Wednesday 24 February 2010

Schumann - Piano Concerto [Tanyel/ Burgos-London Symphony Orchestra]

I listened to this disc last month [22nd January 2010], and i thoroughly enjoyed the Grieg Concerto there, this time i enjoyed the Schumann Concerto, also again i must mention the booklet, a lovely shot of Seta, a blue background behind flesh tones really works.

Not quite as good as the Grieg, but close, they're nearly always coupled together, i suppose it's because they're quite similar, in the same key of A minor for instance, and they both have a striking opening flourish, supposedly Grieg modelled his work on the Schumann.

The Turkish born Armenian Seta Tanyel is a sound interpreter, i really got into the first movement, after the startling opening flourish [0:00-0:06], the oboe solo tune sets the whole thing up [0:06-0:25], and the piano mirrors the same [0:26-0:46], and when the orchestra come in the whole thing takes off [0:47], the solo piano plays a sweet melody [1:41-2:39], something that Grieg took advantage of, there's a long passage a third of the way through the movement, a soft caressing of the tune on the piano, and undulating waves in the left hand, the clarinet features heavily, echoing the piano [4:55-6:37], this is the best moment of this piece, pure bliss, the movement ends on a high, with some glorious piano work [15:08-15:39], i'm glad my blog forces me to analyse what i listen to.

Here's Martha Argerich playing the Concerto, with Antonio Pappano conducting on YouTube.