Theodor Kullak; Alexander Dreyschock - Piano Concertos (Piers Lane)

Information

Composer: Theodor Kullak; Alexander Dreyschock

1. Kullak - Piano Concerto in C minor, Op. 55: I. Allegro
2. Kullak - Piano Concerto in C minor, Op. 55: II. Adagio
3. Kullak - Piano Concerto in C minor, Op. 55: III. Allegro moderato ma con fuoco
4. Dreyschock - Piano Concerto in D minor, Op. 137: I. Allegro ma non troppo
5. Dreyschock - Piano Concerto in D minor, Op. 137: II. Andante con moto
6. Dreyschock - Piano Concerto in D minor, Op. 137: III. Allegro vivace

Piers Lane, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Niklas Willén, conductor

Date: 1999
Label: Hyperion
http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67086

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Review

Hyperion’s adventurous exploration of little-known or unknown romantic piano concertos continues with two more first recordings, performed with the kind of zestful spirit and communicative flair that has rightly won this series so many plaudits. There are certainly no laurels being rested upon: indeed, the score and parts of the Dreyschock concerto took some tracking down and were eventually secured from a private collection in Japan.

In fact, it is the concerto by Kullak (1818-82) that has the strongest claim on our attention, particularly its arresting first movement. The Beethoven influence is tangible (accentuated by the C minor tonality, with its noble and powerful antecedents), although the solo part is more reminiscent of Hummel and Weber. This is a finely crafted work, with attractive melodic ideas, an intense lyricism and a blend of poignant gravitas and dashing pianistic display. The two remaining movements are not quite on the same level; nevertheless, this performance makes one grateful for the availability of such an appealing work. That by Dreyschock (1818-69) is an altogether more fluffy affair, with plenty of sparkling pianistic charm but without really memorable melodic content. The texture is even more piano-dominated than in the Kullak, with a severely restricted orchestral role, and the level of musical invention and variety is limited. This is, of course, a piece very much of its time and culture, an ephemeral work written for Dreyschock’s own use, and while it has its attractions it demands only an occasional airing. Piers Lane sums it up admirably: ‘Of course it is not particularly profound, but nor is it pretentious. It fizzes with the sort of champagne brilliance Dreyschock’s audiences must have loved.’

This series arouses constant admiration for the way polished interpretations are created from scratch, and this issue is no exception. Piers Lane, equipped with an enviable technical facility that makes light of the considerable demands, is consummately attuned to his task: his tone and phrasing throughout are attractive, his delicacy and colouring hugely persuasive. As ever, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra provides a reliable backdrop to the pianist’s flamboyance, and its tonal warmth and stylish playing unobtrusively adds to the authority of these performances. Piers Lane’s lively accompanying essay is as engaging as his playing, although ideally I would have liked the heavily anecdotal narrative complemented by a little more detail about the music (do we know, for example, when Dreyschock actually composed his concerto?). But he does quote a delightfully wicked and witty contemporary review of Dreyschock’s Etudes Op. 1, and sets these two interesting but peripheral figures in an eloquent historical context. The recorded sound is excellent. Recommended.

-- Tim Parry, Gramophone

More reviews:
BBC Music Magazine  PERFORMANCE: **** / SOUND: ****
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/sept99/kullak.htm
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Oct02/Kullak.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Kullak-Dreyschock-Piano-Concertos-Romantic/dp/B00000JPYO

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Theodor Kullak (12 September 1818 in Krotoschin – 1 March 1882 in Berlin) was a German pianist, composer, and teacher. He studied in Vienna with Carl Czerny, Otto Nicolai and Simon Sechter; Franz Liszt and Adolf von Henselt were also highly revered influences. As a teacher, Kullak wrote a large amount of instructional piano music. His other music, including a piano concerto and two sonatas, is very rarely played today. He also edited and annotated the complete piano works of Frédéric Chopin and Felix Mendelssohn. Among Kullak's many pupils were Moritz Moszkowski, Nikolai Rubinstein and Xaver Scharwenka.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Kullak

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Alexander Dreyschock (October 15, 1818 in Žáky, Bohemia – April 1, 1869 in Venice) was a Czech pianist and composer. He studied piano and composition with Václav Tomášek in Prague. During his touring years, Dreyschock caused a sensation with prodigious execution of thirds, sixths, and octaves, plus other tricks. Dreyschock's left-hand was renowned, and his most famous technical stunt was to play the left-hand arpeggios of Chopin's Revolutionary Étude in octaves. In 1862, Dreyschock became a staff member at the newly founded St. Petersburg Conservatory at Anton Rubinstein's invitation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Dreyschock

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Piers Lane (born 8 January 1958) is an Australian classical pianist. He graduated with a Medal of Excellence from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, where his teacher was Nancy Weir. His performance career has taken him to more than 40 countries. His concerto repertoire exceeds 75 works. Lane has an extensive discography on the Hyperion label and has also recorded for EMI, Decca, BMG, Lyrita and Unicorn-Kanchana. Lane is a well-known voice on BBC Radio 3, having written and presented more than 100 programs, including a 54-part series called The Piano.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Lane

http://www.pierslane.com/

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