20th Century Piano Concertos

The Michelangeli Ravel is superb and, as though not enough, is doubled with his remarkable performance of Rachmaninov's 4th. This is an essential CD.

Stewart

Linn CKD 111, Linn seem to have decided to keep all their discs at a tenner, including postage, from their website http://www.linnrecords.com, so well worth checking out.

Pete.

The Ravel G Major (2 hand) is one of my all-time favorite pieces of music, especially the slow movement. I'll offer a recommendation based on a somewhat skewed perspective: from the standpoint of the orchestra. As strange as it may seem given that it's a piano concerto, I can't even remember the pianist's name(!), but to my ears the best orchestral rendering of all Ravel's work comes from Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony. Their four CD set of the complete Ravel orchestral works, including the two concerti, is magnificent; I feel strongly that both conductor and orchestra truly understand Ravel's French heart.

An interesting alternate take on the slow movement of Ravel's G Major comes from, of all people, Herbie Hancock on his wonderful album Gershwin's World, which is an investigation of not only Gershwin's songs and orchestral work, but of Gershwin's influences, such as Duke Ellington and Ravel. Herbie plays the slow movement with a perfect balance between written part and improvisation, flowing seamlessly from one to the other. I highly recommend this record, which also features the great Wayne Shorter, a fantastically soulful Stevie Wonder singing W.C. Handy's St. Louis Woman, and an almost unrecognizable (to non-aficionado ears, at least) but incredibly delicious Joni Mitchell singing The Man I Love and Summertime.

But I digress ... I wanted to second Kevin's recommendation of Finzi's Ecologue for Piano and Strings, a ridiculously sublime piece of music, which shares a common sensibility with the music of Keith Jarrett, especially his works for piano, orchestra, and occasional saxophone (Jan Garbarek) on his own wonderful album Arbour Zena.

Ravel got a lot of responses, so I guess I should buy his work.

And Ross, you may have an unhealthy addiction to Argerich. Or not. But your aversion to Schiff certainly seems unhealthy.

Oh well, different people, different tastes. (You see I pretty much like all Schiff works I've heard.)

The Rachmaninov is Garry Graffman on piano and Rubinstein conducting. I can't remember the orchestra - something American I think. It comes with the 'Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini', which has to rate as one of the most wonderful piano non-concertos of all time.

Others I have include Earl Wild on piano (Chesky) which is pretty good, and the full four concertos plus rhapsody set with Ashkenazy and Previn on Decca, which is very good indeed.

I don't understand why I like the least recommendable of the lot. It just seems to make sense to me. The one thing I can say is that I have the CDs on NAXOS of Rachmaninov playing his own concertos. His phrasing, timing, etc. is a little different from all those I mention, but I feel (and it's only a feeling) that the Graffman comes closest to Rach's own version.

Incidentally, those NAXOS reissues are very satisfying indeed. The performances are great of course. Rachmaninov's touch is very delicate and fine. It's just a shame they were recorded in the days when High Fidelity was an abstract dream in Blumlein's head.

If you're wondering what the Sheherazade is, it's DG's 1965(?) version with Karajan conducting (but don't ask me for the orchestra). I have various others, none as good, including Reiner's version, which is just too fast and has no soul - typical Reiner.

Regards,
Frank.

Well, there's two wildly different composers missing up till now:

Max Reger's huge, 40-minute F-minor concerto (1910 or something), deep, dark and moody, with beautiful contemplative moments. Late Reger is really something else. There's the old Rudolf Serkin recording with Ormandy and the Philadelphia, and there's Gerhard Oppitz on Koch Schwann with the Bamberger.

And how about Francis Poulenc, gentlemen? Four pieces in a row! A lovely piano cto, a fun cto for two pianos, a harpsichord cto ("Concerto Champetre") and a piece called "Aubade" with a major piano part. I love 'em all. So maybe they're not deep & dark, though I'd say the need for lovely things goes pretty deep, too.

You can get the Poulencs on Erato with the Rotterdam Philharmonic.

And of course there's the Stravinsky Concerto for piano & wind instruments, excellently done by Paul Crossley and Salonen on sony.

BTW, for the Prokofiev concertos I'd recommend the recent complete Philips recording by Alexander Toradze with his buddy Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra. Completely authentic playing. It's like black fire coming from the stage. The Third is obviously the most appealing cto, but please listen what these wild & weird guys do with the Second Cto.

And the last great piano cto of the previous century has to be the Ligeti Cto in 5 mvts (1988). Totally fascinating and beautiful. Jean-Laurent Aimard recorded it twice, first with Boulez, and then with Reinbert de Leeuw. Both are great. You need to have one.

Anyone who likes the Schoenberg piano concerto? I think it's one of his most approachable pieces.

Herm

quote:

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Anyone who likes the Schoenberg piano concerto? I think it's one of his most approachable pieces.

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I do. I have the Brendel / Gielen set from a few years back and listen to it relatively regularly. It is truly superb and is accessible.

Good to see the Poulenc works included. I have the work for two pianos and may investigate some of the others. The mention of Lutoslawski and Martinu also appeal to me. Those after Christmas sales are almost here.

I can add Korngold and Ginastera to my initial post as additional composers worth consideration in this area.

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Originally posted by oseidl:

It´s very considerate of you to emphasize the concerto´s "approachability" towards us, but we don´t deserve to be spared. We ought to be exposed naked to his wild works first, before being allowed to bellow his sentimental Gurre Songs.

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Well, gee, I don't know about the naked, especially in the case of the Gurre lieder, which I find rather dreadful, but I love Uchida's take on Schoenberg. She played them out here in Amsterdam. And the cd you mention looks absolutely irrestible.

I know a lot of you guys are kinda iffy about Chailly (to say the least), however he, too, is part of this movement to reconcile Schoenberg (and Stravinsky as well) with their 19th C, late-romantic roots, making the music so much more exciting than the dry, analytic performance style of the sixties.

Of course, in the sixties, dry and analytic was novel and exciting. And on and on it goes.

Herm

Perhaps there is some value in his approach to Schoenberg and maybe it will bring new ears to this music, but Stravinsky needs no help from Chailly. Some of the finest performances of Stravinsky's work from those "dry" 60s recordings came from Igor himself.

Yes, the bearded one.

The Concertgebouw Petruhska is just delightful, in spite of the tora-bora acoustics of the Amsterdam hall.

Herm