Wilms Piano Concertos vol.2

[Alan Howe]

Ronald Brautigam plays superbly, though. Wonderful articulation and pearlescent runs! (Do I get into Pseuds Corner for that description? )

[Mark Thomas]

I had the pearlescent runs once, it wasn't pleasant! But seriously, yes, Brautigam is excellent.

[Alan Howe]

Very nasty!

On further listening, Wilms' E flat concerto turns out only to be superficially Beethovenian; OK, it has obvious copyings, but mostly it's in the more florid tradition of, say, Hummel. In that respect I find it rather schizophrenic. Both the heroic (Beethoven) and florid (Hummel) are present, but what is the work's true identity?

[Mark Thomas]

Wilms has neither Beethoven's nor even Hummel's originality and his concerto is a celebration of eclecticism, it's a work reflecting the dominant trends in music at the time. That's its identity, to be a mirror. But enjoyable, for all that.

[Alan Howe]

I'm glad it's been recorded, but the only reason for doing it again would be to have a version with piano.

[Mark Thomas]

True.

[Ilja]

For all its shortcomings I'm still glad this is being recorded, not least because Wilms was a very important composer for the development of Dutch music. He introduced a lot of German and central European music to the country, and also wrote the music to the national anthem (Wien Neêrlands Bloed door d'aadren vloeit, van vreemde smetten vrij / "For whom Dutch Blood flows through their veins, free from foreign blemishes") that was in use until 1938. 

[terry martyn]

I always think that anthem should be played before Belgian concerts begin.  Or perhaps a healthy dose of Litolff's Third?

[terry martyn]

My inner Jeremy Clarkson is getting the upper hand.............

[Alan Howe]

I rather think his best music is in his symphonies, e.g. No.7 in C minor (1835):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfWEenkikpw

OK, it's probably rather passé for its date, but there's no 'prettifying' here.

[terry martyn]

I like that Symphony.   I am not giving up on him.  His works for flute and orchestra stand up pretty well too.