Hyperion: The Romantic Piano Concerto

[Alan Howe]

Can't wait myself!

[albion]

I will be eternally grateful to Hyperion for allowing me to hear excellent recordings of concertante works for piano and orchestra by Holbrooke, Wood, Bowen, Mackenzie, Tovey, Parry, Stanford, Sterndale Bennett, Bache, Benedict, Walter Macfarren, Somervell and Cowen (forthcoming on volume 54). In addition my favourites amongst the non-British discs are the Busoni, Scharwenka and Litolff recordings.

There seems to be some carping at Hyperion for not making absolutely every disc in the series a celebration of obscurity (Saint-Saens, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Weber, etc) and some criticism of Stephen Hough in his choice of programming for the Tchaikovsky release. Perhaps it would be more reasonable to look at this volume (50) as a pretty fair 'reward' for his transcendental performances of Sauer and Scharwenka (volume 11). When Hyperion are doing such a great job of making modern recordings which do include far-distant peripheries of the repertoire, involving laborious research which often entails the expense of new scores and parts being made, and presenting them in a very attractively-packaged on-going series, it does appear that they are coming in for some pretty unreasonable criticism.  By all means, we should lobby and ask for certain composers to be included (I would love to see a disc of Cipriani Potter, strangely enough), but I wouldn't begrudge such an enterprising recording company or such a first-class soloist the occasional 'indulgence'.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

I don't think anyone intends any criticism of Hyperion. After all, if some strange bug destroyed all Hyperion discs overnight then we'd all be in a state of deep lament. We owe Hyperion so very much!

The point is that a different RPC Volume 50 could have been released that would have been met with whoops of delight, broad grins, or jubilation on the part of someone advocating that we'd benefit from listening to music from a hitherto neglected composer. Instead there is a slight puzzlement: the Tchaikovsky release is doubtless good enough as a set of recordings of Tchaikovsky, but why has Hyperion done it? Is there strong musical (or commercial) point to it? Hardly.

So, an opportunity missed. And Hyperion is in danger of missing huge opportunities with both the Romantic Cello and Violin Concertos series unless those projects really get off the ground. Just think what could be done there!

Peter

[Peter1953]

Peter, I can only echo your words!
But I can hardly wait for the release of Vol 51.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Mike Spring has had some difficulty in finding violinists prepared to explore the byways of the VC repertoire. However, he tells me that he thinks he has solved this problem now and we did talk about both the Litolff "Eroica" Concerto Symphonique and Philip Scharwenka's VC, both of which he would like to include in the series.

[JimL]

Mike Spring has had some difficulty in finding violinists prepared to explore the byways of the VC repertoire. However, he tells me that he thinks he has solved this problem now...

Solved the problem now?!  Cheese 'n' apples!  Perlman did a couple of Vieuxtemps concertos (actually the same ones that they're releasing on their next issue) when they were still fringe repertoire!  How long ago did Milstein do the Goldmark?  Hahn has a liking for the Spohr 8th!  Seems to me that more violinists have a willingness to include a couple of rarities in their repertoires than there are pianists who would like to learn unsung concertos!

[albion]

Seems to me that more violinists have a willingness to include a couple of rarities in their repertoires than there are pianists who would like to learn unsung concertos!

To quote Mike Spring in 'Fanfare' (29th March 2010):

"With the BBC Scottish (with whom we've done the majority of the recordings), they have quite frequently had a concert beforehand. We usually have two days of rehearsal before we start recording and then a concert in which one of the concertos (maybe not both of them) would be played. It's actually happening less now, as the orchestra has moved to City Hall and they don't do studio concerts there in the way they used to at the BBC. We're more likely to get concerts after the event. Generally the pianists will be delighted to get chances to play the works. Piers has played the Moszkowski quite a lot over the last 20 years since he learnt it (I don't think he's played the Paderewski as much); Hough actually put the Scharwenka Fourth into his schedule. He did it in the States in quite a few places, but he couldn't get a concert in London; nobody would take it."

Just precisely how many top-flight pianists, with busy concert schedules, can afford the time to learn often fiendishly taxing solo parts that they may ultimately only perform once in a studio for Hyperion? That they do it at all should be cause for celebration.

[Alan Howe]

I agree - but, for us lovers of VCs, there's such a yawning gap (explored on the predecessor to this forum in some detail) that it is extremely frustrating to find that the latest entry in the RVC series is only of Vieuxtemps 4 & 5. I'm simply not interested in this unadventurous repertoire, especially as it has been recorded in the past by some of the great violinists.

No, for the moment the RVC series has seriously lost its way. I mean, look at what Dutton have just brought out (Wood), or Simax (Borgstrøm), or 2L (Bull), or Acte Préalable (Stojowski) or Sterling (Raff), or Guild (Jaques-Dalcroze), or Naxos (Joachim VC1; Rode), or Dacapo (Lange-Müller), or cpo (Herzogenberg; Kreutzer), or Supraphon (Foerster)....

It's really hard to take Hyperion seriously if all they can come up with is Vieuxtemps - and his two best-known VCs at that...

[Kriton]

It's really hard to take Hyperion seriously if all they can come up with is Vieuxtemps - and his two best-known VCs at that...

I second that. But it could have been worse, as with the Romantic Cello Concerto "series". 4,5 years down the road, and still stuck at volume no. 2... And that with all those interesting (late) romantic cello concertos! Granted, they're not as many as their violin counterparts, but looking at labels like CPO and Sterling, there's apparently enough material. Has the Svendsen concerto finally been recorded yet?

[FBerwald]

I do wish Hyperion would record the Victor Herbert Cello concertos it could make a nice vol. on the Romantic cello concerto series. As for the Romantic violin concertos the upcoming Vieuxtemps 4 & 5 is a HUGE let-down!!! there are so many other choices
The Lyapuniov violin concerto and the Reynaldo Hahn concerto would be nice projects!

[violinconcerto]

The Lyapuniov violin concerto and the Reynaldo Hahn concerto would be nice projects!

Both are already commercially recorded!

Lyapunov on an Artek CD:
http://www.artekrecordings.com/artek/CD28.htm

Hahn on a Maguelone CD:
http://www.integralmusic.fr/detail.aspx?num=182

Both available it seems. Check other sites for maybe better prices.

Best,
Tobias

[Alan Howe]

The Lyapunov's a 62 year-old recording. We definitely need one in stereo!

[Marcus]

Hello FBerwald,
The Victor Herbert Cello Concertos 1&2 were available on Decca CD #417 672-2, with Lynn Harrell soloist, and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, conductor Neville Marriner. (rec.1988) Also included on the disc are Five pieces for Cello & Strings.
I bought my copy in the early 90's, and although it is no longer available, it is available from Amazon for $15.79.
You will find this recording , is probably as good as it gets, but I agree that another recording coupling both,is overdue, particularly of the Concerto no1  in D, as opinions often differ. The 2nd Concerto has been given a few recordings.
Marcus.

[JimL]

I'd actually prefer to see them recorded separately, as I already have the 2nd with the Dvorak played by Yo Yo.

[Steve B]

kriton, the Svendsen Cello Concerto HAS been recorded- on LP; Norwegian Cultural Council; I have this recording.deleted so we could, legally,  do a swap :)Can only do Lp to cassette though, but have good tape deck
Steve