The Holbrooke piece, like so much of his music, has a literary inspiration, in the form of the poem 'The Song of Gwyn ap Nudd' which the score follows closely. Indeed the composer originally described the work as a symphonic poem though he later changed his mind and settled on Piano Concerto No 1 when he revised the work in 1923—the version recorded here. (Incidentally, we have it on good Welsh authority that 'Nudd' is pronounced 'Neeth').
Though Haydn Wood later made his name writing shorter pieces of light music his early concerto is in full blown romantic style complete with first movement cadenza and 'big tune' grand finale. Its emotional heart, though, is in the simple but moving slow movement. This is the work's first recording and it appears not to have been played since 1951. Hyperion
Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958)
Piano Concerto No 1 'The Song of Gwyn ap Nudd' Op 52 [35'52]
Haydn Wood (1882-1959)
Piano Concerto in D minor [33'13]
Credits :
Conductor – Martyn Brabbins
Leader – Bernard Docherty
Orchestra – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Piano – Hamish Milne
15.1.22
HOLBROOKE : Piano Concerto No 1 'The Song Of Gwyn Ap Nudd' ♦ WOOD : Piano Concerto In D Minor (First Recording) (Hamish Milne · BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra · Martyn Brabbins) (2000) Serie The Romantic Piano Concerto – 23 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
14.1.22
LYAPUNOV : Piano Concerto No 1, Op 4 • Piano Concerto No 2, Op 38 • Rhapsody On Ukrainian Themes, Op 28 (Martyn Brabbins · BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra · Hamish Milne) (2002)The Romantic Piano Concerto – 30 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
Over the ten years that the Romantic Piano Concerto has been running one of the projects most often requested by the many fans of the series has been a recording of the complete Lyapunov works for piano and orchestra. Well finally here it is!
These three works, all written in the ten years either side of 1900, are typical of the Russian nationalist school (Lyapunov was a pupil and disciple of Balakirev) with their colourful orchestration and often folk-inspired melodies. The other great hero in Lyapunov's life was Liszt and both the concertos are in a single multisectional movement as pioneered by the Hungarian. Their virtuosity too is Lisztian and there are many cadenza-like passages akin to those found in that master's concertos.
This is the premiere recording of the first concerto.
Who better to play these pieces than Hamish Milne, who has made a speciality of Russian music (he has made many Medtner recordings and his Hyperion recording of Alexandrov has just been exceptionally well received), and the ever excellent BBCSSO consducted by Martyn Brabbins (who also has impeccable Russian credentials—he studied conducting in Leningrad!). Hyperion
Sergei Mikhailovich Lyapunov (1859-1924)
Piano Concerto No 1 in E flat minor Op 4 [22'21]
Rhapsody on Ukrainian Themes Op 28 [17'02]
Piano Concerto No 2 in E major Op 38[19'20]
Credits :
Conductor – Martyn Brabbins
Leader [Orchestra] – Bernhard Docherty
Orchestra – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Piano – Hamish Milne
13.1.22
GOETZ : Piano Concerto In B Flat, Op 18 ♦ WIENIAWSKI : Piano Concerto In G Minor, Op 20 (Hamish Milne · BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra · Michał Dworzynski) (2010) Serie The Romantic Piano Concerto – 52 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
Józef, ‘the other Wieniawski’ is the brother of the more famous violinist, Henryk. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and had a wide-ranging and successful performing and composing career. His highly attractive Piano Concerto in G minor is in the mould of those by Chopin and Liszt, with the piano very much in the foreground. The Rondo finale demands a spectacular display of technique, living proof of Wieniawski’s own brand of virtuosity.
Goetz’s music, although full of melodic gift and mastery of form, was rarely performed after the end of his short life. His piano concerto proved to be the most successful of his orchestral works played during his lifetime, and was praised by the local press as ‘evidence of his outstanding talent, crafted, melodious, fiery and reflective, with a brilliant piano part. It is effective without playing to the gallery, often has quite new combinations of scoring in the orchestral accompaniment, and is, in the best sense of the word, modern’. Hyperion
Hermann Goetz (1840-1876)
Piano Concerto In B Flat Major Op 18 (40:48)
Józef Wieniawski (1837-1912)
Piano Concerto In G Minor Op 20 (28:42)
Credits :
Conductor – Michał Dworzynski
Leader – Elizabeth Layton
Orchestra – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Piano – Hamish Milne
7.1.22
+ last month
ESBJÖRN SVENSSON TRIO — Winter In Venice (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Esbjörn Svensson has stood not only once on stage in Montreux. He was already a guest in the summer of 1998 at the jazz festival on Lake Gen...
