PCs by Eric Chisholm

[M. Henriksen]

An update on the website of the Eric Chisholm trust:

"Chisholm's Piano Concerti Recording
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra recording of Chisholm's Piano Concerti No.1 The Piobaireachd and No.2 The Hindustani takes place in Glasgow City Halls took place on June 8th and 9th 2011. Pianist Danny Driver, Conductor Rory Macdonald and Producer Andrew Keener, joined forces with the orchestra for our first Hyperion CD. Planned for release in 2012, this is a big event on the Chisholm road to recognition. Read short excepts from John Purser's Biography of first performances of these two works.

The Trustees were privileged to be in the recording room for the two days and to meet the orchestra. A truly amazing experience to observe at close hand the remarkable skills and interaction of a first class musical team."

A good reason for looking forward to 2012.


Morten

[eschiss1]

sounds it!
Is Murray MacLachlan still around to advocate perform and record (quite well to my mind, but I like Driver's pianism, what I have heard of it, very very much also) ? I seem to recall he recorded a disc or several of works by Chisholm...
(who I know of mostly because of his own friendship with, advocacy for, ... of Sorabji and his music, though I understand that his interests were very wide-ranging.)

[M. Henriksen]

Is Murray MacLachlan still around to advocate perform and record?

Indeed he is, and this July the 7th and last installment in MacLachlan's complete recordings of Chisholm's piano music was released. To great ovation from some critics at Musicweb:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Aug11/Chisholm_DDV24155.htm

This review also contains links to all the other Musicweb reviews of MacLachlan's Chisholm discs.


Morten

[Dundonnell]

I am pretty sure that this is young Rory Macdonald's first recording as a conductor.

His father(the former MD of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra) is an old friend of mine and told me about the recording some weeks ago. Apparently the concertos are fine pieces

[eschiss1]

According to those links the first has been recorded by MacLachlan but took some editing to get the parts and score to agree with each other (I don't think I've heard that recording yet) but the 2nd might well be a premiere. I think the public library here may have one of the solo piano discs, now I think on it- have to check and listen if so. Anycase, again, good news!!

[M. Henriksen]

According to the Eric Chisholm Trust the Hyperion disc will be released in April 2012.


Morten

[albion]

Hyperion disc will be released in April 2012.

Thanks, Morten. I've really enjoyed Chisholm's Ossian Symphony and Pictures from Dante on Dutton, so I'm looking forward to this forthcoming release.

[M. Henriksen]

Finally some details about the April 2012 release at Hyperion's website. And excerpts!! The opening of the first concerto is simply wonderful!

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67880&vw=dc


Morten

[vandermolen]

'Pictures from Dante' is terrific and I enjoyed the 'Ossian' Symphony - so I shall look out for the new disc.

[M. Henriksen]

The sleeve notes are now available at Hyperion's website.


Morten

[Dundonnell]

The cd will be released on 26th March

I am very much looking forward to this cd, not just for the music itself but because the conductor's father and I are going together to the City Hall in Glasgow for a performance of the RVW 6th conducted by Andrew Manze

[M. Henriksen]

Well, there was a lot of activity on this thread before the release of the recording. So I wondered if there are any opinions on this record and the music itself? Surely someone must have bought it!?
I'm listening to the 1st Concerto this evening. It's a long time since I've been so captivated by an opening of a work as with the slow "bagpipe music" introduction of the Pìobaireachd Concerto.


Morten

[Dundonnell]

My copy just arrived this morning so I should soon be able to comment

[Dundonnell]

The two Chisholm Piano Concertos are both interesting pieces but they will require several listenings before I could come to any clear assessment. That would be particularly true of the rather strange Second Concerto. The First is-to my ears-more readily accessible in its somewhat late Bartokian style.

[patmos.beje]

I have know the 'Piobaireachd' Concerto for a number of years based on an earlier CD release.  In 2010 I obtained a private recording of the 'Hindustani' Concerto.  I do not regard either as immediately accessible music.  The 'Piobaireachd' Concerto is more immediately memorable in its thematic material.  However, I did persevere with listening to the 'Hindustani' Concerto many times after I obtained a copy (as background music whilst I was engaged in other things) and have grown fond of the work, marginally preferring it now to the 'Piobaireachd' Concerto.

The Hyperion recording is a good quality recording and the performances are very good.  They are definitely worth having.

The Chisholm Trust is funding some sort of publication of the score to Chisholm's Violin Concerto this year.  Hopefully this may facilitate a recording of the work.  However, it appears to be one of three works linked to Hindustani music, the other two being a never performed Concerto for Orchestra and the Piano Concerto No.2.