Unsung Composers

The Music => Recordings & Broadcasts => Topic started by: Syrelius on Wednesday 21 October 2009, 06:52

Title: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: Syrelius on Wednesday 21 October 2009, 06:52
According to an article in a local newspaper in Helsingborg, the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra is involved in recording "a series of piano concertos by Stenhammar and Wiklund" for Hyperion. In other words, it is likely that we will se a Romantic Piano Concerto CD with the two piano concertos of Adolf Wiklund. :)
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: thalbergmad on Wednesday 21 October 2009, 12:11
Indeed, Mike Spring from Hyperian posted a list of the next half dozen or so releases on another forum and i remember Wiklund being included. Regretfully, Tchaikovsky is going to be included as well and i would rather cut my arms off with blunt shears than listen to those again.

Looking forward to the Rosenhain myself.

Thal
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: febnyc on Wednesday 21 October 2009, 13:36
The two Wiklund Piano Concertos have existed for some time on a Caprice CD.  They're excellent works - full of Rachmaninoff-ian flavor.
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: thalbergmad on Wednesday 21 October 2009, 18:12
Oh gawd, another recording i need to buy.

This place is bad for the wealth ;D

Thal
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: Gareth Vaughan on Wednesday 21 October 2009, 20:14
The two piano concertos of Wiklund and his Concertstuck for piano & orchestra would fit neatly onto one CD, and I expect that is what Mike will try to do for the Hyperion disk.
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: TerraEpon on Wednesday 21 October 2009, 21:01
Quote from: thalbergmad on Wednesday 21 October 2009, 12:11
. Regretfully, Tchaikovsky is going to be included as well and i would rather cut my arms off with blunt shears than listen to those again.

I love the Tchaikovsky concerti -- even the first. Granted I won't be buyer the Hyperion disc(s) (no need) but they ARE great pieces in my mind, even the Tanyev completions.
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: thalbergmad on Wednesday 21 October 2009, 21:47
I can just about tolerate the Tchaikovsky concerti, but have never understood the popularity of the first and reasonably neglect of the 2nd.

If i were to list my favourite concerti (which i have no intention of doing), none of his works would make it into my top 100, but i have to accept that others will think differently.

I was in "Belgium" mode this evening and thoroughly enjoyed listening again to De Greef and Benoit. I would recommend them to those with a romantic inclination who have yet to experience these works.

Thal
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: FBerwald on Thursday 05 November 2009, 16:41
Any idea on what is going to be Romantic Piano Concerto Vol. 50 and further in the list????
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: Gareth Vaughan on Thursday 05 November 2009, 18:31
RPC 50 is a double CD of the 3 Tchaikovsky concertos + the Concert Fantasia, following Stephen Hough's proms performances. RPC 51 will be the 2 Taubert PCs + Rosenhain.
Mike confirms that they will try to get all three concertante works by Wiklund on the same disk.
And why all this negativity about Tchaikovsky? The PCs are marvellous works - as I've said before, Hyperion's series is "The Romantic Piano Concerto", not "The Obscure Romantic Piano Concerto".
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: chill319 on Saturday 23 January 2010, 02:17
Word in the upper midwest is that Hough has recorded the three Tchaikovsky concertos with the Minneapolis Orchestra. Does anyone know if RPC 50 is with a British orchestra?
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: FBerwald on Saturday 23 January 2010, 12:38
RPC 50 - Tchaikovsky.  Stephen Hough (piano), Minnesota Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä (conductor)

The next in line to my knowledge are -
Vol.51 - Taubert concertos 1 & 2; Rosenhain concerto, (Howard Shelley) (Aug. '10)
Vol.52 - J. Wieniawski & Goetz concertos, (Hamish Milne) (Nov. '10)
Vol.53 - Reger Concerto; Strauss Burleske, (Marc-André Hamelin) (2011)
Vol.54 - Widor Concertos, (Markus Becker)
Vol.55 - English repertiore, Not Finalised. (Martin Roscoe)
Vol.56 - Pixis Concerto plus something else (Howard Shelley)
Vol.57 - Wiklund Concertos (Martin Sturfalt)
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: TerraEpon on Saturday 23 January 2010, 20:52
Wow, that's a lot of foreknowledge...

Widor is probably the most potentially interesting from that lot, but that's just right now.
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: Gareth Vaughan on Monday 25 January 2010, 11:09
There is a very good chance that part of the English repertoire in Vol. 55 will be Arthur Somervell's Normandy Variations + Highland Concerto.
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: thalbergmad on Monday 25 January 2010, 12:21
Jolly good, that would make a good pairing.

Quite a lot more of English romantics to do, but I am not always convinced of the quality.

Thal
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: Ilja on Monday 25 January 2010, 13:54
Quote from: Gareth Vaughan on Thursday 05 November 2009, 18:31
RPC 50 is a double CD of the 3 Tchaikovsky concertos + the Concert Fantasia, following Stephen Hough's proms performances. RPC 51 will be the 2 Taubert PCs + Rosenhain.
Mike confirms that they will try to get all three concertante works by Wiklund on the same disk.
And why all this negativity about Tchaikovsky? The PCs are marvellous works - as I've said before, Hyperion's series is "The Romantic Piano Concerto", not "The Obscure Romantic Piano Concerto".

No negativity here – and one might argue that any collection called 'The Romantic Piano Concerto' can't do without the Tchaikovsky (or Saint-Saëns!) concertos. It will be interesting to see how this recording will stand out from the thousand-or-so other ones, though.

The only thing that had me puzzled was the exclusion of the Taneyev-completed movements of the Third Concerto, and the inclusion of the execrable Siloti adaptation of the Second's middle movement...
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: TerraEpon on Monday 25 January 2010, 21:00
Quote from: Ilja on Monday 25 January 2010, 13:54
The only thing that had me puzzled was the exclusion of the Taneyev-completed movements of the Third Concerto, and the inclusion of the execrable Siloti adaptation of the Second's middle movement...

Huh, that's weird. Ah well, I wasn't planning on buying it anyway....
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: thalbergmad on Monday 25 January 2010, 21:37
For those interested in playing a bit of Widor, the 1st concerto Op.39 has recently been digitalised by the BSB and can be downloaded on the following link.

http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/0004/bsb00045511/images/index.html?id=00045511&fip=77.23.214.178&no=5&seite=7 (http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/0004/bsb00045511/images/index.html?id=00045511&fip=77.23.214.178&no=5&seite=7)

Concertingly

Thal
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: eschiss1 on Wednesday 03 February 2010, 20:36
Glad to see the Widor and Rosenhain concertos included, among other works.  (BSB has a score of Rosenhain's piano sonata in f, and IMSLP has a few other works uploaded, but Worldcat lists only one recording, of Katsaris playing a solo piano work called Morceau de concert sur un thème de La reine de Chypre. I don't think I've seen or heard the concerto yet, at that.)
Eric
Title: Re: More unsung piano concertos?
Post by: thalbergmad on Wednesday 03 February 2010, 22:11
I think anyone who likes Moscheles, Kalkbrenner & Mendelssohn Concerti will like the Rosenhain.

There are some nice lyrical moments, more agitated sections, crashing chords and two pages of split octaves just in the first movement.

Should be a good one.

Thal