MacDowell from John Wilson

[Alan Howe]

...forthcoming from Chandos, featuring PC1, Lamia, Lancelot and Elaine, etc:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9694811--macdowell-orchestral-works-vol-1

...with more to come as this is vol.1.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Very nice.

[Alan Howe]

That's what I thought too!

[terry martyn]

The First is definitely in my top 20  piano concertos. Especially when played with panache.

[kolaboy]

A must-buy for me. There's still a fair amount of MacDowell (keyboard-wise) awaiting a first recording, so I hope there are many volumes to come.

[Alan Howe]

I'm guessing this will be a John Wilson/Orchestral series, with vol.2 featuring PC2.

MacDowell's orchestral output:

Op. 15 Piano Concerto No. 1 (1885)
Op. 22 Hamlet and Ophelia (1885)
Op. 23 Piano Concerto No. 2 (1890)
Op. 25 Lancelot and Elaine (1888)
Op. 29 Lamia (1908)
Op. 30 Two Fragments after the Song of Roland (1891) I. The Saracens - II. The Lovely Alda
Op. 35 Romance for Violoncello and Orchestra (1888)
Op. 42 First Suite (1891–1893) I. In a Haunted Forest - II. Summer Idyl - III. In October - IV. The Shepherdess' Song - V. Forest Spirits
Op. 48 Second ("Indian") Suite (1897) I. Legend - II. Love Song - III. In War-time - IV. Dirge - V. Village Festival

[britishcomposer]

Interesting: Radio 3 is going to broadcast a couple of these recordings next week - and more!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00230n0
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022zq4

[tuatara442442]

The symphonic poems finally get recorded again after Karl Krueger's recording with the royal philharmonic!

[Alan Howe]

A really fine CD, this. John Wilson's so good at making music sound as though it's top-notch. Lancelot und Elaine is very Lisztian, perhaps a  little more subtle, and PC2 is given a cracking performance - very exciting. It ought to be done at the Proms!

[Martin Eastick]

Although I already have recordings of all these works, I felt I just had to have John Wilson's new recording as I couldn't imagine anything less than this bringing out the best of MacDowell! Although it arrived just before Christmas, I will look forward to listening later this evening after Alan's glowing endorsement!

[Alan Howe]

It's a model of its kind.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I wonder how they will arrange the subsequent volume(s). I doubt "Hamlet & Ophelia", the 2nd PC, the Romance for 'cello & orchestra and both Suites will fit on one disk (I could be wrong, of course). If they include the orchestral arrangement by Modest Altschuler of the Sonata Tragica (called "Sinfonia Tragica") and a few other arrangements of short piano pieces (like "To a Wild Rose". already included on this first CD) that would probably stretch the enterprise to 3 CDs.

[Mark Thomas]

the orchestral arrangement by Modest Altschuler of the Sonata Tragica (called "Sinfonia Tragica")

That's a new on on me - has anyone heard this?

[Gareth Vaughan]

Score and parts in Fleisher.

[Alan Howe]

Nope - I wonder if John Wilson even knows about it.