Search - Carl Maria von Weber, Charles Mackerras, Scottish Chamber Orchestra :: Weber: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor; Piano Concerto No. 2 in E flat major; Koncertstück in F minor

One of the Best in Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto Series

05/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are several reasons this is one of the best in a series that has unearthed a number of gems (and some real clunkers, too): First, Demidenko seems the perfect soloist for the assignment. He relishes Weber's Biedermeier grace and really throws himself into the whirlwind last movements. Second, the redoubtable Sir Charles proves the ultimate accompanist, his Scottish orchestra as responsive an instrument as the Philadelphia under Ormandy.Third, there is the music. Weber was a virtuoso but also a composer of great skill, which can't be said of many of the composer-pianists of the 19th century. His Konzertstuck is an acknowledged classic of Romanticism. Despite the fact that its program--dealing with a knight's departure for the war, rumored death, and triumphant return to his beloved--is provides pretty threadbare storyline, the music is anything but threadbare, the first movement brimming with minor-key drama and the last, a fantasia on a march theme, a tour de force for both pianist and orchestra. But Weber's two concertos are pretty wonderful stuff, too, with infectiously bouyant fast movements (especially the Second Concerto's last movement) and slow movements full of proto-Romantic innigkeit. Go for this one."

Weber Piano Concertos

Jason Loke | Los Angeles | 05/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With amazing technical vituosity, Demidenko carries us excitingly through these rarely performed works. His technique is boundless in it's breadth, and his firey interpretation makes us wonder why these pieces are so neglected. Such pieces are child's play under the command of this unforgettable artist. For anyone serious about piano, this CD is a must!"

Three Great Piano Concertos

Ralph B. Latchaw Jr. | Rio Rancho, NM, USA | 04/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Weber's piano music is not well known. Most people know of one opera and some of the overtures. I have enjoyed Weber's piano concertos and Konzertstuck for years in record format and I wanted them in CD format. This CD with Sir Charles Mackerraas, conductor, and Nikolai Demidenko, pianist, is every bit as good as the old record I have, scratches and all. Of the three pieces, Concerto No 2 is a more exciting work than Concerto No 1, but Konzertstuck is a close second. All three pieces are wonderful, romantic pieces that should be known to a lot more people than know of them now. I recommend that classical music lovers get acquainted with these wonderful pieces of music and enjoy them as much as I do.







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