Rautavaara: Piano Concerto No. 3: Gift of Dreams / Autumn Gardens

Vladimir Ashkenazy (Artist, Conductor), Einojuhani Rautavaara (Composer), Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Vladimir Ashkenazy
• Composer: Einojuhani Rautavaara
• Audio CD (April 25, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ondine
• ASIN: B00004NK2O
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,798 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stuff, April 24, 2002

By 

andrew john raiskums "musician" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rautavaara: Piano Concerto No. 3: Gift of Dreams / Autumn Gardens (Audio CD)

I've listened to this concerto many times now and I'm concvinced it's one of Rautavaara's best scores. The piano writing is idiosyncratic and certainly doesn't break any new ground, but does it need to? And what should a Piano Concerto be? The form of this piece is beautifully realised, with a subtlety and ease that bears comparison to Debussy, and is its strongest feature. The initial motive, that Rautavaara explains is actually a quote from another piece, is haunting and memorable and seems to generate the whole work. And in a funny way, the spectre of Rachmaninov seems to hover over the music, which may well have something to do with Ashkenazy comissioning the piece. The concerto is in three movements. The first movement begins with soft slow-moving string chords that linger over the principle motive. The mood is broken by a propulsive, almost violent idea in the piano that rises up and gradually subsides. As the movement progresses we become aware that it is shaped in a long arch, the music taking us back to where we began. The second movement is the heart of the work; containing some of Rautavaara's most searching and poetic music. It begins like a dream, with ideas from the first movement recollected. The mood however soon becomes unsettled and the music moves through a whole range of emotions; hope, expectation, anger, despair, resignation....... The reprise of the opening, when it eventually comes, is absolutely ravishing, a magic moment indeed. The pent-up energy in the first two movements is unleashed in the third movement, the music building steadily to an intense and enigmatic conclusion. Ashkenazy explains that he wanted to be able to play and also conduct the concerto. Perhaps because of this there are a couple of moments of less-than-perfect ensemble but Ashkenazy always plays beautifully and he obviously believes very strongly in the piece.
Autumn Gardens is outwardly more descriptive music, but no less intense and poetic, and beautifully scored too. I prefer the Concerto but that's just me. Both of these pieces are wonderful and deserve to be heard. And don't be put off by the interview at the end of the disc- both these men deserve to be heard too!

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Rautavaara, nicely played, May 18, 2000

By 

J Scott Morrison (Middlebury VT, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rautavaara: Piano Concerto No. 3: Gift of Dreams / Autumn Gardens (Audio CD)

This CD has three parts: the piano concerto, the "Autumn Gardens", and a 13 minute conversation between Rautavaara and Vladimir Ashkenazy. The latter, although interesting, is not something I'd want to listen to more than a time or two. So, we are left with a CD containing about 54 minutes of music.Hence, my rating of four stars rather than the five the music and performances themselves deserve.

But, what music! If you like the ecstatic Rautavaara, this will suit you. The Piano Concerto, written for Ashkenazy and played and conducted by him, subtitled "Gift of Dreams", never shouts but rises to several points of exultation. "Autumn Gardens" is a three-movement suite, the first two movements played without pause. Almost as a surprise, the third movement, designated "giocoso e leggiero" comes as a brisk, gentle counterpoise to the autumnal mood of what came before. Then it fades into a lovely, stately sarabande, ending nobly, like, as T. S. Eliot wrote, "late roses filled with early snow."

The performances and recording are exemplary.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful music., June 26, 2000

By 

"dearmad" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rautavaara: Piano Concerto No. 3: Gift of Dreams / Autumn Gardens (Audio CD)

This music is difficult to describe. I will throw a few cliched words at you: beautiful, contemplative, but with energy and direction while seeming to wander... confusing? I suppose so, but Rautavaara's voice is unique and artistic. The music is full of light unlike many other nordic composers, and lyricism of a very sophisticated nature. This is music which did not follow Stravinsky's rhythmic innovations, instead daring to weave super-complex melody and line submerged in spare, taught harmony. The color is often monochromatic but the texture is very deep.

I enjoyed this CD on my first listening and continue to enjoy the music as it is not all flash and pattern.

Now, if only my local Orchestra (Portland Symphonic) would get off their a$$es and play some contemporary music... sheesh this CD is proof there can be meaningful music that challenges the listener without frightening away the old batty matrons of the board of directors who think Beetoven is a riot and enfent terrible.