Oswald and Napoleão Piano Concertos

[Revilod]

Having lived with these concertos for some weeks now, the one that I keep returning to is the Oswald. It's less immediately attractive and certainly seems far less tuneful than Napoleao's at first but it is far better constructed and, ultimately, more satisfying. Artur Rubinstein called Oswald the "Brazilian Faure" and I know what he means. The first movement's plain opening theme doesn't register at first but all the ensuing music derives organically from it (including the second subject) and I was very much reminded of Faure, the piano quintets in particular.

I do think that Rob Barnett is rather wide of the mark when he calls the opening of Napoleao's concerto "darker" than Oswald's although the Chopin connection is certainly there. Oswald's concerto is a significant work. It will never be popular because, the slow movement apart, it is just too elusive melodically but it really is a most rewarding piece.

[Alan Howe]

...whereas I find the Oswald (especially the opening movement) rather tedious and the Napoleão extremely attractive - and memorable. Showshow reactions can vary...

[Revilod]

Yes indeed, Alan. I've reviewed the disc for amazon.co.uk, where I am known as someonewhocares2, and I see that only 1 out of 3 people have found my review helpful (!) so perhaps I'm in the minority!

[Mark Thomas]

I have returned several times to this RPC release, and I'm afraid that I too continue to be seduced by the obvious charms of Napoleão's concerto, and remain immune to what I am sure are the more intellectual rewards of the Oswald.

[JimL]

Continuing the comparison of the Napoleão and MacDowell concertos, I'd have to say there are some rather strong parallels in structure.  The opening movement of the Napoleão appears to be in a sonatina form (sonata sans development) whereas the MacDowell does have a brief development.  Both movements have a rather substantial cadenza and end as quietly as they began, and in the tonic major.  Although MacDowell's cyclic reference to the first movement is confined to the brief slow introduction to the finale, whereas the references to earlier material comes as an interruption in the finale of the Napoleão, both contain that Lisztian/Beethovenian element.  The more I listen to the Napoleão, the more intrigued I am by the other 3 concertos.  I wonder if they are still extant?

[Ilja]

I'm with Revilod on this one - if we're looking for weak spots, I feel that whereas the Oswald starts off a bit timidly, the Napoleão is let down somewhat by its finale. But I see far more depth in Oswald's concerto. Then again, I've never been much of a fan of Chopin's 'school' so it might just be resistance against the idiom.

[Alan Howe]

Here's David Hurwitz's take on the release at ClassicsToday.com:

These two works have all of the advantages and disadvantages of Romantic virtuoso piano concertos, only in different proportions. On the plus side, you have brilliant and grateful solo writing and some delicious material. On the minus side, there is the tendency to sprawl, the utterly inept handling of first movement form, and the general lack of rhythmic backbone and sense of ongoing motion. Composed in the 1880s or so, both are very much of their time and place, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Both Oswald and Napoleão were born in the same year, 1852, the former dying in 1931, the latter in 1917. Oswald (no relation to Lee Harvey) was Brazilian, Napoleão Portuguese, although both spent the lion's share of their careers in Brazil. On evidence here, Oswald was the better composer. Yes, his concerto features a relatively non-developing first movement, but the central slow movement is gorgeous, and the finale pithy and not a note too long.

Napoleão based his concerto, pretty obviously, on Saint-Saëns' Second, only more so. It starts with a twenty minute long Andantino maestoso (not a promising designation), continues with a charming scherzo and concludes with a finale hopefully designated "allegro" without any special understanding of what that means, formally speaking. The problem with this piece is that after the scherzo, which plays for four minutes, you still have thirty-two to go. Oswald's slow movement, by contrast, comprises a third of the work, all to the good.

Certainly both pieces receive persuasive advocacy from Artur Pizarro and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Martyn Brabbins. The soloist plays almost continuously throughout both concertos, mostly accompanied discretely by strings, with the occasional woodwind solo popping up for contrast. The full orchestra chimes in at nodal points and climaxes, but essentially this is the soloist's show, with acres of filigree and arpeggiation employed with the same ubiquity as a tremolo in a Bruckner symphony.

Still, Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series is one of the glories of the modern discography, and whatever the quality of the music this latest release (volume 64!) is beautifully made by all concerned–a no-brainer acquisition for collectors. And you will listen to the Oswald, at least, more than once, particularly for the Adagio.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=25581&name_role1=2&bcorder=2&name_role=1&name_id=411749

[thalbergmad]

"On the minus side, there is the tendency to sprawl, the utterly inept handling of first movement form, and the general lack of rhythmic backbone and sense of ongoing motion"

Not exactly sure what he is getting at with this, but I am dubious of anyone who uses the word "form".

Does a romantic work have to have form??

Thal

[Mark Thomas]

It's David Hurwitz, Thal. Sometimes penetratingly perceptive, often nonsensical. Who, apart from him, would think that there was any connection between the Brazilian composer Henrique and the American assasin Lee Harvey Oswald?

[JimL]

Allegro is a tempo, not a form.  Hurwitz should know better.  But I seem to recall him saying something about Bruch's 2nd violin concerto to the effect that he "begins it with an Adagio, rather than a regular sonata-form movement", more or less.  The opening Adagio of Bruch's 2nd violin concerto is IN sonata form, complete with a brief, but unmistakable development section.

[Revilod]

To describe Oswald's handling of first movement form (sonata form) as "utterly inept" is crazy. It's a sonata structure but the fact that the two themes are closely related (intentionally of course) disguises this. It does unify the movement, however. There is plenty of ongoing motion in this movement and, although the melodies seem rhythmically plain at first, Oswald cleverly offsets this through subtly syncopating them....a technique he also uses in the slow movement.

Hurwitz needs to listen again. I wonder how many times he listened to this concerto.

[Alan Howe]

You hit on a real issue: the demand for instant journalism and instant opinions. How often have we said here that opinions change when the music concerned receives a second, third or even tenth audition?

[JimL]

I'm also a little concerned about his sense of time.  The first movement of the Napoleão concerto is about 16.5 minutes long, the finale about 12.  So what is he talking about when he says "The problem with this piece is that after the scherzo, which plays for four minutes, you still have thirty-two to go."?  The whole PIECE is about 32 minutes long!

[TerraEpon]

I thought he was talking about the rest of the CD...

[semloh]

Rob Barnett's review (thanks for the link, Jim) would be so much more useful if he didn't try so hard, and so unsuccessfully, to write in a sophisticated style. Phrases such as "...a nicely symmetrical reversal..." and "Oswald defies tired expectations..." suggest a 13 year old trying to impress the teacher. If Rob is a member of UC, he will no doubt be angered by that comment (if so, we can cross swords off-forum, Rob)!

My point is simply that many high profile CD reviews, particularly on-line, are poorly written. This detracts from their value and undermines the reader's trust in the reviewer. The review by David Hurwitz, on the other hand, is quite well written, and we are left in no doubt what he thinks, even though his judgements may be questionable (even "crazy" as Revilod suggests).

Am I correct in thinking that magazines like BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, and Classical Music Magazine, have higher editorial standards and therefore publish more carefully considered and better written reviews?