VIANNA DA MOTTA : Piano Concerto In A Major • Fantasia Dramática • Ballada, Op 16 (Artur Pizarro · Orquestra Gulbenkian · Martyn Brabbins) (2000) Serie The Romantic Piano Concerto – 24 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

For Volume 24 of 'The Romantic Piano Concerto' Hyperion went to Portugal to celebrate one of the country's greatest musical sons. José Vianna da Motta, if he is remembered at all, is primarily known as a very fine pianist. He was one of Liszt's last pupils, became a friend of Busoni, and left a small body of very impressive 78rpm recordings. After many years based in Berlin he returned to his country of birth as director of the Lisbon conservatory and became central to the musical life of the country. And like many other performers of the day, he also composed.

Though he later went on to compose songs, chamber works, and a symphony, both his works for piano and orchestra are early works and were never published. Indeed the A major Concerto was never performed in Vianna da Motta's lifetime and the world premiere was given by the forces assembled for this CD the day before the recording sessions took place! The Concerto is unusual in being in two movements, the second of which is a set of variations which serves the purpose of both slow movement and finale. The Fantasia Dramatica was premiered by the composer in 1893; its three movements make it almost more of a concerto than the earlier work. Both works, though using the harmonic language of the time, show real individuality in their ideas. The conventional conflicts of the 19th century concerto being largely replaced by an integration of the piano with the orchestra which suits the primarily lyrical ideas (though there is much very awkward virtuosic writing which testifies to da Motta's pianistic ability).

The CD is completed with the Ballade for solo piano of 1905. The composer regarded this as his greatest piano work. Hyperion

José Vianna da Motta (1868-1948)
                        
Piano Concerto in A major [26'03]
                        
Fantasia Dramática [28'54]

Credits :
Concertmaster [Leader] – Aníbal Lima
Conductor – Martyn Brabbins
Orchestra – Orquestra Gulbenkian
Piano – Artur Pizarro

OSWALD : Piano Concerto In G Minor, Op 10 ♦ NAPOLEÃO : Piano Concerto In E Flat Minor, Op 31 (Artur Pizarro · BBC National Orchestra Of Wales · Martyn Brabbins) (2014) Serie | The Romantic Piano Concerto – 64 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

More than five dozen strong and counting, Hyperion's series devoted to the Romantic piano concerto continues to recover absolutely unknown music. Here are a pair of pianist-composers, both successful performers in their own time; Henrique Oswald was born in Brazil, while Alfredo Napoleão was a Portuguese who spent considerable time there, and they would likely have known each other's music. At least outside of Brazil, the country's concert music of the late 19th century is represented mostly by Ernesto Nazareth, whose dance pieces occupied a position in musical life somewhat similar to that of Scott Joplin in the U.S. Most concert music at the time would have followed European models, with no national Brazilian influence. So it is here: much of Oswald's music apparently follows French influences, but the ambitious opening movement of the Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 10, is in the Tchaikovsky mold, with sweeping melodies that seem to burst the bounds of the piano-orchestra interaction. The highlight of the whole album is that concerto's slow movement, which uses the piano in a unique way to chromatically embroider a big, sentimental melody. The tarantella finale is not on the same level. Napoleão's concerto is even more grandiose, with a nearly 20-minute opening slow movement that holds up structurally, and a fast scherzo and finale. Either one of these pieces could be added to a symphonic piano concerto program with profitable results, and Portuguese American pianist Artur Pizarro brings the desired virtuoso flair, with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Martyn Brabbins staying out of his way as needed. Recommended for anyone interested in Brazilian music. James Manheim  
Tracklist :
Piano Concerto In G Minor Op 10    (30:10)
Henrique Oswald

Piano Concerto No 2 In E Flat Minor Op 31    (36:59)
Alfredo Napoleão
Credits :
Conductor – Martyn Brabbins
Leader – Nick Whiting
Orchestra – BBC National Orchestra Of Wales
Piano [Steinway & Sons] – Artur Pizarro

MILHAUD - Music for Two Pianos (Coombs-Pizarro) (1998) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless