequently recast as a concerto in three separate movements. First heard in Berlin in October 1904, that’s the version performed here. The most striking difference surrounds the finale, which Delius discarded for the 1907 revision. It launches with a grittily defiant C minor theme in 5/4 time and, at 7’56", you’ll encounter a magical idea that Delius salvaged for his 1916 Violin Concerto. The piano writing throughout is less flamboyant than in the revision yet still offers ample opportunity for winning display. It’s all dashingly dispatched here, and devotees of this composer should certainly investigate.
How odd that, with the honourable exception of Eric Parkin’s Chandos account, recordings of John Ireland’s delectable Piano Concerto never seem to survive long in the catalogue. This Hyperion newcomer possesses many virtues. Piers Lane responds with nimble sensitivity, David Lloyd-Jones secures a tidy response from the Ulster Orchestra and the performance as a whole has a sparkle, eagerness and snap that are most refreshing. Some (myself included) may wish for a rather greater sense of anguished undertow in the slow movement, a reaction that extends to the clean-limbed account of the 1933 Legend. This is one of Ireland’s most haunting and powerful creations but I’m not sure that all of its other-worldly caprice and slumbering disquiet is conveyed here; Parkin’s digital remake with Thomson and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, though somewhat cavernously recorded, is both more poetic and questing. (...) Enough grumbling: the programme is an immensely appealing one and there’s so much that is praiseworthy about this cleanly engineered issue that it deserves a cordial reception.
Andrew Achenbach, Gramophone, February 2006



Delius’ only piano concerto went through several revisions on its way to its final form, which is about 10 minutes shorter than the full three-movement structure on display here. It's probably not a major work, but this is certainly the way to hear it, as its flaws (such as they are) don’t have anything to do with form per se, but rather relate to the composer’s own anti-virtuosic idiom. At only 28 minutes, the piece hardly outstays its welcome, and the extra room for lyrical expansion, particularly in the finale, brings us closer to the composer’s later style. From the listener’s point of view there’s nothing wrong with a concerto predominantly lyrical in style. The problem (as with the similar case of Dvorбk’s lovely concerto) is getting pianists to play the thing in the first place. So kudos to Piers Lane for doing such a beautiful job, and for projecting the solo part with so much sensitivity and intelligence.
John Ireland’s Piano Concerto is a minor masterpiece for sure, and its current neglect is puzzling. The music is wonderful, and having played in the orchestra in a performance of it, I can say from personal experience that it is wonderfully written, not to mention being a real crowd-pleaser. Among earlier recordings, Eric Parkin’s effort on Chandos suffers from blowsy sound and a surprising heaviness. Kathryn Stott on Conifer is better, but Piers Lane’s performance captures the music’s wit and jazzy inflections more effectively than anyone, and it’s very nice to have the equally attractive Legend included as well. David Lloyd-Jones and the Ulster Orchestra provide very sensitive accompaniments, while the engineering is first class. This is another triumphant entry in Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Music series, a disc to return to often.
David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com



Frederick Delius
John Ireland

... Robert Threlfall’s notes make a good case for regarding the three-movement original as having a greater validity, and this splendid first recording bears him out ... Piers Lane, an eloquent advocate (BBC Music Magazine) ... Those who are familiar with (and those who have dismissed) Delius’ Piano Concerto in the 1907 revision should make the acquaintance of the original version without more ado (International Record Review) ... Lane makes a convincing case for the piece, and his performance is paired with an equally sparky one of John Ireland’s concerto. His punchy abrasiveness undercuts the work’s more fey moments, and gives it an almost neoclassical edge (The Guardian) ... This first recording of the original version from 1904 reveals a work stamped with far more rhapsodic gusto and genuine heartache than the composer’s misguided revisions suggest. Lane’s performance is very enjoyable; the recording does the players proud (The Times) ... Throughout, Piers Lane is sympathetic, sensitive and a virtuoso, and the support from David Lloyd-Jones and the Ulster Orchestra is exact. The vivid recording presents an exemplary balance between piano and orchestra. (Fanfare, USA)

Three languages-, 24 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 40: Herz Piano Concertos no. 3, 4 & 5





Henri (Heinrich) Herz
Vienna, January 6, 1803
Paris, January 5, 1888

Piano Concerto no. 3 in D minor, op. 87 (1835)
I. Allegro moderato [15:04] - II. Andantino sostenuto [6:28]
III. Finale : Allegro (con fuoco ed appassionato) [8:58]
Piano Concerto no. 4 in E major, op. 131 (1843)
I. Allegro moderato [9:20] - II. Andante cantabile [5:29]
III. Rondeau Russe : Allegro vivace [7:59]
Piano Concerto no. 5 in F minor, op. 180 (1854)
I. Allegro moderato [5:54] - II. Andantino [4:37]
III. Finale : Allegro agitato [5:28]

Howard Shelley, piano and conducting
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

Recorded in Federation Concert Hall, Hobart, Tasmania on 2-4 September 2004
Recording engineer, Andrew Dixon. Recording producers, Ben Connellann & David Garrett
© 2006 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67537

Following his earlier superb recordings of Herz’s Piano Concertos Nos 1, 7 and 8, Howard Shelley continues with Nos 3-5 in Vol 40 of Hyperion’s ever-expanding ‘Romantic Piano Concerto’ series. As before, whatever sparkles and delights is here in super-abundance, and a more stylish or scintillating advocate than Shelley would be hard to imagine. Clearly Herz could charm the birds out of the trees, his brilliant confections cost him little effort and, presumably, like Saint-Saлns, he wrote music as an apple tree produces apples. In the Third Concerto, Mendelssohnian flourishes lead to one virtuoso flight after another, each designed to make ears waggle and eyes start out of the head. The finale’s fierce octave play and following fugue will appeal to those with more adventurous expectations, but there are enough decorative asides to console those addicted to a more conservative, salon style. The dazzling photo-finish would tax the fingers of even the most dextrous virtuoso and the orchestra, too, goes out in a blaze of martial splendour. The Fourth Concerto is all bustle and hyperactivity, the pianist’s aimiable opening gestures soon ambushed by some savagely intricate demands, while the Rondeau russe finale, complete with sleighbells, conforms to popular notions of an exotic foreign dance. In the Fifth Concerto Herz is back in minor-key drama without ever overstepping accepted notions of social propriety. So here, magnificently performed and recorded, is music to set heads nodding and feet tapping, the epitome of art which scorns profundity and elevates pianistic acrobatics to a high and elegant plane.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone, June 2006

EDITOR’S CHOICE - Gramophone Magazine

This second disc of concertos by Henri Herz turns out to be even more delightful and attractive than the first. Two of these concertos, Nos. 3 and 5, are rooted in minor keys, and while their demeanor is hardly tragic, that additional harmonic spice makes them that much more affecting. Concerto No. 3 has a wonderful potpourri-style finale with a very French, high-stepping march interlude complete with crashing percussion. It’s a delight, and in fact all of the tunes are top-quality. No. 4 in E major is a gentle, even pastoral work with a gorgeous slow movement (Howard Shelley does an excellent job bringing out the music's lyrical, cantabile qualities). It also has a delicious finale, a Rondeau Russe that uses a ‘clochette’, or clock-chime, to introduce a delightful fairy-tale atmosphere. That these two concertos aren’t taken out and played at least once in a while is a great mystery. They are beautifully written and just plain fun. The neglect of Concerto No. 5 is less surprising: it’s only a bit more than 15 minutes long, though it would make a great ‘pops concert’ piece (Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is about the same length). It too has some beautiful thematic material, particularly in its first movement. If anything Shelley and the Tasmanian Symphony are even more energized than in their previous release, and the sonics are very well balanced and lively. The march episodes in the finale of Concerto No. 3 erupt with particular sparkle and impact ...This is Volume 40 of Hyperion’s ongoing Romantic Piano Concerto series – can there really be this much attractive, neglected music? What are today’s traveling virtuosos doing with themselves, endlessly playing the same old stuff when there are so many fine works that deserve a hearing? Thank God for this extraordinary roster of recordings.
David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com



Portrait of Henri Herz

... There’s tremendous pleasure to be had from the music’s sheer charm...and even more from its outbursts of exuberance. Unless you’re on a strict musical diet that allows no dessert, this release, like its predecessor, will lift your spirits.. (Fanfare, USA) ... Shelley has so much surplus energy that he can lift these entertaining works up to a level where they are so much more than just audible. They are at times even touching and beautiful.. (Pianist Magazine) ... As on the previous release, Howard Shelley is both soloist and director. It would be hard to think of a more persuasive advocate. His passagework, however technically demanding the music, is always crystalline, and the sound is consistently warm and brilliant.. (International Record Review) ... Howard Shelley is well up to the considerable technical challenges that these works present and, apart from phrasing intelligently himself, persuades the orchestra to follow suit. In all, a disc that looks on the bright side of life.. (BBC Music Magazine) ... These charming concertos, the second of three volumes conducted by Shelley from the keyboard, are just the thing to set the feet tapping. (Observer)

Three languages-, 16 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

добавил все ссыслки в шапку.

vpenev, большое спасибо за такой труд. Сколько дисков еще ожидается? :rolleyes:

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 41: Kalkbrenner Piano Concertos no. 1 & 4





Friedrich Kalkbrenner
Cassel (now Kassel), central Germany, November 7, 1785
Enghien-les-Bains near Paris, June 10, 1849

Piano Concerto no. 1 in D minor, op. 61 (1823)
I. Allegro maestoso [14:41] - II. Adagio di molto [7:11]
III. Rondeau : Vivace [8:57]
Piano Concerto no. 4 in A flat major, op. 127 (1835)
I. Maestoso brillante [13:43] - II. Adagio [6:03]
III. Rondeau : Allegro non troppo [8:32]

Howard Shelley, piano and conducting
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

Recorded in Federation Concert Hall, Hobart, Tasmania on 24-27 May 2005
Recording engineer, Andrew Dixon. Recording producer, Ben Connellann
© 2006 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67535

Hyperion’s 41st offering in their invaluable "Romantic Piano Concerto" series includes a first recording of Kalkbrenner’s Fourth Piano Concerto lovingly reconstructed by Howard Shelley and Philip Littlemore. And this, together with the First Concerto, allows one a scintillating overview of a composer as admired for his playing as he was despised as a person. A fake grand seigneur and "popinjay" (delightful word), Kalkbrenner was mocked by most contemporaries of note, though Chopin fell briefly under his spell. ‘A knowing fellow’ whose music was like ‘a bonbon fallen in the mud’ (Heinrich Heine), Kalkbrenner needs an especially persuasive advocate. And in Howard Shelley he has found a pianist who not only relishes everything the composer throws at him, including ambuscades of double notes, but who plays with truly dazzling wit and style. Shelley is a master of such period virtuosity, yet he surpasses even his own standards and it is hard to imagine a more fine-spun or dazzling command. The fidgety theme opening the First Concerto’s finale and its subsequent embellishment provide a case in point, as does the finale of the Fourth Concerto where Shelley’s effortless bravura would surely have awed and piqued the composer himself. Amazingly, Shelley finds himself able to conduct as well as play these concertos, and he has been immaculately balanced and recorded.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone, October 2006



Friedrich Kalkbrenner was a highly respected pianist in his day, though he was later eclipsed by the likes of Chopin and Liszt. Still, his First Concerto is pretty terrific; the minor key isn’t used to plumb the depths of emotion so much as it is to keep the music harmonically fascinating, and you may well find yourself riveted as the composer springs one surprise after another. He sustains the 15 minutes of the opening movement effortlessly, through good tunes and brilliant keyboard showmanship, and if the music exists primarily to entertain it certainly does so with style and grace. The Fourth Concerto, perhaps owing to its major-mode orientation, strikes me as a touch less interesting, though it’s no less full of scintillating writing for the soloist, and as with its partner the tunes themselves are quite fetching. Howard Shelley plays both works with the panache that they require, and given the fact that he seldom has much of a chance to take his hands off of the keyboard, the Tasmanian Symphony stays with him admirably every step of the way. Hyperion’s sonics are also better than some other releases from this source, being well balanced and flattering to both soloist and orchestra. These truly enjoyable concertos may be rarities in the concert hall, but you may find them becoming staples at home.
David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com



Friedrich Kalkbrenner
Howard Shelley

... Kalkbrenner’s First Concerto offers a truly beautiful and atmospheric slow movement ... it would be a boring world if we couldn’t find an hour to listen to these musical layer cakes from a bygone age... (Pianist) ... Shelley draws committed and expressive playing from this fine ensemble, besides dispatching the demanding solo parts with unfailing йlan... (International Piano) ... Shelley’s fearless and seemingly impeccable technique seems to match Kalkbrenner’s ideal of good piano-playing perfectly. The sound is always beautiful, those endless runs at the upper end of the keyboard register delivered as if they came easily rather than being the formidable obstacle course that they really are... (International Record Review) ... Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto series is one of the most significant recording ventures in front of the public today ... The standard of the Hyperion edition has been so high, and it has done so much to showcase both young and established talent, with such exceptional recording quality, that it remains without parallel. Anyone who revels in exploring the peripheries of the repertoire will enjoy this disc enormously... (MusicWeb) ... Howard Shelley is a persuasive advocate, who apart from reconstructing the Fourth with Philip Littlemore, performs these pieces with a dazzling wit and style... I have a notion that Shelley’s bravura might have unsettled even the composer himself, particularly in the Fourth’s finale where the soloist’s effortless command of the music is absolutely stunning. Amazingly, Shelley is able to conduct as well as play these concertos with the Tasmanian players wonderfully supportive. (Classical.net)

Three languages-, 16 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

The Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series

Volume 42: Alnaes & Sinding Piano Concertos





Eyvind Alnaes
Fredrikstad, Norway, April 29, 1872
Oslo, December 24, 1932
Piano Concerto in D major, op. 27 (1914)
I. Allegro moderato [12:52]
II. Lento [8:47] - III. Allegro assai (Tempo di valse) [9:51]

Christian Sinding
Kongsberg, southern Norway, January 11, 1856
Oslo, December 3, 1941
Piano Concerto in D flat major, op. 6 (1889, rev. 1901)
I. Allegro non troppo [12:49]
II. Andante [10:00] - III. Allegro non assai [10:48]

Piers Lane, piano
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Andrew Litton

Recorded in the Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway on 4-6 September, 2006
Recording engineer, Arne Akselberg. Recording producer, Andrew Keener
© 2007 Hyperion Records Ltd. CDA67555

For the 42nd issue in its "Romantic Piano Concerto" series, Hyperion turns for inspiration to Norway and, in a first recording of Eyvind Alnжs’s Concerto, they light up the sky like an aurora borealis. Here is music very much for those in love with the most succulent romanticism, with lush, lavishly decorated melodies and a fin de siиcle array of props. The opening Allegro moderato follows one sumptuous gesture with another (Tinseltown has been slow off the mark in failing to capitalise on such glamour) and in the central Lento the pianist weaves starry figuration around the orchestra’s full-blooded outcry. In the finale all fashionable gloom is cast aside for a rollicking waltz guaranteed to sweep its dancers (to say nothing of the hard-working pianist) off the floor. So for those wishing to venture beyond the Grieg or MacDowell concertos such music is heaven-sent, particularly when played by Piers Lane with such enviable poetry, fluency and aplomb. Few pianists could have entered into the romantic spirit more infectiously, though even he is hard-pressed to make a convincing case for Sinding’s less heart-warming Concerto. Here, the music remains more effortful than inspired, huffing and puffing its way through one inflated gesture after another. Yet listening to Lane in the sequence commencing at 5’15" in the finale is to be reminded of playing as to the romantic manner born. Andrew Litton and the Bergen Philharmonic are a perfect foil for their scintillating and indefatigable soloist, and Hyperion’s sound balance is impeccable.
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone.co.uk

You’re going to love this disc. It does everything this wonderful series of ‘Romantic Piano Concertos’ is supposed to: present captivating repertoire in excellent performances. Christian Sinding was a notoriously spotty composer when working in large forms. After all, if you live well into your 80s writing tons of music along the way, but remain famous for one three-minute piano miniature ("Rustle of Spring"), then something’s not right. That said, this youthful concerto offsets its tendency to ramble with an abundance of fresh, enjoyable tunes and fistfuls of pianistic fun and games. When the melodies are so attractive it’s impossible to deny Sinding his right to dwell on them at length.
Eyvind Alnaes was one of those composer / performer / administrators whose busy schedule prevented him from writing much music, but thank God he turned out this piano concerto. Scored for a massive orchestra with an enormous brass section (six trombones!), the piece is, believe it or not, actually rather light and vivacious, except for those moments when the full ensemble really cuts loose. The finale, a free-flowing waltz, would be a "pops" favorite if the scoring weren’t so extravagant. It’s just the kind the music you’ll want to enjoy on disc because you’ll never hear it live: a big, juicy, Wagnerian love-fest between the soloist and the orchestra that leaves you wanting more. Piers Lane plays both concertos with a confidence that belies their unfamiliarity, and you know that Andrew Litton and the Bergen orchestra will do their bit like real pros. Excellent sound completes the picture. A genuine find!
David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com



Eyvind Alnaes
Christian Sinding

The latest instalment of Hyperion’s series The Romantic Piano Concerto turns its attention to Eyvind Alnжs (1872-1932) and Christian Sinding (1856-1941), two Norwegian composers whose reputations were outstripped by that of Grieg. Both were cosmopolitan rather than nationalist in stance, and their concertos are problematic in that they wear their influences too much on their sleeves. Sinding revamps the classical concerto as a post-Wagnerian, Valhalla-storming phantasmagoria by deploying continuous thematic transformations, overt references to Gцtterdдmmerung, and cadenzas that are developmental rather than decorative. Alnaes takes Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and Brahms as models for his first two movements, before closing with a wonderfully flippant waltz that is probably unique in the concerto repertoire. The performances, with Piers Lane as soloist and the Bergen Philharmonic conducted by Andrew Litton, are jaw-droppingly good - so much so that any qualms you may have about the works themselves are swept aside by the sheer excitement of it all.
Tim Ashley, The Guardian.co.uk

... The performances, with Piers Lane as soloist and the Bergen Philharmonic conducted by Andrew Litton, are jaw-droppingly good – so much so that any qualms you may have about the works themselves are swept aside by the sheer excitement of it all... (The Guardian) ... Piers Lane is tremendous, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra is splendid and both Lane and Andrew Litton find the perfect tone of delivery ... The best of this work is very fine indeed. Lane is again excellent ... and all the performers make excellent advocates for a work thoroughly deserving of them... (International Record Review) ... Despite the obscurity of this music, Piers Lane plays it with confidence and insight. The Bergen Philharmonic, under its music director Andrew Litton, provides solid, stylish support and the recording is spacious and ideally balanced... (Daily Telegraph)

Three languages-, 12 pages-booklet in .pdf format included.
Complete details of the Romantic Piano Concerto project can be found
at the Hyperion Records website (Indexes - Collections)

Это был последный, изданный до сих пор, том из Гиперионовской серии. Только из Гипериона могут ответить на вопрос будут ли другие волумы и когда. Так что прошу отправлять все подобные вопросы к ним. :laugh: А вот и линки на всех томов из этого источника, залитых здесь:

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огромное спасибо за титаническую работу!