Bronsart von Schellendorf - Piano Concerto in F-sharp minor, Op. 10

[britishcomposer]

Dear members,

I would like to share this recent performance of Bronsart's Piano Concerto with you.
It was broadcast as part of a lockdown concert without public attendance.
I did not listen myself yet but I thought you may be interested to compare it to the hyperion recording. The conductor is the same, Eugene Tzigane, but the pianist our indefatigable Oliver Triendl.
You will find it shortly in the downloads section I think.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks.

But how may I download the performance without giving consent to MediaFire using my personal data?

[Ilja]

Alan, not sure what's going on here, but I don't need to do anything of the kind on Mediafire. However, I have my browser welded shut with an avalanche of anti-trackers and ad blockers, so that should make it possible.

[Alan Howe]

Well, there's my problem in a nutshell. Most disappointing is that MediaFire don't give you the option to withhold your consent.

[Ilja]

I've just listened to the Triendl version and I like it very, very much. In fact, I'm convinced this is the version that comes closest to what such a 19th-century concerto was supposed to sound. The thing I didn't really like about the Despax was how measured and careful he sounded; Triendl is freer, and therefore makes it much more his own. As a consequence, the thing feels much more dynamic than it does in the Hyperion recording (but not nearly as rushed as with Ponti).


And yes, there is an obvious mistake by the soloist in the finale (you'll hear it, believe me) and the sound balance is a bit off at times, but as an overall experience I think this trumps both other versions that we have.

[britishcomposer]

Alan, you may follow the link to the Deutschlandfunk page instead and stream the concert.

[Mark Thomas]

Wow! Triendl already deserves some sort of lifetime achievement award for his services to recordings of the unsung, and this performance demonstrates why. He plays this most romantic of concertos as if it's a familiar and loved staple of the repertoire, keeping all the excitement of the pioneering Ponti recording, but with none of his recklessness, whilst abandoning Despax's caution and reserve. His phrasing, pacing and lyricism are spot on. It's an utterly convincing performance and I'll happily forgive a few insecurities in the finale and some dodgy sound engineering here and there. It'll certainly be my go-to performance of the Bronsart from now on and I'll keep my fingers crossed that Triendl is able to persuade cpo to record him playing the piece.

[semloh]

I totally agree with Mark. It sounds almost like a different concerto to my old Vox/Ponti recording - so much more lyrical and seductive. It's a joy.