The Romantic Piano Concerto Vol.1

Vox - The Romantic Piano Concerto Vol.1

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Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837)
Friedrich Kalkbrenner (1785-1849)
Adolph von Henselt (1814-1889)
Ferdinand Hiller (1811-1885)
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)


Label: Vox, CDX 5064 (2 CDs)
UPC: 04716350642
ASIN: B000001K3C
CD Release: November, 1992
Recording Type: ADD, Stereo, Studio
Recording Date: 1968-1978
Venue: see each work details
Running Time: 2 04' 38''



When the "Romantic Concerto" series came out I grabbed as many albums as I could find. The gems on the series are somewhat obscure, and that is a great shame. My favorite piece in Volume One is Chopin's Allegro de Concert, played to perfection by Michael Ponti, accompanied by the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. The brilliant Michael Ponti (One of the best pianists out there. Why is he not better known?!) gives a spectacular performance of Adolf von Henselt's superb f minor concerto. A work of terrifying difficulties (no less than Anton Rubinstein abandoned work on the piece because he considered it too difficult) it was once quite popular (Both Liszt and Clara Schumann championed the work). Ponti plays the fire out of it. The Henselt alone makes this a worthy aquisition, and the CD set contains other treasures as well. By all means pick this up.



Adolph von Henselt (1814-1889)
Concerto for piano & orchestra in F, Op 16
Michael Ponti, Piano • Philharmonia Hungarica • Othmar Maga, Conductor
Recording date: 1968, venue not given
1.01 I. Allegro patetico
1.02 II. Larghetto
1.03 III. Allegro agitato

Ferdinand Hiller (1811-1885)
Konzertstück for piano & orchestra, Op.113
Jerome Rose, piano • Orchestra of Radio Luxembourg • Pierre Cao, conductor
Recording date: 1973, venue not given
1.04 I. Konzertstück

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
Allegro de concert for piano in A major, Op. 46, CT. 1
Michael Ponti, Piano • Berlin Symphony • Volker Schmidt-Gertenbach, Conductor
Recording date: 1978 in Südwest Tonstudio, Stuttgart
1.05 I. Allegro de concert

Friedrich Kalkbrenner (1785-1849)
Concerto for piano & orchestra No. 1 in D Minor, Op 61
Hans Kann, piano • Hamburg Symphony • Heribert Beissel, conductor
Recording date: 1977, venue not given
2.01 I. Allegro maestoso
2.02 II. Adagio di molto
2.03 III. Rondo vivace

Johann Nepomuk Hummel, (1778-1837)
Piano Concerto in E major ("Les Adieux"), Op. 110
Hans Kann, piano • Hamburg Symphony • Heribert Beissel, conductor
Recording date: 1977, venue not given
2.04 I. Allegro pomposo e spirituoso
2.05 II. Andante con moto
2.06 III. Rondo: Allegro moderato ma con brio



Von Henselt piano concert is the peak of the crown. Absolutely agree. This work, despite its countless difficulties that demands from the player is surrounded of a romantic majesty and aristos presence. But think in Chopin's Allegro de Concerto : Chopin was planning to compose a third Piano Concert in 1849 but he only could finish the first movement. So this work literally was frozen for players. Nadia Reisenberg (vynil Westminster in the fifties) and Claudio Arrau (in the sixties) recorded this work and played for solo piano. But Michael Ponti aceppted the challenge and this was the world premiere recording with orchestra) The result is a fifteen minutes piece complete by itself with a mature Chopin loaded with new proposals and a revitalized concept of his beloved Poland. You notice inmediatly that the important 1848 revolution, permeated the soul of Frederick. Hiller' s piano concert is a bravura work. The notes fall incisively on the listener, and suddenly the mood is made: its introspective moods and fevered lyricism will steal your mind. Acquire as soon as you can this weird album .Ponti reveals himself not only as a superb pianist, but also as an untired searcher of the unknown pieces of the XIX century, happily for us. Thanks for Ponti, Earl Wild, and Raymond Lewenthal, extraordinary pianists inmersed in the purest romantic tradition.

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