Henri Herz - Piano Concertos Nos. 3, 4 & 5 (Howard Shelley)

Information

Composer: Henri Herz

1. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 87: I. Allegro moderato
2. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 87: II. Andantino sostenuto
3. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 87: III. Finale. Allegro (con fuoco ed appassionato)
4. Piano Concerto No. 4 in E major, Op. 131: I. Allegro moderato
5. Piano Concerto No. 4 in E major, Op. 131: II. Andante cantabile
6. Piano Concerto No. 4 in E major, Op. 131: III. Rondeau russe. Allegro vivace
7. Piano Concerto No. 5 in F minor, Op. 180: I. Allegro moderato
8. Piano Concerto No. 5 in F minor, Op. 180: II. Andantino
9. Piano Concerto No. 5 in F minor, Op. 180: III. Finale. Allegro agitato

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Howard Shelley, piano & conductor

Date: 2006
Label: Hyperion
http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67537

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Review

Note-spinning to charm the birds from the trees and set the feet tapping

Following his earlier superb recordings of Herz’s Piano Concertos Nos 1, 7 and 8 (8/04), Howard Shelley continues with Nos 3-5 in Vol 40 of Hyperion’s ever-expanding ‘Romantic Piano Concerto’ series. As before, whatever sparkles and delights is here in super-abundance, and a more stylish or scintillating advocate than Shelley would be hard to imagine. Clearly Herz could charm the birds out of the trees, his brilliant confections cost him little effort and, presumably, like Saint-Saëns, he wrote music as an apple tree produces apples.

In the Third Concerto, Mendelssohnian flourishes lead to one virtuoso flight after another, each designed to make ears waggle and eyes start out of the head. The finale’s fierce octave play and following fugue will appeal to those with more adventurous expectations, but there are enough decorative asides to console those addicted to a more conservative, salon style. The dazzling photo-finish would tax the fingers of even the most dextrous virtuoso and the orchestra, too, goes out in a blaze of martial splendour.

The Fourth Concerto is all bustle and hyperactivity, the pianist’s aimiable opening gestures soon ambushed by some savagely intricate demands, while the Rondo russe finale, complete with sleighbells, conforms to popular notions of an exotic foreign dance. In the Fifth Concerto Herz is back in minor-key drama without ever overstepping accepted notions of social propriety. So here, magnificently performed and recorded, is music to set heads nodding and feet tapping, the epitome of art which scorns profundity and elevates pianistic acrobatics to a high and elegant plane.

-- Bryce Morrison, Gramophone

More reviews:
ClassicsToday  ARTISTIC QUALITY: 9 / SOUND QUALITY: 9
http://www.classical-music.com/review/herz-0
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2006/May06/Herz_345_CDA67537.htm
http://www.classical.net/~music/recs/reviews/h/hyp67537a.php
http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-romantic-piano-concerto-vol-40-herz-piano-concertos-nos-3-5-mw0001553469
http://www.amazon.com/Herz-Piano-Concertos-Henri/dp/B000EXZGRK

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Henri Herz (6 January 1803 - 5 January 1888) was a pianist and composer, Austrian by birth, and French by domicile. Herz was a celebrated pianist, traveled worldwide, including tours in Europe, Russia, Mexico, South America, and in the United States of America between 1846–50, where he concertized all the way to San Francisco. Among his major works are eight piano concertos, a piano sonata, rondos, nocturnes, waltzes, marches, fantasias, and numerous sets of variations. Herz taught at the Conservatoire between 1842 and 1874.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Herz

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Howard Shelley (born 9 March 1950) is a British pianist and conductor. He was educated at Highgate School and the Royal College of Music. As pianist he has performed, broadcast and recorded around the world with leading orchestras and conductors. He made many recordings for Chandos, Hyperion and EMI, including Rachmaninov's complete piano music and concertos. As a conductor, he has held positions of Associate and Principal Guest Conductor with the London Mozart Players in a close relationship of over twenty years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Shelley

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