SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54; Noel Mewton-Wood, piano / Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra / Walter Goehr – Pristine Audio PASC149, 31:54 [www.pristineclassical.com] (download or CD-R available) ****:
Recorded around 1952, and transferred from Guilde Internationale du Disque MMS-43 with considerable expertise by Andrew Rose, this performance of Schumann’s Piano Concerto makes an extremely welcome return to the catalogue.
Sensitively accompanied by Walter Goehr and the Netherlands PO – not the most accomplished of orchestras it has to be said – Noel Mewton-Wood produces a highly satisfying account of this popular work. The first movement is taken at a slower tempo than some take it these days; Howard Shelley in his new recording for Chandos (CHAN10509) sticks to the tempo indications assiduously, not slowing, for example, after the introduction. Allowing the music to breathe Mewton-Wood shows panache in the virtuoso passages and beautifully quiet playing in the slow movement. While playing times offer only an indication, Shelley’s performance reaches the finish line in a tad over 28 minutes, Mewton-Wood’s at 32 minutes is no less exciting.
The last movement is optimistic, majestic and energetic, where Mewton-Wood as usual gives a sense of a live performance. One gets the impression with his recordings for this label that not much time was given for sessions and patching, so the results do not have that perfect airbrushed feel to them. Mewton-Wood gets the majesty of this movement just right, and his is one of those recordings one wants to play over again immediately.
Those who have been collecting Pristine’s Mewton-Wood series will need no encouragement to sample this new release. As with the other releases, it is available as straight mono or with ambient stereo, the latter version sent for review. Although the music content is unaltered mono, the ambience in stereo allows for far more comfortable headphone listening [certainly better than Dolby Headphone!…Ed.], and through speakers the sound has just that bit more air, and is not to be confused with old-fashioned crude electronic stereo. Interested parties have the opportunity for choosing whichever version is preferred.
I look forward to the next issue in this rewarding series!
— Peter Joelson
