Hyperion RPC series: Bronsart & Urspruch

[Alan Howe]

As with the Scholz/Rheinberger release, I think this CD merits a thread of its own. The website of pianist Emmanuel Despax confirms that the...

...recording with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Eugene Tzigane will be released in 2018 on Hyperion - It features romantic concerti by two of Liszt's students, Hans Bronsart von Schellendorf and Anton Urspruch.
http://www.emmanueldespax.com/

This is what Mr Despax posted some while back on Facebook:
Off to Glasgow next week to record these great romantic concerti by 2 Liszt students for Hyperion Records, along with the wonderful BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Eugene Tzigane.

It was a fantastic experience for me to discover these works I had never heard before. Despite having the same teacher, they are both incredibly different. The Bronsart is very Lisztian, full of bravura, with a virtuoso piano part. And the Urspruch is more symphonic, like a Brahms piano concerto, and quite Wagnerian at times. I can't wait to hear it with the orchestra!

[arpeggio]

Thanks for this reminder. I, for one, will definitely be buying this. I really like the Ponti von Bronsart, but it will be nice to have a version with "modern" sound.

[Mark Thomas]

.. and, dare I say it, one where the music is the star rather than the pianist.

[Rob H]

Just noticed on clicmusique:

http://www.clicmusique.com/bronsart-urspruch-concertos-pour-piano-despax-tzigane-p-100905.html?osCsid=ed6416658f04dfdfabff77d1c10fdf01

[Alan Howe]

Here's news of the CD's release (plus an excerpt from the finale of the Bronsart - wow!):
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/ym.asp?ym=2018_10

[FBerwald]

Am so looking forward to this - I love the Urspruch PC [CPO] - The 1st movement rambles, I admit but the detours are all so beautiful that I didn't care.

PS: on a diff note - anyone have any clues on what delights further await us in the pipeline of RPC - Afterall the series is fast approaching vol. 80?

[Mark Thomas]

Sound bites now available here. I'm not that fussed about the Urspruch, but we have been waiting so long for a modern alternative to Ponti's barnstorming old recording of the terrific Bronsart concerto. The audio extracts are very encouraging.

[Revilod]

Yes. I can't wait to hear the Bronsart recording. It's a favourite concerto of mine, sung or unsung. I sometimes wonder whether Hyperion's policy of publishing photographs of the composers on the front of the booklets may sometimes be a little counterproductive. Who would think that stern looking bewhiskered gentleman could have produced such a superb....and wonderfully entertaining...piece?!

[JimL]

Bronsart (von Schellendorff) lived a fairly long life. I'm pretty sure that when he composed his concerto he was much younger than that image, but it doesn't appear that he posed for any photos or portraits in his younger days. It would indeed be interesting to see what he looked like as a young man.

[Revilod]

I did find a photograph of Hans and Ingeborg presumably taken not long after their marriage in 1861. The concerto dates from 1872.

http://www.dmga.de/bildarchiv/portrait-register/bildarchiv-details.html?tx_dmgabildarchiv_pi1%5Bdetail_uid%5D=191&cHash=2e0d969e2b88b3848bcede07d0e4cb73

[Ilja]

It's a problem one generally sees with historical figures, and particularly artists: once they are off well enough to have photographs taken or portraits painted, they are generally near the end of their lives and past their creative prime (and yes, there are plenty of exceptions). I always encourage the use of images from early in a composer's life, to make for something of a change from the usual portraits, but also to counteract the cliché that classical music is somehow "music for old people".

[semloh]

I've always loved the old Vox recording of the Bronsart, but I am definitely looking forward to the new CD... I wonder why we don't see it on concert programmes?

[Mark Thomas]

Because only a few aficionados like us know about it, Colin!

[TerraEpon]

Oh nice, that Brosart is a crackling piece, will look forward to this one. Never heard the Urspruch but the samples sound promising for sure.

[Alan Howe]

Oh nice, that Brosart is a crackling piece

...but only if you set fire to the CD