Henselt/Bronsart Piano Concertos - forthcoming from BIS/Paul Wee

[Alan Howe]

Thanks - much appreciated.

I've just found it on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPys5ZWoaQ0

[Mark Thomas]

Unlike the Bronsart, there's not so much to choose between Wee and Hamelin (on Hyperion) in the Henselt. I thought that the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Martin Brabbins might give Hamelin the edge over the smaller Swedish orchestra but the latter come over quite punchily in the tuttis and one doesn't really notice that there are fewer of them. Pianistically, I suppose that Wee's comes across as marginally the sharper performance but there's much less in it than between him and Despax in the Bronsart. Given his profile let's hope this release helps both concertos gain the popularity they deserve. 

[Martin Eastick]

IMHO, Raymond Lewenthal's performance is still the front runner, in spite of its age! I haven't listened to it recently - and perhaps I ought to, but the sheer excitement conjured up by Lewenthal's pianistic brilliance, coupled with a top flight orchestra, does Henselt the ultimate honour. I also like Lewenthal's extra reinforcement to the orchestra in the grand romantic tradition! He will be incredibly difficult to equal, let alone beat, in this landmark recording of one the best 19th century concerti, sung or unsung!

[Mark Thomas]

There's also this performance on YouTube of the Henselt by Evren Ozel and The Orchestra Now under Leon Botstein. I must admit that, until I reacquainted myself with it after buying Wee's recording, I had quite forgotten what a fine concerto Henselt's is.

[Alan Howe]

I definitely prefer the fuller sound of the BBCSSO under Martyn Brabbins in the Henselt (Hyperion), but the SwedishCO are certainly punchier on BIS. Wee's recording is primarily for pianophiles, I feel, but perhaps Hamelin/Brabbins gives a better sense of this being a concerto with an important part for the orchestra.

Swings and roundabouts. I'm glad I have both.

[Ilja]

Inspired by Alan's remark about the sound in the Bronsart, I compared the waveforms of three recordings of the Bronsart concerto, and it gives some indication of how the Swedish Chamber Orchestra sounds bigger than it really is. See the image here (waveform, left channel, normalized to -1 Db).

In short; the recording is louder overall, particularly in the softer sections. Moreover, sections where the full orchestra is playing are all similarly loud in the Wee recording, but in the others the coda is louder than tutti earlier on. This amplifies the dynamic contrast in sound between softer and louder parts, creating a more "muscular" sound. The disadvantage is that is more subtle transitions perhaps get lost; it's a bit "on" or "off".

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Ilja. What's particularly noticeable from the three waveforms is how all the Wee orchestral tutti have a flat "cut off" at maximum volume, something absent from the Despax and Triendl profiles. Comparison with the other two shows by how much the BIS recording has been amplified to boost the quieter passages at the expense of detail in the louder one. Interesting.

[Alan Howe]

I'm quite surprised at the choice BIS has made here - my experience of their recordings is that they're normally well balanced and realistic sounding. It's very different from both the Hyperion versions.

[Mark Thomas]

I suspect doing things this way wasn't BIS' intention. Perhaps the recording mix showed up the SCO as being too small an ensemble for this repertoire and their only option, short of re-recording with a larger orchestra, was to compensate for it by manipulating the mix and boosting their contribution?

[Alan Howe]

If so, it's a strange set of circumstances.

[Ilja]

I suspect doing things this way wasn't BIS' intention. Perhaps the recording mix showed up the SCO as being too small an ensemble for this repertoire and their only option, short of re-recording with a larger orchestra, was to compensate for it by manipulating the mix by boosting their contribution?

I'd say that's quite plausible. If I manipulate the Triendl recording with a standard compressor in Audacity, I end up with a similar image (but more extreme since the orchestra was larger to begin with).

[Alan Howe]

Sounds like sonic manipulation's the name of the game here. I suppose all recording involves choices, but have BIS gone too far?

[John Boyer]

...but have BIS gone too far?

Yes.

This is very far from the motto, "A BIS original dynamics recording", that used to grace the inlay of their products. 

[Alan Howe]

Although this is slightly off-topic, it reminds me of the common complaint years back from critics on this side of the Atlantic that, despite the merits of US recordings of all sorts of orchestral repertoire, there was too much manipulation of the sonics, in particular the unnaturally forward balancing of the woodwind in CBS releases. Maybe this has been improved in the digital re-processing of older recordings for CD and download, I can't be sure. And, of course, on this side of the pond there were Decca Phase 4 releases which were all about sonic manipulation.

Anyway, I wonder if anyone else is going to comment on the BIS recording. As you say, John, this is hardly their 'house' style - or anyone else's, come to think of it.

[Alan Howe]

And now Jed Distler's given this a 10/10 rating at Classics Today. Hmm, my assessment would be more like 10/7.
https://www.classicstoday.com/review/paul-wees-concertos-with-cojones/