Hyperion Records | The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol. 23

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CDA67127

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Recording details: June 1999
Caird Hall, Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
Release date: February 2000
Total duration: 69 minutes 5 seconds
Available for download on iTunes: Yes

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CLASSIC CD DISC OF THE MONTH

'Extremely well played by Hamish Milne and the excellent BBC Scottish Symphony. If you are attracted by the repertoire, give it a try: you will not be disappointed.' (International Record Review)

'Superlative performances of two forgotten British gems ... An altogether exemplary release.' (Gramophone)

'The playing is first class and the recording is super' (American Record Guide)

'Marvellous performances and recording' (Hi-Fi News & Record Review)

'Hamish Milne plays "to the manner born" in his elegant and mesmerizing realization of both scores. A must for the "Romantic" collector' (Fanfare, USA)

'One for the end of year awards. An outstanding issue in every way' (Classic CD)

The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol. 23 – Holbrooke & Wood

Hamish Milne (piano), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins (conductor)

		Piano Concerto No 1 'The Song of Gwyn ap Nudd', Op 52 Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958)
1		Movement 1 Part 1: Maestoso Allegro 'Open the gates of mirrored horn!' [2:07]
2		Movement 1 Part 2: Animato 'Ye guards of my hold whom wanderers fear' [0:50]
3		Movement 1 Part 3: A tempo 'Harness a steed from the gnomes dark fields' [0:17]
4		Movement 1 Part 4: A tempo 'Vapour of night be thou my shield' [2:16]
5		Movement 1 Part 5: 'Swift through the dell where the young bats wake' [0:49]
6		Movement 1 Part 6: A tempo 'The armies of night are abroad' [0:58]
7		Movement 1 Part 7: Tempo primo 'Here lies the field that was laid to our hand' [2:19]
8		Movement 1 Part 8: 'Deep in the mould lies the golden helmed all' [2:16]
9		Movement 1 Part 9: Più mosso al fine 'No spectre of them will answer my call' [0:47]
10		Movement 2 Part 1: Poco adagio con sentimento 'Faint as the faith of our people long dying' [4:27]
11		Movement 2 Part 2: Tempo poco Allegretto Poco Scherzando 'Clotted of shadows he comes to my hest' [2:29]
12		Movement 2 Part 3: Tempo I 'Daughter of Lear' [1:12]
13		Movement 2 Part 4: 'O God of our torment lean down and decide that we shall never meet again' [1:12]
14		Movement 3 Part 1: Allegro, molto fuoco 'Blade that meets blade with never a sound' [1:19]
15		Movement 3 Part 2: 'Face me afresh though the night hour fails' [1:01]
16		Movement 3 Part 3: Tempo poco Larghetto 'Back to your grave' [1:34]
17		Movement 3 Part 4: Temp primo 'Break back from the battle' [0:51]
18		Movement 3 Part 5: 'Away from this land, Fairy folk all' [0:48]
19		Movement 3 Part 6: Poco lento 'Flit ye away while the shadows mate Branch and blest earth' [2:17]
20		Movement 3 Part 7: L'istesso tempo (Doppio) 'For scorn follows fast on the Fairy King's fate' [0:52]
21		Movement 3 Part 8: Cadenza [3:12]
22		Movement 3 Part 9: Grandioso – brillante 'She was the most splendid maiden' [1:59]
		Concerto in D minor for piano and orchestra Haydn Wood (1882-1959)
23		Movement 1: Maestoso e moderato – Tranquillo – cadenza – Allegro [15:04]
24		Movement 2: Andante [5:51]
25		Movement 3: Finale. Vivace [12:18]

These two English piano concertos in the grand romantic tradition were written at almost the same time (Holbrooke 1908, Wood 1909) and were undoubtedly inspired by the great concertos of the previous few decades such as those of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov.

The Holbrooke piece, like so much of his music, has a literary inspiration, in the form of the poem 'The Song of Gwyn ap Nudd' which the score follows closely. Indeed the composer originally described the work as a symphonic poem though he later changed his mind and settled on Piano Concerto No 1 when he revised the work in 1923 - the version recorded here. (Incidentally, we have it on good Welsh authority that 'Nudd' is pronounced 'Neeth').

Though Haydn Wood later made his name writing shorter pieces of light music his early concerto is in full blown romantic style complete with first movement cadenza and 'big tune' grand finale. Its emotional heart, though, is in the simple but moving slow movement. This is the work's first recording and it appears not to have been played since 1951.