The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol. 63 – Godard

[Christianv12]

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDA68043

[FBerwald]

Wow. Hyperion finally fulfilled one of my wishes! The only thing missing is the Fantaisie Persane, but since Dutton beat them to these gems first, who's complaining!!!

[Alan Howe]

Both PCs are, of course, already available on Dutton. However, this'll be a handy package no doubt.

[Gareth Vaughan]

And Howard Shelley rarely disappoints.

[TerraEpon]

If they are as good as the VCs, I'll be all over this...

[FBerwald]

They are!!!

[FBerwald]

Has anyone heard this recording?

[TerraEpon]

I listened to the free track and was immediately floored by the catchy melody and just general organic writing. The rest of the samples on Hyperion's website seem similarly great.

[Alan Howe]

It's the 2nd PC that's the really interesting piece - it almost morphs into Rachmaninov at several points. I can't believe the great Russian didn't know it...

[FBerwald]

I find the 2nd Concerto intro on the low piano quite fascinating.
Is it just me or would these concertos gain from a greater string section? The beginning of the 1st concerto almost has me wishing that the strings would be greater in number.

[Alan Howe]

Is the Dutton recording any better in the string department?

[FBerwald]

Not so much. The orchestra seems more intimate in the Hyperion version [in the Dutton version the orchestra seems to be placed far away from the microphones].

[musiclover]

The Dutton wins hands down for me. I know Shelley is a name and Victor Sangiorgio is not, but Sangiorgio brings a much more French approach to the works than Shelley. The Dutton recording is in my opinion much more taking a nod from the French style of performing where as the Hyperion performances make the works sound German to me.
I also think the interplay between soloist and orchestra is better in the Dutton version and Victor Sangiorgio and Martin Yates make the two shorter concertante works sound such fun. Then there is the missing Persian Fantasy on the Hyperion issue....I bought the hyperion in order to have a complete set of RPCs....but this recording will not, for me, replace my treasured set from Dutton.

[FBerwald]

I agree with musiclover about the german/french sounding aspect, but isn't Godard's music more germanic than french . I know I might be opening a can of worms here! These concerti, other than the scherzo movements, sound pretty germanic to me!

[Alan Howe]

I think the French/German dichotomy is a vast oversimplification. As with Saint-Saens, Godard's music is surely a mixture of various influences. Like many composers working from the 1870s onwards, Godard drew upon both the classical tradition (e.g. Mendelssohn/Schumann) and contemporary innovators such as Liszt. The result is a synthesis which, depending on the performance, can be made to sound heavier (more 'Germanic') or lighter (more 'French').

Something similar can be said of, for example, Dvorak. His music has elements of classicism, the New German tendency (and also nationalism, of course). Accordingly, different performances will bring out these differing streams in different ways. Some will sound more heavily Germanic, some will bring out the elements of Czech nationalism and others will emphasise the classical heritage. The best, of course, will do all three...