Search - Joseph Marx, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Osmo Vänskä :: Korngold: Piano Concerto, Op. 17; Marx: Romantisches Klavierkonzert

Excellent Korngold, Superlative Marx

minacciosa | Boston, MA | 05/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Korngold Concerto is one as much for orchestra as it is for the Piano. It's primary challenge is formal, as a broad sonata form is used very freely to present many ideas based upon a variant of his "motive of the happy heart". In its way, it is rather forward looking, the harmony pointing towards the 3rd String Quartet and the late Symphony in F#.The Marx is the gem of this disc. If you only know Marx as a composer of songs (and he was one of the greatest at lieder writing) you will be shocked. The melodic material is memorable, particularly the 2nd subject of the first movement and the primary Rondo theme of the 3rd movement. The piano writing is of the utmost brilliance, yet never seems to be so for its own sake. It just fits. Harmonically, Marx is extremely ingenious working within an expanded tonal framework. If you listen closely you will hear this tonal framework undermined by constantly shifting lines in the middle register, which lends the work a more complex feeling than the title "Romatisches" implies. The concerto is more subdued than the composer's large orchestral canvasses, but still has the characteristically Marx sound: an all-consuming love of nature seemingly conveyed by endlessly imaginative detail in extension of melodic material.It's really amazing music. Hamelin is very good as always. (Try to hear the Jorge Bolet aircheck for an interesting contrast in the interpretation of the Marx. He is far more poetic, if less fiery.) This cd gets 5 stars because the Marx is one of the absolute greatest of Piano Concerti. You must hear it."

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offeck | New York, NY -- United States of America | 12/07/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Marx's concerto, one of the most wildly romantic and absolutely ravishing piano concertos, lush as lush can be, though never overwhemling or prodound, is an enormous pianistic feast, not to mention pianistic feat! Indeed, it contains a legion of difficulties! It mixes some of the best influences of Scriabin, Korngold, Debussy, and Delius. A work of exceptional craftsmanship, it's always a delight to hear, especially from the hands of Hamelin, who brings it all off with consummate ease... Korngold's remarkable and left-hand concerto makes such a virtue out of gladiatorial spread-chords trickery that it is striking how incredibly difficult it would be to play this piece as written with the right hand in addition to just the left! Such a splendid and romantic Hero concerto of struggle this is, symphonically blending piano with orchestra. Hamelin delivers a luxuriant reading filled with poetry, tremendous power, and authority. A thoroughly pleasant and pleasing disc. Highly recommendable; Highly recommended!"

Pianistic excess--excessively well played

V. Wilson | Cambridge, MA United States | 03/08/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ever wonder what it would have been like had Richard Strauss composed a Piano Concerto instead of, say, "Don Juan?" (Yes, I know he wrote a Burleske, but that is a relatively youthful piece.)Well, wonder no longer. From the very opening bars, Joseph Marx's "Romantic Concerto" virtually shouts that it is that concerto. Here we have the lush orchestration, wide-ranging tunes and glorious excess which one finds in Strauss' tone poems. This piece has more calories than a whole double chocolate cake.Whether I enjoy that much excess depends completely on my mood, however. Frequently, it seems bombastic unlike, say, the Rachmaninoff Concertos which have real emotion under a virtuosic sheen. Still, it is an enjoyable, if shallow, piece with a lovely, poetic slow movement which provides relief from the overkill of the outer movements.The Korngold is a more sophisticated piece with slightly more astringent harmony and orchestration. It makes a good discmate for the Marx, however, because it has the same compositional ethos (ie. why give us a simple tune and harmony when you can have three tunes interweaving amid an overheated atmosphere! ) Besides, you'll be amazed that Korngold wrote soo many notes for one hand! Regardless of the content of this music, it is wonderfully played by Hamelin and the recording is up to Hyperion's high standards. Both pieces would certainly bring the house down in a concert hall.Not my favorite disc in this terrific Hyperion series, but when I'm in the mood it's a great wallow!"