I just ordered the last 2 Naxos CDs of the Ries piano concertos, to get current. That would be the 3rd (C-sharp Minor) and 7th (A Minor) concertos. In addition, I picked up the Jadassohn/Draeseke release on Hyperion. Also, a peek at the Hyperion website disclosed that there will be a CD of the 2 extant PCs of Julius Benedict coming out in a couple of months.
http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/piano-concerto-7-op-132ferdinand-ries (http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/piano-concerto-7-op-132ferdinand-ries)/
I enjoyed the new Naxos release.
Thomas
I was lucky enough to locate the piano part of the Op. 45 Benedict concerto (maddeningly, a set of orchestral parts, minus the solo part, are in the library of the RAM in London) in the Cambridge University Library, and Mike Spring leapt at it, so I knew it was on the cards for the RPC series, but I didn't know exactly when it would be done, though I did know it would be sometime soon.
Two lovely works.
Well done indeed, Gareth! Can't wait!
You know, Gareth, I'm starting to think that you don't get nearly enough honorable mention in the liner notes of some of these CDs!
Amen to that.
But I get some free CDs! And there is a nice mention of me (and Jean Holbrooke) in the booklet of the recently released CPO disk of orchestral music by Josef Holbrooke.
I got the CD of the C-Sharp Minor Concerto, Op. 55. It had been years since I last heard it. To be really frank about it, I don't think it's even the best of his concertos, although it seems to have been the most popular. It has some interesting stuff in it, particularly the finale (starting in the major, ending in the minor - hey, just like Scharwenka's 3rd! And in the same key, too!) Unfortunately, I don't find it particularly distinguished. I really can't wait to hear the A Minor Concerto, which was shipped separately, and should arrive some time next week. I'll bet it's a better work.
P.S. I wonder why all the works on that CD have no oboes in the orchestra?