SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A Minor; Intro and Allegro appassionato; Introduction and Concert-Allegro – Angela Hewitt, p./ Deutsches Sym.-Orch. Berlin/ Hannu Lintu – Hyperion

by | Aug 9, 2012 | Classical CD Reviews

ROBERT SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54; Introduction and Allegro appassionato, Op.92; Introduction and Concert-Allegro, Op. 134 – Angela Hewitt, piano/ Deutsches Sym.-Orch. Berlin/ Hannu Lintu – Hyperion CDA67885, 62:02 (Distr. by Harmonia mundi) *****:
What? Another Schumann concerto? Yes, as long as it is as excellent as this new Hyperion release. Most front-rank recordings of the Schumann Concerto come with the Grieg Piano Concerto, I suppose a carry-over from the early days of vinyl where each concerto fit nicely on one side of an LP.
This collection of all of Schumann’s piano and orchestra works appears to be unique, but then I did not check every possible listing at Amazon. Here Schumann’s Introduction and Allegro appassionato, Op. 92 and the Introduction and Concert-Allegro, Op. 134 are offered instead of yet another Grieg Concerto. They are grand works on their own, as carefully crafted as any of Schumann’s works, but they are not often heard or even recorded.
Canadian-born pianist Angela Hewitt has already won kudos for her recordings of all the major keyboard works of J.S. Bach, as well as other composers such as Chabrier, Ravel, Schumann, Beethoven and Chopin.
Her approach to Schumann is clear and clean with no romantic overlay of exaggerated drama. She provides the necessary power when called for and has a light touch when needed. She understands Schumann’s ethos completely. Finnish conductor Lintu provides an uncompromising accompaniment with the superior sounding Berlin orchestra, originally formed as the RIAS orchestra in 1946.
Schumann had a devil of a time writing his only piano concerto, though on listening to it the difficulties he ran into are not at all apparent. His first piano concerto attempt in 1829 was left unfinished, as were two other attempts a year later and in 1833. The popular work in A Minor was completed in 1841 (the first movement) and 1845 (the second and third movements). The concert piece Introduction and Allegro appassionato in G, Op. 92 was composed in 1849. The Introduction and Concert-Allegro in D Minor, Op. 134 was written in 1853 and proves that Schumann, while suffering from deep depression, could still compose well.
With Hyperion’s usual top-notch sound, realistic and luminous, this compact disc  is highly recommended for anyone seeking this combination of Schumann’s piano and orchestra works or just the two shorter works. The notes by Hewitt are a model of what can be done and they appear in French and German translation, also.
—Zan Furtwangler

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