Conductor Leon Botstein and his ensemble The Orchestra Now have specialized in neglected repertory, often presented in an annual festival at New York state's Bard College. This Bridge Records release brings together three works from that festival, performed anew in January of 2020 by pianist Orion Weiss. The stated ideas of the recording -- "Piano Protagonists," and the idea that the works were all written in response to an external stimulus (most piano concertos were and are) -- are a bit fuzzy, but as to the general ...
Read More
Conductor Leon Botstein and his ensemble The Orchestra Now have specialized in neglected repertory, often presented in an annual festival at New York state's Bard College. This Bridge Records release brings together three works from that festival, performed anew in January of 2020 by pianist Orion Weiss. The stated ideas of the recording -- "Piano Protagonists," and the idea that the works were all written in response to an external stimulus (most piano concertos were and are) -- are a bit fuzzy, but as to the general thrust of the orchestra's programming, the album fills the bill admirably. The three works here, all by composers ranging from fairly well known to household name in Chopin's case, all qualify as neglected. The least-known, and really the most delightful find here, is the Piano Concerto in C sharp major for the left hand, Op. 17, of Erich Wolfgang Korngold. He solves the problem of how to deal with the limited capacity of the one-handed pianist in a nifty way, forging an episodic,...
Read Less
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.