Howard Shelley, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra - Moscheles: Piano Concertos Nos. 4 & 5 (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 36) (2005)

Tracklist

01. Piano Concerto No. 4 in E Major, Op. 64: I. Allegro maestoso
02. Piano Concerto No. 4 in E Major, Op. 64: II. Adagio
03. Piano Concerto No. 4 in E Major, Op. 64: III. Rondo. Allegretto – Tempo di marcia
04. Piano Concerto No. 5 in C Major, Op. 87: I. Allegro moderato
05. Piano Concerto No. 5 in C Major, Op. 87: II. Adagio non troppo
06. Piano Concerto No. 5 in C Major, Op. 87: III. Allegro vivace
07. Recollections of Ireland, Op. 69: I. Fantasia. Allegro moderato
08. Recollections of Ireland, Op. 69: II. The Groves of Blarney. Andante sostenuto espressivo
09. Recollections of Ireland, Op. 69: III. Garry Owen. Allegro
10. Recollections of Ireland, Op. 69: IV. St Patrick's Day

Howard Shelley’s third disc in Hyperion’s traversal of the complete extant piano concertos by Ignaz Moscheles brings us triumphant performances of the fourth and fifth concertos which are complemented by a spirited rendition of the Recollections of Ireland, composed almost by way of thanks for divine deliverance from a storm-tossed crossing of the Irish Sea in 1826.

Piano Concerto No 4 represents the culmination of Moscheles’ output in the genre during his years as a touring virtuoso, and the results are every bit as pyrotechnical as this might lead one to expect. A precurser of the Chopin and Schumann concertos, here delicious melody and rumbustious joie de vivre combine (alongside a version of The British Grenadiers) in a work of immediate and lasting appeal.

The fifth concerto is something rather different, its audaciously progressive musical language initially proving something of a turn-off for contemporary audiences expecting ‘more of the same’. However, the work bristles with virtuosic display and strong themes – every bit a tribute to its composer’s idol, Beethoven, whose own C minor concerto provides the opening motif of Moscheles’ closing movement.

Recollections of Ireland is a crowd-pleasing fantasia based on four popular Irish tunes (‘The Groves of Blarney’ being better known today as ‘The Last Rose of Summer’) and provides Moscheles ample scope to indulge his passion for a good tune – and his facility at interweaving several good tunes …

The accompanying booklet gives full details of the works, of course, and also throws down the gauntlet to the interested listener: Hyperion is committed to recording the missing Piano Concerto No 8 – if anyone can shed any light on where the music might be, many years of international searching having so far drawn a blank.

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