Moszkowski Piano Concerto Op.3

[Gareth Vaughan]

Oh frabjous day!

[FBerwald]

Wonderful news... I do have a feeling that this will not be the cover image!

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks for the confirmation, Alan. By chance I was listening to the piece this morning. Apart from an over-long finale, it really is a stonking work.

[Rob H]

www.hyperion-records.co.uk/notes/68109-B.pdf

Here is the digital booklet. No picture of Schulz-Evler - I can't imagine they'll be changing it now. It does say in the booklet that biographical detail on S-E is scarce. Evidently images are in even shorter supply.

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Rob. I'm afraid that Jeremy Nicholas' assessment of Shulz-Evler's Russian Rhapsody in the booklet isn't exactly mouth-watering.

[Alan Howe]

Fascinating, thanks!

[FBerwald]

Is it possible to have a look at the  Schulz-Evler Russian Rhapsody score? Online scores and details about this composer is next to nothing.

[thalbergmad]

I have it in the back of my mind that Ludmil produced a digitalized version, so perhaps PM him.

However, i am not certain and regretfully, i dot not keep very accurate records.

Thal

[Gareth Vaughan]

Hyperion's booklet thanks the Fleisher collection for the loan of the performance material for the Schulz-Evler. Here is the link to the library record in the collection: https://know.freelibrary.org/Record/955440

[adriano]

The CD is out now - wonderful!

[Alan Howe]

It's a 1st July release in the UK, but do let us know your reactions to the CD...

[adriano]

It's just released today over here, I have it in my hands. Unfortunatley the booklet shows these frequent "reader's kinks" which I noticed on this label since quite some time. All are of a similar kind, so it must be the printing machine. In the (Zurich) shop we opened 6 more copies, and all had them. Sorry for being such a perfectionist, but, since their booklets are highly qualified, they should be qualified in the manufacturing as well...
The recordings is super, will let you know more after a second listening.
I've noticed lately similar kinks on some Warner issued as well - but worst of all are Melodyia's. Their kinks are of different (and often very drastic) kind: they must be caused by clumsy packer's fingers rather than from machines.

[markniew]

Ggreat news! Moszkowski's early concerto we know for few years but the piece by Schultz-Evler is a really discovery. I await for it with great expectations.

[Ilja]

Downloaded this shortly after midnight and spent a few hours with it this morning. It is a superb recording: detailed, not too reverberant, fine orchestra, excellent playing. Of course, considering that it's the same soloist and conductor it doesn't stray very far from the radio recording we know (also from Youtube). It is slightly (even) more expansive, though. It's the sort of thing you would play if you want to show people how good unsung music can be. Contrary to the booklet, I don't find the "overlong final movement [...] not wholly convincing" at all - in my view it sustains itself very well.


Here's the thing, though. The BBC Scottish is a better orchestra than the Reszow Phil, I think, and the recording is superior to the Polish one too. But because of that lack of detail and orchestral finesse, I feel that they actually make it sound like a better piece than the Hyperion recording does. It is an early work of course, and this recording relentlessly exposes some less polished aspects, particularly in the orchestration.

[Alan Howe]

There's no doubt that this is a very fine release indeed, both from the point of view of the music (the Moszkowski) and the performance. The fact that the recording is also so utterly natural makes this into an unmissable package for fans of romantic-era music.

The Moszkowski is a wonder: a monster (54-minute) piano concerto that had lain undiscovered for more than a century in the National Library of France in Paris before being found in 2008. When compositions as fine as this are finally performed, it makes one wonder what's still out there. In particular, mention is made in the booklet of the composer's Symphony in D minor. Now I wonder what that's like...? (see this thread: http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,3132.90.html).