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Product Description
Album Description
Dutton Epoch's pioneering championship of the music of York
Bowen takes a major step forward with this enjoyable programme. After the
warm critical reception of Michael Dussek's recording of the youthful first
concerto, with Vernon Handley and the BBC Concert Orchestra they move on to
more rewarding discoveries - Bowen's Second and Third concertos. Previously
unrecorded Second and Third Piano Concertos have not been heard for more
than eighty years and prove to be delightful display. A gorgeous discovery.
Bowen takes a major step forward with this enjoyable programme. After the
warm critical reception of Michael Dussek's recording of the youthful first
concerto, with Vernon Handley and the BBC Concert Orchestra they move on to
more rewarding discoveries - Bowen's Second and Third concertos. Previously
unrecorded Second and Third Piano Concertos have not been heard for more
than eighty years and prove to be delightful display. A gorgeous discovery.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I found the previous Dutton release of York Bowen's Violin Concerto and Piano Concerto very satisfying, and commented at the time that we ought to hear Bowen's other Piano concertos: we've one more to go, but these two for the next instalment are equally worthwhile.(The third and fourth are also available on Hyperion, I believe).
Both the second and third concertos are more compact works than their earlier sibling, but both pack a decent punch. We are not short-changed by their concision: on the contrary, not a note is wasted and the melodic material is memorable and creates a perfect balance between soloist and orchestra (due, perhaps in no small part to Bowen's own skills as a soloist). Michael Dussek once again proves an ideal pianist.
The real surprise (and rather more than a filler) is the Symphonic Fantasia: this starts of sounding like a symphony and becomes more of a serenade (though think of Richard Strauss rather than Brahms). Bowen demonstrates an easy and fluid hand with a large orchestra.
The BBC Concert Orchestra under the late Vernon Handley once again prove they are a class act.
Both the second and third concertos are more compact works than their earlier sibling, but both pack a decent punch. We are not short-changed by their concision: on the contrary, not a note is wasted and the melodic material is memorable and creates a perfect balance between soloist and orchestra (due, perhaps in no small part to Bowen's own skills as a soloist). Michael Dussek once again proves an ideal pianist.
The real surprise (and rather more than a filler) is the Symphonic Fantasia: this starts of sounding like a symphony and becomes more of a serenade (though think of Richard Strauss rather than Brahms). Bowen demonstrates an easy and fluid hand with a large orchestra.
The BBC Concert Orchestra under the late Vernon Handley once again prove they are a class act.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Romantic Music
28 Dec 2007
Format:Audio CD
From the opening fanfare bars, I found York Bowen's Second Piano Concerto an engaging work. The piano enters with a short but brilliant cadenza followed by a very charming dialogue between piano and orchestra characterized by some magnificent writing for the piano. The concerto is played without pause so we move into the expressive slow movement seamlessly. The exuberant finale is announced with a flourish by the orchestra followed by the piano picking up the melody and continues with increasing exhilaration to the final bars. The concerto was first performed in 1906 and had a few performances over the years but was forgotten, a fate that was undeserved.
The Third Piano Concerto was first performed in 1908 and is also played in one movement. The work begins with a dramatic fanfare with horns and piano and enters upon a spirited melody for the soloist punctuated by the orchestra. The dynamic opening music gives way to a romantic second subject and a very charming intermezzo. The Finale is characterized by brilliant passagework for the piano with a charming accompaniment by the orchestra concluding with a brief fanfare for trumpet and horns.
The Symphonic Fantasia was composed in 1905 between Bowen's First and Second symphonies. The music was described as a tone poem and is reminiscent of Richard Strauss but has no program. The music is broken into 6 sections beginning with a slow introduction followed by a romantic melody that is nicely developed, building to a climax. There follows a slow section with a violin solo leading into an Appassionato section for strings which is followed by a charming waltz interlude. The fifth section is a stirring march that heralds the final section which returns to the opening tempo and mood, the romantic music picked up by a solo violin and gradually fading away.
The performances are nicely played by the BBC Concert Orchestra and conducted by Vernon Handley. The piano concerti are beautifully played by Michael Dussex, who is new to me but has a substantial discography that includes chamber, piano music and concertos. One wonders why Hyperion has not added York Bowen's piano concerti to their "Romantic Piano Concerto" series thus far. The Dutton recording more than fills the gap.
The Third Piano Concerto was first performed in 1908 and is also played in one movement. The work begins with a dramatic fanfare with horns and piano and enters upon a spirited melody for the soloist punctuated by the orchestra. The dynamic opening music gives way to a romantic second subject and a very charming intermezzo. The Finale is characterized by brilliant passagework for the piano with a charming accompaniment by the orchestra concluding with a brief fanfare for trumpet and horns.
The Symphonic Fantasia was composed in 1905 between Bowen's First and Second symphonies. The music was described as a tone poem and is reminiscent of Richard Strauss but has no program. The music is broken into 6 sections beginning with a slow introduction followed by a romantic melody that is nicely developed, building to a climax. There follows a slow section with a violin solo leading into an Appassionato section for strings which is followed by a charming waltz interlude. The fifth section is a stirring march that heralds the final section which returns to the opening tempo and mood, the romantic music picked up by a solo violin and gradually fading away.
The performances are nicely played by the BBC Concert Orchestra and conducted by Vernon Handley. The piano concerti are beautifully played by Michael Dussex, who is new to me but has a substantial discography that includes chamber, piano music and concertos. One wonders why Hyperion has not added York Bowen's piano concerti to their "Romantic Piano Concerto" series thus far. The Dutton recording more than fills the gap.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Moderately interesting late romantic piano concertos
7 Mar 2010
Format:Audio CD
Bowen's second piano concerto is much more mature than his first,* and possibly the best integrated of the four. He achieves a decent balance between piano and orchestra, and it has enough melodic strength to hold the piece together. His downplaying the virtuosic elements in this piece makes for a better integrated whole, but it is still a middlin' piece for the genre. I'd chose the Harty, Ireland, or Bliss before this concerto.
The third concerto starts strong, both in the piano presentation and the melodic line, but it fails to maintain it to the end. This piece is available in another recording coupled with the fourth concerto.** Listening to the two back to back I think this version is slightly better recorded, but the other is a bit better played, and overall better. But the piece is too slight for it to make that much difference.
The Symphonic Fantasia sounds rather like a suite taken from a mediocre film score. Decent background music, but not much more.
* York Bowen: Violin Concerto; Piano Concerto
** Bowen: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4
The third concerto starts strong, both in the piano presentation and the melodic line, but it fails to maintain it to the end. This piece is available in another recording coupled with the fourth concerto.** Listening to the two back to back I think this version is slightly better recorded, but the other is a bit better played, and overall better. But the piece is too slight for it to make that much difference.
The Symphonic Fantasia sounds rather like a suite taken from a mediocre film score. Decent background music, but not much more.
* York Bowen: Violin Concerto; Piano Concerto
** Bowen: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Eclectic and interesting
17 Aug 2008
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm not certain how this got onto my wish list. I'd never heard of York Bowen. I think maybe the cover illustration was amusing. Then came my birthday and a nice person cleared my wish list for me. It often takes me several playings to appreciate a new piece of music, and these pieces took me more than most. The music is eclectic. Bits remind me of everybody from Mahler to Tan Dun. I find isolated bits of it coming back to me at odd moments throughout the day. I still haven't developed a coherent sense of any of these pieces, but I'm working at it, with some assurance it may come. The level of attention and interest this disk has inspired in me is itself worth the price of admission.
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