Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
Sun, Mar 25 2012, 4:16AM
Hi all,
Has anyone tried any of the discs in the series consisting of more than 50 discs a this stage? Some are so-called major works and some are minor works. I've just purchased the the Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov. I can't say I'm wowed just yet, but I am sure there are some so-called minor works that are awaiting personal discovery. Also purchased, the Korngold and Marx.
Sun, Mar 25 2012, 7:13PM
#2
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
Scharwenka and Sauer were terrific -OTT late Romantic stuff.
York Bowen also gave a fair amount of pleasure.
P
Sun, Mar 25 2012, 8:32PM
#3
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
Never having set out to 'collect' the whole series I have over the years picked up any of the discs. If your looking to find a long lost masterpiece then I doubt you'll be too successful - most of the concertos released are very good, second rank music. However, if you are interested in bywaters and knowing more about the worlds within which many of the great concertos were created they is much to hold the attention. The vast majority of the releases are as you would expect from a 'romantic piano concertos' series from the nineteenth century and range from the colleagues of Mendelssohn, Schumann and Brahms to the many pupils and acolytes of Liszt. That is where I get my enjoyment from concertos by Moscheles, Brull, Kalkbrenner, Draseke and the rest.
That said some of the recordings are of more standard fare, and tend to be excellent. The Hough Saint-Seans is excellent, as is the live set of Tcahikovsky with the same pianist. There is also an fatastic recording of the Busoni, with Hamelin, and again with the same pianist a recent disc of the Reger Concerto with the Strauss Burleske. Soon to come is I hear the Thalberg Concerto, which I am really looking forward!
Sun, Mar 25 2012, 10:11PM
#4
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
Yes, I am definitely more interested in the context under which these concertos were composed. I wasn't expecting top-tier music. I think you hit it on the nose about this music.
Mon, Mar 26 2012, 8:53PM
#5
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
To appreciate the greatness of the best composers, it is good to sometimes listen to the "not quite great".
Best wishes,
P
Mon, Mar 26 2012, 9:57PM
#6
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
Quite pertinent comment by P.
As for the series of Hyperion on Romantic Piano Concertos (or the Violin ones, as well), you may find some uneven products, but, if you really wish to explore some obscure territories of composers, either neglected, underrated or forgotten, you have very little choice for some alternatives.
Production values are also uneven.
Parla
Mon, Mar 26 2012, 11:11PM
#7
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
Quite pertinent comment by P.
As for the series of Hyperion on Romantic Piano Concertos (or the Violin ones, as well), you may find some uneven products, but, if you really wish to explore some obscure territories of composers, either neglected, underrated or forgotten, you have very little choice for some alternatives.
Production values are also uneven.
Parla
In fact the series has followed the Michel Ponti series issued on Vox half a century or so ago with better orchestras and conductors but not always better pianism!
Please explain what you mean by your last sentence and cite examples as I think that the consensus view is the exact opposite and a bit of an unwarranted downer on Hyperion's integrity.
Mon, Mar 26 2012, 11:30PM
#8
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
Many of these works were written by virtuoso performers to show off their own talents but I suspect the main reason for their neglect generally is a lack of memorable thematic material. There's plenty of thundering up and down the keyboard but you wont come away with many of them lasting long in the memory from those I've heard. The Sauer/Scharwenka is probably one of the best; I seem to remember it winning a Gramophone award but I thought the Scharwenka concerto recorded by Earl Wild a better work (I forget the numbers).
The Henselt too is one of the more memorable. I haven't heard the Hyperion version but there was a barnstorming recording by Raymond Lewenthal and Charles Mackerras unfortunately let down by CBS's fondness for coarse and crude recorded sound at its worst.
I also now know why only the scherzo from the Littolf Concerto Symphonique No 4 was ever played but at least my curiosity has now been satisfied. I have thought the Kalkbrenners may be worth investigating hailing from an earlier era than most of the issues. I have an old Vox Turnabout recording of No1 which is pleasant enough. Rather like third rate immitation of Chopin & Hummel than the pseudo Brahms or Saint Saens of some of the later works in the series I've heard.
Of the British works Ireland's is good and there have been several excellent recordings. I didn't think Piers Lane's recording of the original version of the Delius anywhere as good as his, and others, recordings of the final revised version though. Still, interesting diversions which emphasize Phlogiston's previous comment. Hyperion's performances are however first rate and I cannot agree with Parla's comment but I have sometimes thought afterwards was it really worth the effort?
Tue, Mar 27 2012, 12:16AM
#9
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
So far I haven't run into any problems with production values from Hyperion. Of course, it can happen to any label. Why are production values uneven? Is it problems with the sound? Too heavily miked, etc.
Tue, Mar 27 2012, 10:25AM
#10
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
So far I haven't run into any problems with production values from Hyperion. Of course, it can happen to any label. Why are production values uneven? Is it problems with the sound? Too heavily miked, etc.
There are none as far as I know and I have quite a few Hyperion discs not limited to the Romantic Piano Concerto series.
Tue, Mar 27 2012, 12:58PM
#11
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
What I mean with "uneven production values" is that the whole package of the production is not always consistent with the rest of the series and the reviews even of the British magazines reflect that.
In the "Romantic Piano Concertos", the good label has reached a staggering volume 56, while another one is in store for this June. The problem I have with the series is the different and uneven choices of venues, production team, performers, orchestras and conductors, resulting in different quality of the overall sound (Vol. 17 is not at the level of projecting the bright orchestration of Mendelssohn, while the piano is rather clinically recorded). Vol. 6 (Dohnanyi) is not so brightly projected as the equivalent of Hungaroton. Vol. 2 and 8 (Medtner) are uneven performances of concertos of the same composer. Vol.55 (Widor) is not that brilliantly recorded (dynamics, ambience, balance of Piano and Orchestra, etc.).
Having said that, I have to praise Hyperion for pursuing such a project that, otherwise, maybe it will never be materialised.
The "Romantic Violin Concerto" series have reached the volume 11 with more or less similar results, while the respective "Cello Concerto" series, only at the third volume, it's difficult to say where and how far it will go.
Parla
Tue, Mar 27 2012, 2:33PM
#12
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
What I mean with "uneven production values" is that the whole package of the production is not always consistent with the rest of the series and the reviews even of the British magazines reflect that.
In the "Romantic Piano Concertos", the good label has reached a staggering volume 56, while another one is in store for this June. The problem I have with the series is the different and uneven choices of venues, production team, performers, orchestras and conductors, resulting in different quality of the overall sound (Vol. 17 is not at the level of projecting the bright orchestration of Mendelssohn, while the piano is rather clinically recorded). Vol. 6 (Dohnanyi) is not so brightly projected as the equivalent of Hungaroton. Vol. 2 and 8 (Medtner) are uneven performances of concertos of the same composer. Vol.55 (Widor) is not that brilliantly recorded (dynamics, ambience, balance of Piano and Orchestra, etc.).
Having said that, I have to praise Hyperion for pursuing such a project that, otherwise, maybe it will never be materialised.
The "Romantic Violin Concerto" series have reached the volume 11 with more or less similar results, while the respective "Cello Concerto" series, only at the third volume, it's difficult to say where and how far it will go.
Parla
Well you did not do your research as thoroughly as you, appear, to usually do because, and I'll cite just one example and not even bother with the rest, the Volume 2 Medtner disc, which I have, was cited by Gramophone at the time as one of the finest disc of concertos ever produced. This by Bryce Morrison.
For those of you keen to explore this remarkable disc the pianist is Demidenko with the BBCSO under Maksimiuyk.
Why do you continue to pronounce on matters you know nothing about?
Tue, Mar 27 2012, 11:46PM
#13
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
If you read carefully, I said the two discs are uneven between them (the Vol.2 versus Vol.8). Secondly, the Gramophone used to praise this series, to the greatest possible extent. Have you read other reviews on other magazines and from other countries too? They don't share the views (and reviews) of Gramophone that often (and on this particular issue too). Sometimes, not at all.
In any case, do you claim that the 56 volumes of the series (so far) are of the same production, artistic and technical values?
Parla
Wed, Mar 28 2012, 1:12AM
#14
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
If you read carefully, I said the two discs are uneven between them (the Vol.2 versus Vol.8). Secondly, the Gramophone used to praise this series, to the greatest possible extent. Have you read other reviews on other magazines and from other countries too? They don't share the views (and reviews) of Gramophone that often (and on this particular issue too). Sometimes, not at all.
In any case, do you claim that the 56 volumes of the series (so far) are of the same production, artistic and technical values?
Parla
I have to agree with Parla that there is a definite bias in Gramophone towards certain labels or artists. It may just be me but I often find myself quite disappointed with Simon Rattle's recordings, much as he is lauded in the magazine. My experience is that if you read a critics reviews long enough you come to realise that with some we might hold similar views, while with others we might be diametrically opposed. And that is fine with me...
Recently there was quite an extensive discussion on anotehr forum about the critical response to the new recordings of Havergal Brian's First Symphony and the Rufinatscha 6th Symphony which was really good fun. There is definitely some truth in the fact that when reviewers have to step beyond the more mainstream repetoire they invariably start grasping at straws, using terms like 'Brucknerish' or 'Brahmsian'. That has its place if done carefully, but sometimes on can't help feeling it is just expedient (and perhaps lazy) journalism. Of course on the forum I am talking about any slight of Raff causes consternation only equal to passing the port counter clockwise.
Wed, Mar 28 2012, 10:00AM
#15
RE: Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series
If you read carefully, I said the two discs are uneven between them (the Vol.2 versus Vol.8). Secondly, the Gramophone used to praise this series, to the greatest possible extent. Have you read other reviews on other magazines and from other countries too? They don't share the views (and reviews) of Gramophone that often (and on this particular issue too). Sometimes, not at all.
In any case, do you claim that the 56 volumes of the series (so far) are of the same production, artistic and technical values?
Parla
You do nothing of the kind. Either you do not bother to check what you have posted or you seriously believe that that is what you posted.
Oh, I see, you haven't actually heard the two discs of Medtner but are basing your opinion on what reviews have appeared in other magazines from outside the UK.
The reason the Gramophone and other magazines, for that matter, praise this series, and not every one to the skies as you maintain, is for the very reasons that you find them wanting: their high production values.
It is clear that a great deal of care and thought has gone into the series.
No, I do not know the whole series but nor do you. I, probably, have more discs in thge series than you and, thanks to Frank Einstein's BBC, have heard more of them than you.
You only go further to convince me that you are a complete and utter phoney and why you troll this site in the way you do is a complete mystery to me as you are constantly challenged on every post.
Hi all,
Has anyone tried any of the discs in the series consisting of more than 50 discs a this stage? Some are so-called major works and some are minor works. I've just purchased the the Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov. I can't say I'm wowed just yet, but I am sure there are some so-called minor works that are awaiting personal discovery. Also purchased, the Korngold and Marx.
I have quite a few.
Recent hits have been the Stenhammar and Widor concertos.
I have only disposed of one "mistake," so far, and that was the Alnaes and Sinding concertos.
Other favourites are Henselt/Alkan; Pierne concertante works; Hahn/Massenet and, one of the earlier ones, Scharwenka/ Sauer with the ever reliable Stephen Hough.