Mily Balakirev; Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Piano Concertos (Malcolm Binns)

Information

Composer: Mily Balakirev; Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

1. Rimsky-Korsakov - Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor, Op. 30: I. Moderato - Allegretto quasi polacca -
2. Rimsky-Korsakov - Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor, Op. 30: II. Andante mosso -
3. Rimsky-Korsakov - Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor, Op. 30: III. Allegro
4. Balakirev - Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1
5. Balakirev - Piano Concerto No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. posth: I. Allegro non troppo
6. Balakirev - Piano Concerto No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. posth: II. Adagio
7. Balakirev - Piano Concerto No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. posth: III. Allegro risoluto 

Malcolm Binns, piano
English Northern Philharmonia Orchestra
David Lloyd-Jones, conductor

Date: 1993
Label: Hyperion
http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA66640

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Review

Op. 1' and 'Op. posth.' says a lot about Balakirev's two piano concertos. The First is a single movement only, composed at the age of 18 and massively indebted to the Chopin concertos. The Second was begun not long after, in 1861, but abandoned after the first movement; Balakirev apparently extemporized the rest to fellow-Mighty-Handful members but was only persuaded to write the other movements down near the end of his life. At his death in 1910 the finale had to be completed by Lyapunov, which may be partly why it sounds so splendidly rambunctious, so close in places, I felt, to Gershwin. The concerto was certainly worth the efforts of all concerned; the first movement's fugal episodes and the slow movement's tinges of Russian Orthodox gloom stay in the mind, compensating for Balakirev's occasional recourse to inflating and over-decorating short sub-phrases. The First Concerto, too, has little flashes of individuality which keep you listening despite the obvious naivety and derivative quality of the material.

The Rimsky-Korsakov has come and gone from the catalogue over the years and is currently not listed. It is in effect more of a folk-song fantasia than a concerto, but there is much post-Liszt-and-Grieg-ian charm, as well as a striking foretaste of Rachmaninov's Paganini Rhapsody (Paganini's famous opening motif coincidentally also begins the second strain of Rimsky's chosen theme).

These three works make an excellent programme, then. And Malcolm Binns, though not the most sparkling of soloists, plays with commendable solidity. A tighter focus on some sections of the orchestra might have improved the recorded sound; but the quality of the English Northern Philharmonia's contribution is high, and all in all this is an admirably conceived and executed disc.

-- Gramophone

More reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Oct02/Balakirev_Rimsky.htm
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/h/hyp66640a.php
http://www.amazon.com/Romantic-Piano-Concerto-Vol-Rimsky-Korsakov/dp/B000002ZSH

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Mily Balakirev (2 January 1837 [O.S. 21 December 1836] – 29 May [O.S. 16 May] 1910) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor known today primarily for his work promoting musical nationalism and his encouragement of more famous Russian composers, notably Tchaikovsky. Balakirev is also the one who brought together the group of five Russian composers now known as The Mighty Handful (a.k.a. The Five). As a composer, however, Balakirev's slow pace in completing works deprived him of credit for his inventiveness. His oriental fantasy Islamey for solo piano remains popular among virtuosos.

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

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Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (18 March [O.S. 6 March] 1844 – 21 June [O.S. 8 June] 1908) was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five. He was considered a master of orchestration. His best-known orchestral compositions are staples of the classical music repertoire, along with suites and excerpts from some of his 15 operas. Rimsky-Korsakov shaped a generation of younger composers and musicians during his decades as an educator, and is considered "the main architect" of what the classical music public considers the Russian style of composition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Rimsky-Korsakov

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Malcolm Binns (born 29 January 1936 in Nottingham) is a British classical pianist. He studied music at the Royal College of Music in London from 1952 to 1956. He made his London debut in 1957 and frequently appeared at the Proms in London, starting in 1960. Binns is a noted authority on British piano music, his repertoire thereof including works by composers such as Arnold Bax, Benjamin Britten, Hamilton Harty, John Ireland, Edmund Rubbra and Charles Villiers Stanford. He has appeared with many other orchestras and conductors internationally and performed on numerous BBC radio broadcasts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Binns

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