Unrecorded British Piano Concertos

[Dundonnell]

In addition to the Piano Concertos listed in the 'RPC-where next' thread there are a number of more modern works which deserve to be commercially recorded-

Richard Arnell:    "Sections" for Piano and Orchestra(1967)
Stanley Bate:     Piano Concertos Nos.3(1952) and 4(c.1955); the first piano concerto was(I think) withdrawn, there is a fifth, unfinished, concerto
                              (a performance of No. 3 can be downloaded from this forum)
Alan Bush:          Piano Concerto, with baritone and male chorus(1937) (a performance can be downloaded from this forum)
Geoffrey Bush:   Piano Concerto(1941)
Arnold Cooke:    Piano Concerto(1940) (a performance can be downloaded from this forum)
Peter Racine Fricker: Concerto for Piano and small orchestra(1952) (a performance can be downloaded from this forum).
Iain Hamilton:    Piano Concertos Nos.1(1960) and No.2(1987) (both available to download from this forum)
Alun Hoddinott:  Piano Concerto No.3(a performance can be downloaded from this forum).
Joseph Holbrooke:Piano Concerto No.2 "L'Orient"(1928)
Gordon Jacob:   Concerto for Piano and Strings(1927) and Piano Concerto No.2(1957) (both available to download from this forum).
Kenneth Leighton: Piano Concerto No.2(a performance can be downloaded from this forum).
John McCabe:    Piano Concerto No.3 "Dialogues"(1976)
Humphrey Searle: Piano Concertos Nos. 1(1944) and No.2(1955)
Robert Still:       Piano Concerto(1970)
William Wordsworth: Piano Concerto(1946) (there are two performances available for download on this forum).

Ruth Gipps' Piano Concerto and Kenneth Leighton's Piano Concerto No.1 have been recorded for cd by Cameo Classics for future release.

[albion]

Thanks for supplying this valuable supplementary list, Colin: it could be argued that some of these are also written in a late-Romantic or even neo-Romantic idiom.

Certainly, whilst the vintage performances of Stanley Bate's concertos are fascinating to hear, modern recordings are urgently needed (Dutton might oblige us here). The two piano concertos by Gordon Jacob are also available in broadcast performances on this forum, but again it would be great if one of today's pianists could get these works into the recording studio.

There are some (i.e. innumerable) fascinating and supremely valuable broadcasts in your personal collection - and I'm sure that (as with Lyrita in days of old, and Dutton today) many enthusiasts are eagerly looking forward to the onset of your 'release programme'!

[Dundonnell]

Thanks for the reminder that the Jacob concertos can be downloaded here, John. I have downloaded both and then overlooked them
I have corrected my list accordingly.

Similar list of Symphonies and Violin Concertos to follow

[Dundonnell]

Added Holbrooke's Piano concerto No.2 "L'Orient" to list above.

[giles.enders]

Naxos did start to record some British 20thC piano concertos.  The series seems to have been dicontinued, I assume they didn't sell.

[eschiss1]

hrm. I think or thought also that Robert Simpson's piano concerto was recorded on Arte Nova but apparently not... (wait. what happened to Ogdon's recording of it?)

[Dundonnell]

Robert Simpson's Piano Concerto was issued by Carlton Classics in 1996 on their short-lived BBC Radio Clasics series. The couplings were Alan Rawsthorne's Piano Concerto no.1 and Concerto for Two Pianos. The performance of the Simpson was by John Ogden and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/Constantin Silvestri from September 1967(the work's second performance).

It needs of course to be recorded again....as does Rubbra's Piano Concerto!!

[Rainolf]

Yes, the Ogdon CD with Rawsthorne's and Simpson's Piano Concerti was a very fine issue. A pity, that it is out of sale now...

Another unrecorded Piano Concerto is op. 54 by Bernard Stevens. It's a reworking of his concerto op. 26, transforming it into a two movement structure, according to the liner notes of the Marco Polo CD. Surely it would be interesting to compare the two versions.

[Dundonnell]

I take your point about the Stevens, op. 54 but Malcolm MacDonald's cd notes for the Marco Polo release did suggest that the shortening of the op. 26 and the simplification of the piano part was an unsuccessful(indeed almost desperate) attempt by the composer to gain the concerto acceptance in the repertoire. The impression I get from those notes was that the op.54 is no improvement on the original.

[eschiss1]

Curious a bit about Rubbra's opus 30 piano concerto, actually- have seen a very very small bit of it and I expect one of the recent books on Rubbra has much information on it, but as of now don't even know if it's performable.

[Dundonnell]

Curious a bit about Rubbra's opus 30 piano concerto, actually- have seen a very very small bit of it and I expect one of the recent books on Rubbra has much information on it, but as of now don't even know if it's performable.

The only info' in Leo Black's book on Rubbra is that the Piano Concerto, op.30 was withdrawn and remains/ed in manuscript. If still extant I have no idea where it might be.

The whole question of works suppressed by their composer being revived today is an interesting one....but I shall return it to anon.

[eschiss1]

hrm. Colin (now deceased) was working on something having to do with Rubbra, I think, and may have had manuscripts for it in his garage - kept meaning to write something about him (and his work, and..) after he died and should have and also should have-eh. Long and irrelevant story, but the page from opus 30 he showed me may have been from that. This withdrawn first and possibly fragmentary concerto?... may have had to do with the serial experimentation, very soon dropped, that he told me Rubbra did briefly engage in, also- I seem to recall as much but may have to check what I can find of this.

As to the last, well, it's an interesting and sticky subject.

[albion]

William Mathias's Piano Concertos Nos 1 and 2 will be released next month on a Somm cd.

This release has today received a positive review by Rob Barnett - http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Oct11/mathias_PCs_sommcd246.htm

[albion]

William Mathias's Piano Concertos Nos 1 and 2 will be released next month on a Somm cd.

This release has today received a positive review by Rob Barnett - http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Oct11/mathias_PCs_sommcd246.htm

CD Review tomorrow c.9.20 Radio 3.

[Alan Howe]

Very atypical stuff. Attractive, though. Well worth a punt, I'd  say. Couplings totally inappropriate, however.