Hummel Pf Conc No 4; Double Concerto
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Label: Chandos
Magazine Review Date: 4/1999
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 63
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: CHAN9687
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4 |
Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Composer
Howard Shelley, Piano Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Composer London Mozart Players |
| Concerto for Piano, Violin and Orchestra |
Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Composer
Hagai Shaham, Violin Howard Shelley, Piano Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Composer London Mozart Players |
Author: Tim Parry
Think of Hummel piano concertos and you will probably think of Stephen Hough. His Gramophone Award-winning disc of the A minor and B minor Concertos (Chandos, 6/87) set the standard in this repertory, and Chandos waited some time before following up their earlier success, this time with Howard Shelley directing from the keyboard. As Shelley proved on his first Hummel disc (Chandos, 1/98), he too is outstanding in this music, synthesizing the classical and romantic elements perfectly. A natural Mozartian, he allies his poise and clarity to a fearless technique, and absorbs Hummel’s most ostentatious demands into the musical fabric, giving the decorative solo part the necessary grace and piquancy.
These two concertos are wonderfully infectious. The E major Concerto (composed in 1814 but not published until 1826, hence the high opus number), like the A minor and B minor Concertos, occupies a kind of bridge between Mozart and Chopin, although Mozart’s depth and subtlety are in a rather different vein. Hummel is more of a show-off, and his music almost smiles at you, its charm and sparkle eschewing any hint of pretentiousness – no false grandeur here. Throughout, Shelley communicates the music’s joie de vivre, revelling in the figurative passagework. The Double Concerto is an earlier work (c1805), and may have been inspired by Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante, K365; it doesn’t have the same harmonic or lyrical variety as the E major Concerto, but it is a charming work, especially when so persuasively played. Shelley’s well-proportioned piano part is perfectly complemented by Hagai Shaham’s sweet-toned violin. Shelley fulfils his dual role admirably, and the London Mozart Players respond well to his playing and conducting. The recorded sound is first-rate. A lovely disc.'
These two concertos are wonderfully infectious. The E major Concerto (composed in 1814 but not published until 1826, hence the high opus number), like the A minor and B minor Concertos, occupies a kind of bridge between Mozart and Chopin, although Mozart’s depth and subtlety are in a rather different vein. Hummel is more of a show-off, and his music almost smiles at you, its charm and sparkle eschewing any hint of pretentiousness – no false grandeur here. Throughout, Shelley communicates the music’s joie de vivre, revelling in the figurative passagework. The Double Concerto is an earlier work (c1805), and may have been inspired by Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante, K365; it doesn’t have the same harmonic or lyrical variety as the E major Concerto, but it is a charming work, especially when so persuasively played. Shelley’s well-proportioned piano part is perfectly complemented by Hagai Shaham’s sweet-toned violin. Shelley fulfils his dual role admirably, and the London Mozart Players respond well to his playing and conducting. The recorded sound is first-rate. A lovely disc.'
Hummel Pf Conc No 4; Double Concerto
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