Johann Nepomuk Hummel - Piano Concerto No. 4; Double Concerto (Howard Shelley; Hagai Shaham)

Information

Composer: Johann Nepomuk Hummel

1. Piano Concerto No. 4 in E major, Op. 110: I. Allegro pomposo e spiritoso
2. Piano Concerto No. 4 in E major, Op. 110: II. Andante con moto
3. Piano Concerto No. 4 in E major, Op. 110: III. Rondo. Allegro moderato ma con brio
4. Concerto for violin & piano in G major, Op. 17: I. Allegro con brio
5. Concerto for violin & piano in G major, Op. 17: II. Theme & Variations. Andante con moto
6. Concerto for violin & piano in G major, Op. 17: III. Rondo

Hagai Shaham, violin (4-6)
London Mozart Players
Howard Shelley, piano & conductor

Date: 1998
Label: Chandos
https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%209687

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Review

Think of Hummel piano concertos and you will probably think of Stephen Hough. His Gramophone Award-winning disc of the A minor and B minor Concertos (Chandos, 6/87) set the standard in this repertory, and Chandos waited some time before following up their earlier success, this time with Howard Shelley directing from the keyboard. As Shelley proved on his first Hummel disc (Chandos, 1/98), he too is outstanding in this music, synthesizing the classical and romantic elements perfectly. A natural Mozartian, he allies his poise and clarity to a fearless technique, and absorbs Hummel’s most ostentatious demands into the musical fabric, giving the decorative solo part the necessary grace and piquancy.

These two concertos are wonderfully infectious. The E major Concerto (composed in 1814 but not published until 1826, hence the high opus number), like the A minor and B minor Concertos, occupies a kind of bridge between Mozart and Chopin, although Mozart’s depth and subtlety are in a rather different vein. Hummel is more of a show-off, and his music almost smiles at you, its charm and sparkle eschewing any hint of pretentiousness – no false grandeur here. Throughout, Shelley communicates the music’s joie de vivre, revelling in the figurative passagework. The Double Concerto is an earlier work (c1805), and may have been inspired by Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante, K365; it doesn’t have the same harmonic or lyrical variety as the E major Concerto, but it is a charming work, especially when so persuasively played. Shelley’s well-proportioned piano part is perfectly complemented by Hagai Shaham’s sweet-toned violin. Shelley fulfils his dual role admirably, and the London Mozart Players respond well to his playing and conducting. The recorded sound is first-rate. A lovely disc.

-- Tim Parry, Gramophone

More reviews:
BBC Music Magazine  PERFORMANCE: ***** / SOUND: *****
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hummel-Concertos-Piano-Violin-J-N/dp/B00000DMGH
http://www.amazon.com/Hummel-Piano-Concertos-Double-Concerto/dp/B00000DMGH

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Johann Nepomuk Hummel (14 November 1778 – 17 October 1837) was an Austrian composer and virtuoso pianist, whose music reflects the transition from the Classical to the Romantic musical era. Hummel was taught and housed by Mozart for two years, and later studied with Albrechtsberger, Haydn and Salieri. His main oeuvre is for the piano, on which instrument he was one of the great virtuosi of his day. Later 19th century pianistic technique was influenced by Hummel, through his instruction of Carl Czerny who later taught Liszt. Hummel's influence can also be seen in the early works of Chopin and Schumann.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Nepomuk_Hummel

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Hagai Shaham (born July 8, 1966) is an Israeli violin virtuoso. He began studying the violin at the age of six and was the last student of the late Professor Ilona Feher. As a soloist he has performed with many of the world's major orchestras. He also performs as a recitalist and appears in chamber music performances. Shaham has recorded music of Achron, Bloch, Brahms, Hubay, Grieg, Mozart, and more for labels such as Biddulph, Hyperion, Avie, Naxos, Talent. He is also a violin teacher, and a professor at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagai_Shaham

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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. He has appeared regularly on television and on the soundtrack of several films.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Shelley

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