Customer Reviews

The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol.3

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Moszkowski concerto is tuneful, stylish, and delightful, somewhat in the style or at least temperament of Saint-Saens. It certainly deserves at least a limited place in the concert repertoire.

As for the other concerti on the disk, the Scharwenka and Thalberg are more of a historical curiosity, but the Rubenstein has flitted in and out of the concert repertoire from time to time (but to my ears is not up to a comparison with Moszkowski).

They are all given serviceable, if not inspired, readings by Ponti.

The romantic era featured many touring piano virtuosos, and many of them wrote concerti to showcase their talent. The best of these can provide a passing amusement, the very best are worth hearing more than once. To my ears, the Moszkowski and Thalberg are representative of the former, average or above for the genre, but not outstanding.

Anton Rubinstein was actually a skilled composer as well as virtuoso pianist. With his melodic talent, sense of structure and drama, and ability to orchestrate he ranks just below the romantic composers who are widely remember today. His later piano concerti are among his best works, and the fourth is always a pleasure to hear.

Xaver Scharwenka was not in a class with Rubinstein as a composer, but was near the top of the class of the virtuosos in the quality of the concerti he wrote. His second concerto is more melodic and less virtuosic than the first or fourth, but enjoyable.

These are older recording, and the sound is a bit brittle at the edges. The piano is very forward, but that is forgivable in this music, which is very much about the soloist. This remains one of the better albums for this genre.

I really enjoy hearing little known works and all of these concertos deserve to be heard. The performances are excellent and, although I already have all of them on record albums, it's great to have them on CD's. I appreciate the fact that they were available! Thanks!

Michael Ponti (1937- will always be reminded as one the most darevil pianists in what unknown Romantic repertoire concerns.

The Moszkowski Concerto is a work that curiously has not been played very often so speak. It's tuneful, plenty of unforgettable moments.

The Scharwenka Piano Conceto No. 2 is hard to find. It has great moments of efervescent vitality, charged with rhapsodic breadth and engaging melodies, demanding a first rate virtuosi. For instance, Earl Wild championed the No. 1 with such interpretative solvence that has become a reference issue.

In what Anton Rubinstein's Piano Concerto No 4 Op. 70, I must recall a fabulous version made by Osacar Levant conducted by Mitropulos. But in this case Ponti placed all wood on the grill. Inspired fingering, thundering attacks, fevered phrasing and an absolute domain of the Russian lexicon.

The Thalberg Piano concerto Op 5 is probably the least important of all of the set. well played but lacking of brio.

Buy this album for Moszkowski,Scharwenka and Rubinstein as the major highlight of this double set. Don`t miss it.

Moszkowski typically gets written off as a ``salon'' composer of non-serious merit. I guess I won't argue with history, but I love this concerto. As with most Moszkowski, there's lots of twiddly passagework, always tastefully applied, but the thematic material and the moods of this concerto are wonderful.

While it might be lighter fare than the standard concerto warhorses, I find that it's never far from my CD player, just like the LP was never far from my record player before the CD came out.

To be honest, I don't really care about the other three concertos. The Moszkowski is why you should buy this CD.