Gounod Piano Pedalier Concerto etc.

[eschiss1]

I received the following (much appreciated) message yesterday - will edit it down to size if desired but I found it quite intriguing. I look forward to any posts he may make here in future... - Eric

From Roberto Prosseda:

Hello, I just found your post about Gounod Piano Concerto in "unsung composers". I never received any mail through my website asking information about it. Anyway I am glad to give you some more details. I believe that rare music must be shared and not kept secret!
The Concerto in E flat (1889) for piano-pédalier is the 4th piece written by Gounod for piano-pédalier and orchestra. It is a different piece from Suite Concertante in A major. Both of them are in 4 movements. The manuscript of the Concerto for piano-pédalier is still owned by an anonymous private owner, and I got a copy of it from Gerard Gondé, author of the best and most updated Gounod biography (Fayard, 2009). On the occasion of my modern premiere, in Sept. 2011, the score has been published by Symétrie Editions. http://www.symetrie.com/fr/titres/concerto-pour-piano-pedalier

Gounod also composed three previous pieces for piano-pédalier and orchestra, all listed in Condé catalogue in his book and also listed in Tim Flynn book "Gounod: A Guide to Research" (2008):
- Suite Concertante  (CG 526), 1886 (published by LeDuc in 1888, now available only for score rentals)
- Phantasie on Russian National Anthem (CG 522), 1885 (published by LeDuc in 1886, now out of catalogue)
- Danse Romaine (CG 521)  (1888). Unpublished. The ms. is at the BnF.
- Concerto for piano-pédalier and orchestra (CG534) (1889?).  Manuscript in private hands, sold at the action at Hotel Drouot, Paris, 1979. In Flynn's Guide, it result as a manuscript from the collection of Lucien Adès according to Francoise LeSur.

I will record all the four pieces with Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, conducted by Howard Shelley, for a Hyperion CD in the collection "Romantic Piano Concertos".

I just joined the UC forum so I will maybe write some posts in the future. Please feel free to share this information with your contacts or in the forum.

[Lionel Harrsion]

Thanks for passing on that interesting and intriguing information, Eric.  The Hyperion CD will be a must-buy for me. 

[Alan Howe]

And for me too. How fascinating, Eric. thanks!

[TerraEpon]

...and will  it be on an actual pedal piano?

But yeah, a disc to look forward to. There's a version of Phantasie on Russian National Anthem for organ and orchestra on a Guild disc, and IIRC it's a very nice piece.

[Gareth Vaughan]

...and will  it be on an actual pedal piano?

Well, Mr Prosseda gave the premier in modern times on a pedalier (see his website: www.robertoprosseda.com for video clips of the performance). So I imagine the answer is "Yes".

[Alan Howe]

The excerpts at Mr Prosseda's webite are mouthwatering indeed for all lovers of Romantic-era PCs, although, of course, this is a special case because of the use of the piano-pédalier. What the release of a recording will do is to fill in yet more detail about the development of the piano concerto in France in the later 19th century: we have Saint-Saëns, of course, as well as Godard and Massenet - and soon we will have Gounod. And by the way, the slow movement is absolutely gorgeous...

[JimL]

Mr. Prosseda has also been in contact with me.  In fact, he sent me the identical email.  BTW, there is no tempo indication for the Scherzo in the score of the PC - it's just marked "Scherzo".  In a subsequent email he revealed that he has developed an adapter device that can convert two grand pianos into a piano-pédalier (this involves removing the legs from one of the pianos and putting on short ones.  Shipping an entire piano-pédalier is prohibitively expensive, but the adapter is entirely cost-effective.  I'm going to try to work something out with allies in high places.

[Alan Howe]

Good for you, Jim.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I don't want to push this thread in another direction so this is in the nature of an aside, but now that we have a pianist who is interested enough in the pedalier to play and record some works written for that instrument on an actual pedalier, it would be fascinating to hear some of the relatively large number of works which Alkan wrote for pedal-piano.

[JimL]

In his last email to me Mr. Prosseda was kind enough to include a video of him playing the Alkan Op. 66 No. 3.  If I can find a way to transfer it over here, I will.

[Gareth Vaughan]

That would be great, Jim. Thanks (in advance!).

[JimL]

Let's try this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAC6Ir7Yc9E&feature=player_embedded

Looks to be in B-flat Major.

[ahinton]

I don't want to push this thread in another direction so this is in the nature of an aside, but now that we have a pianist who is interested enough in the pedalier to play and record some works written for that instrument on an actual pedalier, it would be fascinating to hear some of the relatively large number of works which Alkan wrote for pedal-piano.

Then check out the Toccata Classics label where you will find two CDs of a projected 3-CD set of the complete Alkan pédalier works, albeit played on the organ of Blackburn Cathedral by that remarkable artist Kevin Bowyer.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I know about the Toccata disks, thanks - and I am sure Kevin Bowyer will do the music justice as he is a wonderfully talented player. But I would really like to hear them on the instrument for which they were written.

[JimL]

So what did you think of Op. 66 #3?