Scharwenka - Piano Concerto No. 4

[Alan Howe]

Exactly right. Remember Brian's Gothic Symphony back in 2011?

[Ilja]

I have no doubt that audiences would enjoy any of the Scharwenka concertos -- if they bothered to show up having seen his name on the program. I asked one of our local conductors about programming things off the beaten path. He said he would like to do it (he had a fondness for Reger) but was reluctant to, because every time they did program something a little bit out-of-the-way he could count an extra 200 empty seats in the hall.

Can't speak for the Proms, but what you have to keep in mind is that risk-averse programming, particularly when it's been going on for decades, also creates a risk-averse audience. So in that sense, programmers create their own reality.

[Wheesht]

In my, admittedly limited, experience, there are nearly always those in an audience who like to think they know all the really important composers and works that make up the canon and who are unwilling to take risks by engaging with composers and works they have never heard (of).

[Alan Howe]

Well then, the question is whether we simply pander to audiences' tastes or attempt to widen their horizons? Actually, surely we can do both at the same time...

[Martin Eastick]

Yes, Alan, we surely can! The trouble as I see it with many concert promnoters etc., is a distinct lack of knowledge, with such ignorance spreading also to the higher echelons of those responsible for promoting our "classical music" (for want of a better expression!!) heritage. This also extends to our centres of musical education - colleges, academies etc. Over many years, I have come across this on so many occasions, and it is most disappointing.

John Boyer makes mention in his last post about a conductor's fondness for Max Reger - not a name I would put at the top of any list for introducing to an unsuspecting or reluctant public, so real careful consideration must be given as to how to initiate a steady, ongoing introduction of forgotten music, and unfortunately for Reger fans, they will have to perhaps bide their time a little! As mentioned, real careful consideration has to be given to what would be ideal repertoire to make an immediate impact, and casting aside any personal preferences, any of the Scharwenka concerti would be well worthwhile! Then we would have to move on to provide a well-known popular symphony, known to be a crowd-pleaser, and perhaps an overture to boot to further soften the blow that the Scharwenka/Moszkowski/Raff would undoubtedly inflict on the audience! 

[Alan Howe]

Agreed, Martin. That's surely the way to go.

Question is, though, are performers/conductors sufficiently clued up or even inquisitive as to what repertoire is out there? Or are they apt to be lazy in their choices? 

[Ilja]

In my, admittedly limited, experience, there are nearly always those in an audience who like to think they know all the really important composers and works that make up the canon and who are unwilling to take risks by engaging with composers and works they have never heard (of).

I can confirm as someone who once worked in a large concert hall. But there are ways to overcome this. For instance, if you have a famous conductor or soloist willing to take on a work, the audience will respect their commitment as a stamp of quality. This is how we got a packed house with Taneyev's Fourth Symphony when it was conducted by Gergiev (long ago; unfortunately, he made a right old mess of the thing) and why someone like Hamelin is so vital in getting audiences to "tolerate" less familiar repertoire.

However, for a large part of the audience a concert is primarily a social occasion, where they see friends and spend a pleasant evening not too distracted by complicated things like unfamiliar music. They may gush over the smoothness of the orchestra's string sound, the brilliance of the soloist (or their outfit) and how wonderful the conductor waves their arms, but the music itself functions as a familiar wallpaper against which they can experience everything. I wouldn't say I like it, and one can wonder what that means for music playing as an art or craft, but it is a reality.

[John Boyer]

Returning from the general topic of unfamiliar music to the specific topic of Schawenka's Fourth Concerto, I was looking at some YouTube comments on a performance posted there and noted the many references that people had to their favorite movement and what it was they liked about that part. Some liked the grandeur of the first, the Wagnerian gloom of the third, the vigor of the fourth, but none mentioned the second.

Well for me, by far my favorite movement is the second, which I often listen to just by itself. I adore its elegance and Mozartean grace, standing as a bit of relief from the drama that surrounds it but also standing alone quite well as an example of elegance and grace for its own sake. So, are there any others out there who like the intermezzo?

[Recorddude]

Thanks for this more recent version of Xaver Scharwenka's 4th piano concerto. While off-topic,  I'd like to point out that he also wrote some very fine chamber music with piano. While not necessarily one of these, he also wrote an unusual piece (quirky perhaps) for piano,trombone and drums entitled "Five Leaves from Polyhymnia's Sketchbook" Op 89 which can be heard on you tube also.