Dubois Piano Concerto No.2

[Alan Howe]

ActesSud are bringing out a CD containing Dubois' 2nd Piano Concerto and Decet/Dixtuor:
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Theodore-Dubois-1837-1924-Klavierkonzert-Nr-2/hnum/2492798

[chill319]

The excerpts sound like performances, not run-throughs. I'll bite. Also because, from what I've seen, the Overture to Frithiof, also on the CD, was during the late 19th century perhaps Dubois's best regarded symphonic work.

Dubois's unfortunate animus towards the student Ravel, echoing a similar relationship between Cherubini and Berlioz, did little for his artistic reputation. Similarly,  the disdain in which Dubois was held by French progressives like d'Indy, Debussy, and Fauré colored accounts of his music that I read as a student. I was therefore completely unprepared last year when I first heard the lyrical, life-affirming 1905 Piano Quintet and the vibrant, tuneful, harmonically sophisticated 1907 Piano Quartet, written shortly after his dismissal from the Conservatoire.

One biography informs us that Dubois "wrote little after that point." Apparently that "little" includes three symphonies. Lets hope that this CD finds a sympathetic audience and that more Dubois -- especially late Dubois -- will be forthcoming.

[Mark Thomas]

Oh well done, Alan, I'd missed this one and certainly echo Chill's positive comments about Dubois, so this is a must buy for me. Irritatingly, I had only just placed an order with jpc yesterday!

[Mark Thomas]

My copy arrived a few days ago and the music gets a mixed reception from me, at least. The Frithiof overture is a fine piece, quite muscular and rather sparer in its orchestration and harmonic palette than I was expecting, but a strong work in the German, rather than French, mould. The Second Piano Concerto I found a disappointment. It is curiously unbalanced, with an opening Allegro lasting almost 11 minutes but which somehow fails to lift off, followed by three short movements totalling barely 14 minutes all told which smack more of a suite than a concerto. The whole thing seems disconcertingly inconsequential and not up to the standard of other Dubois works which have appeared recently. On the other hand, the Dixtour which fills out the disc is a fine piece, with plenty of momentum and a real sense of purpose, if not strongly melodic. In contrast to the Piano Concerto, it gives the impression that Dubois had a strong reason for writing it. It's a half hour well spent.

[jerfilm]

I finally picked up a copy of this disc.   Frankly, I really like the Piano Concerto - but then it is my favorite genre.  Yes, a bit inconsequencial at times and those short movements leave a lot to be desired.   Still, I'm surely glad to have a copy of it.  Keep the Dubois coming.......

Jerry

[FBerwald]

I like the Piano concerto. I just hate the instrument used. Almost as much as I hate the Piano used to record Rubinstein Complete Piano Concertos on Marco Polo by Banowitz.

[giles.enders]

The concerto recorded is listed as 'Number 2' did Dubois compose a number 1 or is the Concerto Capriccioso of 1876 considered number 1?

[eschiss1]

The program notes to the Hyperion recording only mention 3 piano concertante works by Dubois (indeed, claim he only wrote 3) and that all 3 are on that recording (barring further discoveries, I suppose...) so I guess the answer is yes.