Xaver Scharwenka from Naxos

[Jamie]

I never claimed that the "sung" PCs are unworthy, just that I prefer the unsung 19th century PCs I mentioned to them mostly because I'm tired of hearing them. I never referred to 18th century PCs--certainly Mozart's 24th (c minor, K. 491) is the greatest of them all and IMHO, is the greatest of all Mozart's concertos (my second favorite is his clarinet concerto). Even Beethoven felt that this concerto couldn't be surpassed.

[Mark Thomas]

This has developed into a two subject thread! To revert to the topic of the Naxos Scharwenka CD, I just want to echo Alan's assessment of the Mataswintha Overture. IMHO it's one of his finest works: measured, restrained, noble with, as he says, more than a whiff of Wagner about it. These seven minutes are worth the price of the whole CD.

[JimL]

The snippets I heard sound like a viable alternative to the Hough on Hyperion.  Also, FWIW, Klaus Heymann has informed me that Naxos is planning to do the other 3 Xaver Scharwenka PCs, and also has brother Phillip's VC in the works somewhere.

[eschiss1]

The snippets I heard sound like a viable alternative to the Hough on Hyperion.  Also, FWIW, Klaus Heymann has informed me that Naxos is planning to do the other 3 Xaver Scharwenka PCs, and also has brother Phillip's VC in the works somewhere.

Terrific! And though I haven't seen them, I gather there are three symphonies too (D minor op.96 - I may have the number wrong - and two others). Have very much enjoyed the chamber music of P. Scharwenka's I've heard (especially the late sonatas, trios, string quartets;...) (and that of Xaver)  - haven't yet, I think (though it's archived on Concertzender, some of it) heard the tone poems of Philipp on Sterling- but hope to and sometime the symphonies and other works too...
Eric

[Ilja]

having listened to the concerto in their entirety, I am happy to find that Naxos approached it frome a entirely different angle than Hyperion - there's something to choose between. This is a much more expansive approach, focusing on the elegiac elements rather than the fireworks. Inhowfar that produces an authentic result I gladly leave to others, but after withstanding initial shock I found that this approach revealed aspects of the work I hadn't heard before.