Hyperion series on the "Romantic Piano"

[cmg]

I have many of these, but few in the last years.  The ones I have are just terrific.  Could you folks out there recommend your favorites in this recording series, with special emphasis on those recordings released since 2002?  Could you also comment on the concertos themselves -- as to relative worth, etc. -- and, naturally, the performance and recording acoutics?

Thanks.

[jre58591]

i have been collecting these for a whileand i now have all 41 volumes. i can say that this is oen of the greatest things to happen to lesser-played rep. some of the concertos arent that great though, which is the reason why they are obscure. other, though, i simply cant understand why they arent played more often. as far as the ones released since 2002, i think vol 32 was the first released during that period. my favorites from 32 on are vols 33 and 34, which are the pierné and scharwenka sets, respectively. on the whole, i have too many favorites. a few are vols 4, 6, 7, 11, 14, 22, 26, 27, and the others i listed. i cant wait to get vol 42, which will have sinding's piano concerto and something else i cant remember.

you can see the complete series here:

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/collection_page.asp?name=RomanticPC

[thalbergmad]

What a complete joy they are. As great as the concerto's from the regular rep are, is it not lovely to hear something different?.

Although there are some that i do not care for, i would not personally criticise Hyperion for the quality of the recordings, although some of the performances might leave one un inspired.

Most of my favourites come from the pre 2002 issues, notably the Henselt, Bortkiewicz, Massenet, Brull, D'albert and Litolff.

From the more recent ones, the sparkling salon type concertos of Herz (3,4 & 5) and the 2 Kalkbrenner are definately worth a listen.

One major disappointment was Vol 38, which was Rubinstein 4 and Schawenka 1 played by Hamelin. Note perfect but totally unmoving.

I guess the series could easily reach 100 as there are a lot of concerto's that have been recorded only once and some not at all. I would like to see Bortkiewicz 2, Stavenhagen, De Greef, Pabst, Godard and a few of the Pixis Concerto's.

Thal

[Kassaa]

I really dig Paderewski and Busoni!

[jre58591]

One major disappointment was Vol 38, which was Rubinstein 4 and Schawenka 1 played by Hamelin. Note perfect but totally unmoving.

even i would have to agree with that.

[thalbergmad]

even i would have to agree with that.

What happened with that one old chap?

I was expecting something massive and it did not happen.

Ask him when you see him next eh.

Thal

[iumonito]

Cool.

Did Litoff make it to the list?

For Rubinstein 4, by the way, look for Hoffman's recording if you haven't.

[thalbergmad]

Did Litoff make it to the list?

He made it onto mine

[cmg]

Thanks, folks!  Keep em coming!  Did anyone mention the Tovey?  Loved that one, too.

[jre58591]

What happened with that one old chap?

I was expecting something massive and it did not happen.

Ask him when you see him next eh.

well, i actually thought his rubinstein 4 was stunning. i think its better than hofmann's also. his scharwenka 1 was pitiful though. i can see why he wouldnt do so well on it. its a very tender, powerful, emotional, and moving concerto and he was simply too technical and furious with it. it had passion, but not enough. id almost be willing to say that a woman should play it. i say that because seta tanyel's rec is my favorite. she has that delicate touch. i will ask hamelin about it next time i meet him. hopefully his next RPC release will be better (if he has one).

[mephisto]

jre: Hamelin why did you play Scharwenka's 1st piano concerto so Badly?

Hamelin: www.dasdc.net  '


As for the topic. I do only own the Busoni concerto. It's a real masterpiece!

I have also heard Lyapunov's 1st piano concerto played by Lewenthal, and its an impressive piece, altough not a masterpiece.

Medtner's 3rd piano concerto is amazing, I love all of the mvts, especially the 3rd. Again my recording is not from this set, but the one played by Medtner himself.

[jre58591]

jre: Hamelin why did you play Scharwenka's 1st piano concerto so Badly?

Hamelin: www.dasdc.net  '

hahahah its awesome if you only take speed and fury into account, but this isnt da sdc, so i have to take everything into account. and that would be funny if he actually said that, for he really does know about da sdc now (thanks to da catz).

I have also heard Lyapunov's 1st piano concerto played by Lewenthal, and its an impressive piece, altough not a masterpiece.

Medtner's 3rd piano concerto is amazing, I love all of the mvts, especially the 3rd. Again my recording is not from this set, but the one played by Medtner himself.

that's one problem i have with this set. they pick great pieces, but horrible or lacking pianists to play them. picking milne for he lyapunov and demidenko and alexeev for the medtner concertos were two mistakes.

[cmg]

demidenko and alexeev for the medtner concertos were two mistakes.

Ain't it the truth?  Medtner is astonishing, but not well served on recordings.  I have what I think is a fine First concerto with Tatiana Nikolaeva on that Russian label.  And, I know this is probably going to be hotly contested, but I like Tozer in the concerti.  I know, I know, but the pieces are so extraordinary and he does have a beautiful sound that Chandos captures. 

[cmg]

One major disappointment was Vol 38, which was Rubinstein 4 and Schawenka 1 played by Hamelin. Note perfect but totally unmoving.

I guess the series could easily reach 100 as there are a lot of concerto's that have been recorded only once and some not at all. I would like to see Bortkiewicz 2, Stavenhagen, De Greef, Pabst, Godard and a few of the Pixis Concerto's.

Thal

Stavenhagen, De Greef, Pabst, Godard and Pixis Concerti??  Don't even know these guys!  I feel like such an ignoramus.  Late romatic, or what, Thal?  Would like to know.

Hey, what did you think of the Henselt with Hamelin?  Frankly, I loved the piece, but, as usual, I wonder how much Hyperion's recessed acoustic contributes to Hamelin's sometimes disembodied sound.  I love the guy, but I've never heard him in person.  Everytime he plays in NYC, I have a root canal or something stupid going on. 

Oh, yeah, what's your take on the Stenhammar concerti?  I think No. 2 is colossal.

[jre58591]

those guys that thal are referring to are romantic. actually, the old vox-box label has recordings of some of those guys, but theyre very empty and devoid of feeling. thats what you can expect of michael ponti, jerome rose, hans kann, et al. as for the henselt disk, ill leave that to thal. he absolutely adores it, from what i understand. as for the stenhammar, i would have to agree with you. number 2 was a great concerto. number 1 beats around the bush too much. it goes many places but gets nowhere, if you catch my drift.

[cmg]

Thanks for replying, jre.  The Henselt is definitely one of my "guilty pleasures."  Part of my attraction to it is the fact that Clara Schumann premiered it.  (I think I remember this correctly.)  If so, it gives me a reference point for understanding how proficient she was as a pianist.  But I like it for itself -- a bloated, grandiose variation on Hummel, etc., that, well, that I actually find stirring.  A great window into a lost epoch of grand piano playing, you know?

And, yes, I remember as a kid those Vox boxes.  Michael Ponti hacking his way through everything.  I also remember Felicia Blumenthal who would just slow down, unapologetically, when things went beyond her technical capabilities.  I kind of admired that block-headed, I don't give a s*** approach.  She wanted to play and she damned well did!

[thalbergmad]

The first time i heard the Henselt, i was totally shocked that a concerto like that was not part of the regular rep.

I feel it is almost Rachmaninov in parts and written 70 years before Rach 2.

For me the Concerto has everything you need for a great concerto.

1. Instantly memorable themes.
2. A slow movement to make you cry
3. A finale to blow your brains out.

I know the difficulties are immense, but surely it is within the capabilities of a few of our modern virtuoso, yet it is ignored.

Perhaps it would not sell concert tickets, perhaps it would not sell CD's and perhaps nobody but Hamelin could do it justice.

I have to admit that perhaps it is just my particular taste and the vast majority of people don't like it.

I fear sometimes that the concerto rep is contracting and if we are not careful, in 30 years we will have 10,000 pianists playing nothing but the Schumann.

Thats my idea of hell.

Thal

[cygnusdei]

Check out vol 32 (second of 3 Moscheles CDs). Concerto no. 7 alone is worth the price of admission. I sense that by this time Moscheles had found his 'inner voice', breaking free from the florid but predictable mold of I and V chords in the second subject. Apparently there is a concerto no. 8 in D, so are we to expect a fourth CD? This looks promising, as the Alexander Variations which has appeared in the Ian Hobson series, hasn't materialized in Hyperion offerings.

Another favorite of mine is Dohnanyi Concerto no. 2 (Vol. 6). I looked at a 2 piano edition of this work - the solo part doesn't look as difficult as it sounds. But the rhythms in the 3rd movements are deadly!