BENEDICT & MACFARREN: Piano Concertos – Howard Shelley, piano/ Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra/ Shelley – Hyperion

by | Oct 10, 2009 | Classical CD Reviews | 0 comments

BENEDICT & MACFARREN: Piano Concertos – Howard Shelley, piano/ Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra/ Shelley – Hyperion CDA67720, 71:12 **** [Distr. by Harmonia mundi]:

The 48th installment of Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto series presents two concertos by German-English composer Julius Benedict (1804-1885) and a Concertstuck (concert piece) in E minor by English composer Walter Macfarren (1826-1905). Both men are relatively obscure today and that is precisely why this Hyperion series has attracted widespread admiration over the years. Most of the Romantic piano works unearthed for recording have been interesting. Some of them have been strong works condemned to undeserved obscurity. A few of the discovered concertos have been dull pieces whose disappearance cannot come soon enough. This release presents three works of historical interest that are always pleasantly listenable.

Benedict’s Piano Concerto in C minor Op.45, composed in 1850, is a work of real merit that features advanced techniques worthy of Beethoven and Schumann. This concerto is actually Benedict’s third and most accomplished composition for piano and orchestra. It is a melodic work with a nice balance between piano and orchestra. The first movement contains a lovely cello solo and some splendid passages for the piano. The first and second movements are connected by a mysterious passage of undetermined tonality which leads into a serene Andante Pastorale. A surprising Allegro soon follows, complete with tempo changes and some more passages of obscure tonality until the main tune eventually returns. The final movement is sprightly and thrilling. Shelley and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra perform this work splendidly, often making it exciting and awakening our interest.

Benedict’s Piano Concerto in E Flat major Op.89 (his second) was composed in 1837 and was finally published in its entirety in 1867. It is a more Classical work than the C minor, heavily influenced by Chopin. It features lighter and slightly subdued orchestral textures with piano filagrees and arpeggios filling the harmonic void. Though a youthful work that is less sophisticated musically, it is always entertaining and shows much promise. It is given a superb performance by Shelley and the Tasmanians. Macfarren’s Concertstuck in E minor composed in 1881 is a cheerfully animated work that closes the CD on a high note.

Hyperion’s engineers have created a soundstage that is warm and full, emphasizing the mid-range so that the piano sounds forward and clear. The orchestra sounds bright with a nice illusion of three-dimensional depth. This is an excellent stereo recording.

— Mike Birman

Related Reviews
Logo Pure Pleasure
Logo Crystal Records Sidebar 300 ms
Logo Jazz Detective Deep Digs Animated 01