Eugen d'Albert's First Piano Concerto is big, very big—lasting 45 minutes for a single movement structure here! On first hearing I would have guessed that the concerto was a product of a composer somewhere in his mid-to-late twenties or even older, but a quick calculation reveals that d'Albert was a mere 18 when he composed it, and as such it is a testimonial not only to his ability as a composer but also to his exceptional prowess as a pianist. However, despite the fact that the writing for both piano and orchestra is exceptionally assured, and that the concerto contains a good deal of attractive writing, there are also, it seems to me, some serious shortcomings.
A concerto on this scale needs to contain a good deal of strong and memorable music, and whilst I would be the first to say that d'Albert's material is far from weak, it's simply not strong enough to hold the listener's attention for 45 minutes. The second section of the concerto (there are five altogether) is marked Langsam, mit Empfindung and it is here, for me, that the work seriously begins to lose its way in an interesting but dense thicket of Wagnerian tone. Stylistically, Wagner seems to be one of the major influences in this concerto (there are several allusions to Parsifal here), but Liszt's presence is also strongly felt, especially in the cadenza, which sounds strikingly similar to the fugato section of the B minor Sonata. The final section, an attractive and engaging scherzo, also has much in common with Litolff's famous Scherzo from his Fourth Concerto Symphonique.
The Second Concerto needs less introduction. Those following this enterprising series may already be familiar with this work through Michael Ponti's 1974 Vox recording, which is now available on CD. At less than half the duration of the First, the Second Concerto is perhaps the more immediately accessible—it's certainly the more compact and traditional of the two. Curiously though, and this may sound contradictory to my remarks concerning the First Concerto, I actually find it less interesting and appealing. For all my reservations I have to say that the First poses a challenge that I find hard to resist, and for that reason I shall not give up on the work in a hurry.
As usual for this series, the performances are beyond reproach. Piers Lane makes light work of the technical demands and plays both concertos as though they have been in his repertoire for years (one could not imagine a better advocate for these problematic works), and he is exceptionally well supported by Alun Francis and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. The recording, fittingly made in Govan Town Hall (d'Albert was born in Glasgow) is also of the highest quality. R1 '9505002'