Pavel Pabst (1854-97)

[Peter1953]

I'm interested in your opinion of Pabst's music, in particular the "Lost Piano Concerto" in E flat major, op. 82, available on Cameo Classics and Danacord.

Audio samples can be heard at http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Oleg-Marshev-spielt-russische-Klavierkonzerte/hnum/8490069

[Mark Thomas]

Initially impressive, but doesn't sustain too many repeated hearings.

[Alan Howe]

I agree with Mark. But the Marshev CD is certainly worth having - the other is poorly recorded and features below-average orchestral playing. Get Marshev!

[Steve B]

No! Get Trochopoulos on Cameo; more idiomatic playing; more rubato, passion. Never mind the orchestra-its not perfect but has an exciting raw sound and, i think, is a live performance.

Ad I beg to differ, its a lovely concerto, with that memorably ponderous but stirring opening melody and moments of poetry, particuarly near the end of the finale. In my view, one of the better/best of the Romantic Piano concerti. Would love to see the Cameo dvd of how the concerto was found and how they made the recording.

Marshev is ok; but this is how this passionate music SHOULD be played; but is same old debate re new school v. old school; control v. passion; heavy rubato v. lighter.

Steve

[Alan Howe]

Unfortunately, it's not just a debate about schools of interpretation; it's also a question of second-rate orchestral playing and recording (certainly not up to proper commercial standards) versus a finished, professional product. By all means buy the the Cameo Classics performance, Peter, but caveat emptor!

[Alan Howe]

I thought I'd just give the Cameo Classics performance another listen and it's as I thought: excellent pianism compromised by a muffled recording (I've heard better quality from recordings fifty years old) and absolutely awful orchestral playing - out of tune winds and scrawny strings. To turn to the Danacord CD is like suddenly switching the lights on: the orchestral playing is far superior and you can hear everything that is going on. And Marshev plays like a tiger too. The only possible criticism is that the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra is not the Berlin Philharmonic in terms of weight of sonority - but then the Belarussian orchestra on Cameo Classics is barely of a standard suitable for recording at all.

Marshev is therefore the sensible - and still mightily exciting - choice here. Trochopoulos is for completists only.

[Peter1953]

Thank you for your posts and suggestions. How about the couplings? I already have a few Paganini Rhapsodies... It's a substantial work of more than 20 minutes. On the other hand, I'm not a real big fan of both Scriabin and Rimsky-Korsakov, although their piano concertos aren't that bad at all...But I've made my choice and go for the Marshev.

Mark points out a different and interesting matter. If you buy (or download) a new CD, with music thus far unknown to you, how many repeated hearings does it sustain? I have a lot of CDs, worth listening a few times, but then... maybe once per year or even less. The surprise, attraction or novelty has vanished. What is the percentage of "stayers"? Raff's PC never bores me, how many times I give it a listen, but how about the Pabst? Well, I don't know yet, give it a try and buy the disc. I think we all experience similar things. But this thread is not meant for a subject like this.

[thalbergmad]

The Marshev disk as mentioned is impressive, but even more impressive to me is his disk of Pabst transcriptions.

If there is a better transcription than the Tchaikovsky/Pabst "La Belle Au Bois Dormant", I have yet to hear it.

Thal

[Alan Howe]

The Rachmaninov coupling on the Cameo Classics CD is utterly pointless. The pianist is good - but the performance is completely out of its depth in terms of the competition available. Orchestrally, it's very poor.

[wunderkind]

The Marshev disk as mentioned is impressive, but even more impressive to me is his disk of Pabst transcriptions.

If there is a better transcription than the Tchaikovsky/Pabst "La Belle Au Bois Dormant", I have yet to hear it.

Thal

That's a wonderful disc - and the Tchaikovsky/Pabst transcription you mention is a winner. 

I'd nominate one other in that class:  The Feinberg transcription of the Scherzo from Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony, as performed by Arcadi Volodos on his astounding transcriptions CD. 

[Ilja]

Like most, I'm torn between the Trochopoulos and Marshev recordings. The first's piano playing is doubtlessly much more idiomatic and passionate, but he's BADLY let down by everyone around him. The South Jutland orchestra is far superior, but I simply don't care that much for Marshev's interpretation and playing.

[Alan Howe]

I like Marshev more than you Ilja, but when all's said and done it's just not acceptable to engage an orchestra as poor as the Belarussian outfit and then compound the problem by a producing dreadful recording. So, for me, whatever the merits of the two pianists, I just cannot listen to an issue in which only the soloist is performing to commercial standards.

[Ilja]

Yes, I guess you're right - but I'd give something to hear a more perfect recording of this work, although I partly agree with Mark in that it's one that doesn't tolerate too many hearings in too short a time.

By the way, I really like Marshev in a lot of other recordings: the Siegfried Langgaard, Otto Malling and Von Sauer 2 concertos, to name a few. It's just that in this (and the coupled Scriabin) his heart doesn't seem to be in it.

[Jonathan]

Greetings all from a freezing Yorkshire!   
I must admit I was really looking forward to hearing the Trochopoulos disc and, having bought it and been slightly disappointed by the orchestral playing, I agree with the criticisms of this.  I've not heard Marshev in this work but thoroughly enjoyed his Pabst transcriptions disc which I have had for years.  His recording of the concerto is on my list of wants but I can't afford it just now.  I suppose I will have to wait for the time being.

[FBerwald]

I have the Marshev recording coupled with the Rimsky Korsakov and Scriabin. The concerto by Pabst is pleasing to the ear and grows on repeated hearing. The finale is especially catchy.
Its notable that Tchaikovsky had some insightful comments about the quality of certain composers...for example he said about Scharwenka's B flat minor Concerto No 1 "...it stood out from the grey mediocrity of much that was then being written"...although I believe its especially true about the 4th concerto in F minor (Hyperion RPC Vol. 11) which in my opinion is THE BEST of all the Romantic Piano Concerto vol.'s released by Hyperion and whose apparent neglect is surely Criminal!!!

Tchaikovsky called Pabst "a pianist blessed by God"........