Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series (everyone vote for your favourites!)

[frederic]

Now is the time to vote for your favourites from this ever so popular series.

[mlsmithz]

To be honest the only ones I've heard are Vols.3, 7, and 11, but the Scharwenka and Sauer disc is my favourite of those three. (I didn't know they had completed their Scharwenka cycle with their latest volume in this set until I saw this post.)

[stevie]

To be honest the only ones I've heard are Vols.3, 7, and 11, but the Scharwenka and Sauer disc is my favourite of those three. (I didn't know they had completed their Scharwenka cycle with their latest volume in this set until I saw this post.)

7 18 and 22 were the hamelin ones, and now this new schar/rub one is hamelin too.

i really love the last movement of the scharwenka 1.

[thalbergmad]

I think i have listened to the lot now.

My first position would have to be a tie between the Henselt and the Bortkiewicz. Why are these concerto's not played more often? It is true that being an octopus would be an advantage for the Henselt and the Bortkiewicz is far from easy, but i am sure they are well within the capability of todays virtuosi.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Massenet and the Moskowsky, loved the D'albert, expected more from the Balakirev & Rimsky-Korsakov.

I had never heard of Brull before, but his concerto's are not a million miles different from Brahms. The Kullak and Dreyschock which i thought might be empty show off pieces, were anything but and deserve a revival.

The ones that did nothing for me, i have already forgotten. I think the Tovey was one of them.

I could rattle on for ages, but i leave big posts for the experts.

Where's the THALBERG

[frederic]

(I didn't know they had completed their Scharwenka cycle with their latest volume in this set until I saw this post.)

Well I'm glad to be of assistance.

I think i have listened to the lot now.

My first position would have to be a tie between the Henselt and the Bortkiewicz. Why are these concerto's not played more often? It is true that being an octopus would be an advantage for the Henselt and the Bortkiewicz is far from easy, but i am sure they are well within the capability of todays virtuosi.

Because both are extremely unoriginal works. Bortkiewicz also lacks a strong structure and some bits are incredibly cheesy whereas the Henselt just sounds way too much like Chopin. But i still adore the Bortkiewicz. It's ear candy.   

Where's the THALBERG

On Naxos 

Now my turn.... Where's the SCRIABIN?!

oh......I guess on Naxos too...

[shasta]

Saint-Saens eats all of the rest for lunch.   

[thalbergmad]

Well I'm glad to be of assistance.

Because both are extremely unoriginal works. Bortkiewicz also lacks a strong structure and some bits are incredibly cheesy whereas the Henselt just sounds way too much like Chopin. But i still adore the Bortkiewicz. It's ear candy.   

On Naxos 

Now my turn.... Where's the SCRIABIN?!

oh......I guess on Naxos too...

Ear candy is a great way to describe the Bortkiewicz. I also think it is along the same lines as the Warsaw Concerto.

The Henselt does indeed echo Chopin and i think it was written at about the same time. I wonder if they were aware of each others works.

Yes the Thalberg is on Naxos, but warrants another recording. Again, some similarities with the Chopin and was written possibly earlier. Thalberg had his written down by 1828.

My Scriabin is on Vox Box. I hope Hyperion include this on a later issue.

The Kalkbrenner could do with another outing as well.

[frederic]

Ear candy is a great way to describe the Bortkiewicz. I also think it is along the same lines as the Warsaw Concerto.

Yes! Another Rachmaninoff-wannabe

[mlsmithz]

7 18 and 22 were the hamelin ones, and now this new schar/rub one is hamelin too.

i really love the last movement of the scharwenka 1.

I see all three Scharwenka discs were done by different artists - taking the concerti in order, 1 was done by Hamelin, 2 and 3 were done by Tanyel, and 4 was done by Hough.  That's just an observation, but one thing that does puzzle me is why the Scharwenka No.4 had not been recorded before Hough's multi-award winning performance?  Exaggerated reputation for difficulty?  Whatever it is, I'm glad it's on disc now - one thing that appeals to me is the appearance of the opening phrase from the first movement in some shape or form in the other three movements. (Having never heard the other three concerti, I don't know whether or not this is unique to No.4, but it wouldn't surprise me to hear that it isn't.)

Saint-Saens eats all of the rest for lunch.   

It is interesting to note that the Saint-Saens G minor concerto is the most frequently performed of all of the concerti in the series by a rather wide margin, though of course it's still not as standard as, say, the various concerti of Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Grieg, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninov, all of whom could qualify as Romantic composers but all of whose piano concerti (except for the Tchaikovsky Nos.2 and 3) are already very well represented on disc.

Ear candy is a great way to describe the Bortkiewicz. I also think it is along the same lines as the Warsaw Concerto.

Interesting that frederic should describe Addinsell's, erm, masterwork as a Rachmaninov-wannabe; I remember participating in a musical as an undergraduate and before rehearsal came to order one day I hammered out the first five minutes or so of the finale of the Grieg concerto.  As I sat down for the rehearsal proper, one of the other singers asked me if it was the Warsaw Concerto I had been playing.  Still, given that it was written specifically for Dangerous Moonlight rather than as a concert standard, I suppose it should be judged lightly.  And among pieces written specifically to be performed in concert scenes in films, it's very well constructed (if a bit short, but any longer and the film would have slowed to near unwatchability) and has a few memorable melodies.  I do find it excellent ear candy.... just not very original.

The Henselt does indeed echo Chopin and i think it was written at about the same time. I wonder if they were aware of each others works.

I think I read somewhere that Liszt was aware of the Henselt concerto.... or perhaps I was reading a comparison of the technical and musical similarities between the Henselt and the concerti of Liszt as part of a lament over the lack of exposure the Henselt has received compared to the Liszt concerti.

[apion]

BUSONI BABY

[perfect_pitch]

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO RACHMANINOFF? He was late romantic.

[mlsmithz]

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO RACHMANINOFF? He was late romantic.

My understanding is that the Hyperion RPC series is dedicated to recordings of concerti from the Romantic era which have either not been recorded before or only been recorded a few times; the only exceptions to this are some of the concerti by Saint-Saens and Mendelssohn.  But the piano concerti of Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Grieg, Tchaikovsky (No.1 at least), and Rachmaninov, all of whom could be considered Romantic, have already been recorded dozens, possibly even hundreds, of times - indeed, some of them may have already been recorded for Hyperion outside the RPC series.  As such, they are not and likely never will be part of this series.

There's at least one conspicuous omission in the series thus far which has not yet been mentioned in this thread - Hummel.  If Weber qualifies as Romantic, surely Hummel also qualifies; might a future disc include the A minor and B minor concerti, at least? (Or is Stephen Hough's recording of those pieces considered a sort of honorary entry into the RPC series even though it wasn't even on Hyperion? ) There's the Dvorak as well - I wonder if they plan to release a recording of that one?

[prometheus]

Isn't Hummel pre-Beethoven? And Weber post-Beethoven?

Hummel concerto's are recorded. Shelley did No.1. Not sure about 2 and 3 and if he has more than three.

[mlsmithz]

According to various sources, Hummel lived from 1778 to 1837, and Weber lived from 1786 to 1826; I suppose whether or not either one qualifies as Romantic depends on whether one classifies Beethoven as Classical or Romantic - or both.  Still, it seems Hummel is experiencing a sort of resurgence in popularity without the aid of the RPC series.  I didn't know Shelley had recorded No.1 for Hyperion; might have to look into snagging a copy, as I like Nos.2 and 3.  I think I read somewhere that Hummel wrote a total of five piano concerti, but I may have imagined that.

[frederic]

Interesting that frederic should describe Addinsell's, erm, masterwork as a Rachmaninov-wannabe; I remember participating in a musical as an undergraduate and before rehearsal came to order one day I hammered out the first five minutes or so of the finale of the Grieg concerto.  As I sat down for the rehearsal proper, one of the other singers asked me if it was the Warsaw Concerto I had been playing.  Still, given that it was written specifically for Dangerous Moonlight rather than as a concert standard, I suppose it should be judged lightly.  And among pieces written specifically to be performed in concert scenes in films, it's very well constructed (if a bit short, but any longer and the film would have slowed to near unwatchability) and has a few memorable melodies.  I do find it excellent ear candy.... just not very original.

Yes, written especially for the film "Dangerous Moonlight". The director's orginal intention was to use Rachmaninoff's Second Piano concerto. But decided instead asking permission to use this piece, commissioned Addinsell to write a concerto in a similar vein. Therefore I say it sounds very much like Rachmaninoff, and it's true, it does. Interesting to note also, they are both in the same key of C minor.

[mlsmithz]

Yes, written especially for the film "Dangerous Moonlight". The director's orginal intention was to use Rachmaninoff's Second Piano concerto. But decided instead asking permission to use this piece, commissioned Addinsell to write a concerto in a similar vein. Therefore I say it sounds very much like Rachmaninoff, and it's true, it does. Interesting to note also, they are both in the same key of C minor.

There are parts which sound a lot like the Grieg as well; the opening chords sound a bit like the coda of the Grieg, for example.  I didn't know the producers originally intended to ask Rachmaninov for permission to use his Concerto No.2 (I see he was still alive when the film was made), although by a strange coincidence the first time I saw part of Dangerous Moonlight (in fact, it was the concert scene where he performs the 'Emperor', the Schumann concerto, and the Warsaw Concerto) was around the same time I first saw the beginning of Brief Encounter, which quite famously uses the Rachmaninov Concerto No.2.  Still, using an original piece did allow the writers to use the plot point of having the Warsaw Concerto be written during the raids on Warsaw by the composer-pianist played by Anton Walbrook, hence the title - not something they could have claimed had they used the Rachmaninov! (Interesting trivium: when Walbrook is shown playing the piano in the film, the music is dubbed by Louis Kentner - most noteworthy in my mind for making one of the few available recordings of the Lyapunov Transcendental Etudes. I suppose this means Kentner was the first pianist to record the Warsaw Concerto?)

As for the Rachmaninov No.2 and the Warsaw sharing the key of C minor.... well, yes and no.  After all, the Warsaw Concerto shares with most pieces written to be performed in concert scenes in films a lack of clearly defined home key - the introduction is in C minor, but it quickly moves to E minor, and of course the conclusion is in E major.  So it's a bit difficult to classify. (Still, it does have a reasonably clearly defined structure and a fair amount of thematic development, which sets it apart from the vast majority of pieces written for concert scenes.)

[frederic]

There are parts which sound a lot like the Grieg as well; the opening chords sound a bit like the coda of the Grieg, for example.  I didn't know the producers originally intended to ask Rachmaninov for permission to use his Concerto No.2 (I see he was still alive when the film was made), although by a strange coincidence the first time I saw part of Dangerous Moonlight (in fact, it was the concert scene where he performs the 'Emperor', the Schumann concerto, and the Warsaw Concerto) was around the same time I first saw the beginning of Brief Encounter, which quite famously uses the Rachmaninov Concerto No.2.  Still, using an original piece did allow the writers to use the plot point of having the Warsaw Concerto be written during the raids on Warsaw by the composer-pianist played by Anton Walbrook, hence the title - not something they could have claimed had they used the Rachmaninov! (Interesting trivium: when Walbrook is shown playing the piano in the film, the music is dubbed by Louis Kentner - most noteworthy in my mind for making one of the few available recordings of the Lyapunov Transcendental Etudes. I suppose this means Kentner was the first pianist to record the Warsaw Concerto?)

As for the Rachmaninov No.2 and the Warsaw sharing the key of C minor.... well, yes and no.  After all, the Warsaw Concerto shares with most pieces written to be performed in concert scenes in films a lack of clearly defined home key - the introduction is in C minor, but it quickly moves to E minor, and of course the conclusion is in E major.  So it's a bit difficult to classify. (Still, it does have a reasonably clearly defined structure and a fair amount of thematic development, which sets it apart from the vast majority of pieces written for concert scenes.)

Wow, you've obviously done your homework.

[xvimbi]

I recently had the chance to ask Stephen Hough why he is making an effort to bring rarer music to the public, specifically mentioning the Sauer concerto. He agreed that it's a real pity as many of those concertos would do really well as "mainstream" repertoire. The Sauer "Larghetto amoroso" movement easily competes with slow Rachmaninoff movements, but on the whole these concertos are a tad below the Rach/Brahms/Tchaikowski/Liszt concertos. Hough remarked that he only plays music that he likes and that he deems "good", and he likes a lot of those concertos. Couldn't agree more.

[freakofnature]

I've only heard a few of them am planning on getting them all! Great series that is!!!

Currently, my favourite is the Rimsky-Korsakov concerto.

[frederic]

keeping going!

[superstition2]

I only have heard the Scharwenka and Sauer disc and I was completely unimpressed.

[frederic]

yes you're right, it sucks