Klaus Hellwig - Reinecke: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-4 (1995)

Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series hasn't yet got around to these ones yet - perhaps exactly because of the existence of this excellent recording of all four from cpo. Musically, these works would be among the high points of that series, and fortunately the recordings at hand are overall superb. Stylistically Reinecke may not have been the most original of composers. His sound world is that of Schumann and Mendelssohn, with just a bit of slightly more advanced harmonies in his later works. There are a few personal touches, however, and more than anything Reinecke was a superb craftsman with an ear for melody - no wonder he was such a sought-after teacher (as a curiosity and digression, Reinecke as a pianist is apparently, in terms of birth date (1824), the oldest performer of whom a recording in any form exists).

All four concertos are inspired works, finely scored and featuring brilliant solo parts. There are also plenty of themes that are, if not always deeply memorable, at least compelling and interesting enough to sustain the listener's interest, and the discourse between soloist and orchestra is always engaging and imaginative. I suppose, in the end, that the first two concertos are the most immediately appealing, exhibiting a spirit, a freshness, a vigor and a level of exuberance that grips the listener from the very start.