R. Sacheverell Coke Concertos at last?

[TerraEpon]

Having heard the upload posted here a couple months ago, I too am very much anticipating this one.

[Gareth Vaughan]

The Hyperion/Coke CD is due for release at the end of this month. Here is the link: https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68173
I urge you to buy this really splendid disk. The music is remarkable (IMHO) and the performance and recording both outstanding.

[semloh]

Thanks, Gareth. Definitely another for the 'wants list'.

[giles.enders]

There is no review in BBC music magazine and the November Gramophone has yet to come out.  Remarkably the Coke CD is now No3 in the classical music charts.  The recording is superb, I understand from someone who heard Coke play these works that Simon Callaghan has come very close to how they recall Coke played them.  As for the music itself, I like it but people must judge for themselves

[Gareth Vaughan]

I see that the disk is one of the "Recordings of the Month" on Music Web International this week.

[Mark Thomas]

So it should be too. It's a real revelation, and especially the Fourth Concerto - a real window into Coke's tortured soul.

[Revilod]

Jeremy Nicholas's review in the "Gramophone" is decidedly lukewarm and I wasn't particularly impressed either. The melodic material is not  really memorable and there's little in the way of development or counterpoint. This one has divided opinion, it seems, but I do think anyone expecting to hear a hitherto unknown concerto by Rachmaninoff is going to be disappointed. Taken on his own terms Coke may have more to offer. There are some interesting reviews on Amazon.co.uk.

By the way, has anyone else noticed that the slow movement of the Fourth Concerto quotes directly from the first movement of the Third?
The booklet does not mention this.

[Mark Thomas]

There are certainly echoes of Rachmaninov in Coke, it would be more surprising if there weren't, but he is no imitator and it does both men a disservice to suggest that he is, as some reviews have hinted.

[Revilod]

Yes. It is always unfair to compare one composer with another, especially when that"other" is as highly regarded as Rachmaninov. Perhaps Coke is to blame to some extent, though. He should have kept his admiration for Rachmaninov to himself!

[FBerwald]

I haven't heard these concertos but what do you mean by Echoes of Rachmaninoff - Is it the style in general or harmonic progressions.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I maintain that Coke has his own voice: he is not Rachmaninov, nor Scriabin,  nor Sibelius. And why should we expect him to be? Not surprisingly, he imbibed influences from all three of them. But I think he is distinctively "Coke", as I believe a study of his other scores will show.

[Alan Howe]

The problem here is the sort of 'lazy labelling' which seeks to define a lesser-known composer in terms of a better-known one. I suppose we've all done this in attempting to give an idea of a lesser-known composer's music, but at best it's merely an indicator - and at worst it's actually misleading. Coke is his own man - and that's how he should be assessed.

[eschiss1]

see also Medtner (re Rachmaninov), etc.

[Alan Howe]

see also Medtner (re Rachmaninov), etc.

Actually, see almost anyone who wrote/writes PCs in a hyper-romantic style post-1900! The list is endless (let's not go there!)

[eschiss1]

Medtner and Rachmaninov*, maybe, compared to some others of his works --- and I assume from the discussion Coke and Rachmaninov, otherwise this wouldn't be an issue - have as a rule more similarities of sound and approach than one's randomly selected pair of post/hyper-Romantic piano concerto do: so I'm not sure I agree actually.

*and actually I was thinking of Medtner works _aside_ from his piano concertos , which aren't always the best argument for his individuality of "sound", structural/motivic/... approach (though the 3rd (Medtner) concerto is... anyway...)