Search - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Antoni Wit, Polish Radio Orchestra & Chorus Katowice :: Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 2; Concert Fantasy

So why are there 10,000 recordings of Concerto No.1?

Joshua Grasso | Oxford, OH USA | 08/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The general argument is that if a work doesn't enter the canon after X number of years, it's an inferior or simply unmemorable work. And in some cases, this is certainly true. But for the love of God, WHY isn't the Second Piano Concerto played more frequently? It's long? Well, so is the First! It's eccentric? Again, so is the first. I suppose the main reason is the butchering job Siloti did on it, which grossly underestimated this magnificent score and made it seem a little lackluster. This excellent version by Wit and the Polish NRSO uses the full score and also unearths the completely neglected Concert Fantasy, which, though even more eccentric and a bit less focused than No.2, is still well worth playing over and over again.



The Second Concerto, when played with conviction (as it is here) is every bit a match for the First, and in many ways surprasses it. The first movement is a long, passionate rhapsody cut from the same cloth as No.1, but the memorable theme in the beginning actually comes back at the end of the movement! The more you listen to this movement the more little touches you find, and the more astounded you are that (a) this works rarely gets the time of day, and (b) how much he improved on his First Concerto, while staying true to it in spirit. However, the true genius of this piece lies in the very innovative second movement, which is as much a concertante work for violin and cello as piano. It's GORGEOUS. It features some of his most inspired melodies, with not a single bar of padding. Siloti, among others, disapproved of this innovation, I suppose thinking the piano wasn't doing enough (of course, no one complained of the cello solo in Brahms' Second Concerto). Editing even a bar of this movement is blasphemous. Why don't you prune the Sixth Symphony while you're at it? The piece ends with a fiery, Russian-accented finale, again very similar to No.1, but not in the least derivative. Honestly, it is one of the greatest Romantic concertos I know, and is a very nice break from the beautiful, but sadly overexposed No.1.



The Concert Fantasy is a delight, though you can see why it's not played too often. For one, the first movement is basically a long piano cadenza sandwiched between an orchestral prelude and postlude. The opening theme is a jaunty little tune, embellished by the piano in true Lisztian fashion. More effective (in the sense of a concerto) is the second movement, Contrastes, which is an ingenious juxtaposition of a haunting, minor key melody with what sounds like a Cossack dance. The two bang heads mid-movement with delightful results.



I adore Wit's recordings with the PRSO, and I believe this disc is one of their most notable achievements. Every bar seems to mean something, unlike other versions of the Second I've heard that seem to spin into mindless virtuoso territory. I'm anxious to hear his version of Nos. 1 and 3, also on Naxos. But until then, I plan to play this disc enough times that I gradually forget the portentous opening of Concerto No.1..."

Well-played pieces which are not as well known

moviemusicbuff | Walnut, CA United States | 06/19/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Even though Tchaikovsky's #2 piano concerto and the Concerto Fantasy are lesser known than his popular #1 concerto, they are wonderful pieces of music which deserve wider recognition. Bernd Glemser is an excellent pianist, well-accompanied by Antoni Wit. (Glemser's version of #1 is also outstanding). This version compares well with higher priced versions I own played by pianists such as Barry Douglas, Mikhail Pletnev, and Jerome Loewenthal. The only shortcoming of this Naxos version is the sound quality; it sounds like it was recorded in a cave. The higher priced versions feature clearer and more resonant sound. I had to turn the volume quite a bit to hear the music. That aside, this is a really good bargain and it is rated outstanding by the Penguin Guide of Classical Music."

Could this be the REAL Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 ?

Neal Schultz | Orange County, CA | 04/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My reaction to the Tchaikovsky's second Piano Concerto has always been that it is superior to the first. The incredible inventiveness of this work has been a reason why I held onto my LP version of this work: Victoria Postnikova (pianist) Rozhdestvensky on London (nla ---I think...). Anyway, once I found THIS version I have been happy to discard my old LP version. The pacing on this CD is just right. The other recent NAXOS version is far too brisk.



Anyway, bottom line....don't wait to read the end of this review....get Tchaikovsky's 2nd --you'll wonder why it never gets any play or airtime."