Conductors who composed or composers who conducted. The choice
depends on the vagaries of history and taste. It is difficult
to be both, as least when viewed from the benches of the music
critic. CPO among others has carried the banner for more than
a few conductor-composers, including Bruno
Walter who wrote a stunning First Symphony in D, Otto
Klemperer and Felix
Weingartner. Guild entered the fray some years ago with
a whole series of the compositions of Volkmar Andreae who for
me will forever be locked into memories of the Turnabout, Candide
and Vox LP labels. More recently we have seen his recordings
of the Bruckner symphonies (Music
& Arts) and of the Othmar Schoeck Violin Concerto (Jecklin).
If that association remains true after hearing this disc it
will be down to a failure in imagination.
These four works are conducted by the composer’s grandson and
funded by the Andreae family with the blessed Czeslaw Marek
Foundation. They are triumphantly vibrant examples of the late-romantic
movement and here appear in their first-ever commercial recordings.
The spirit of adventure is well and truly alive.
The three-movement Piano Concerto is a tempestuous Tchaikovskian
foray with golden splendour flowing through its veins and arteries.
This should not be missed by adherents of the Hyperion romantic
piano concerto series, especially of the concerto niche also
occupied by Bortkiewicz, Arensky and Scriabin. I hasten to emphasise
that this work runs with the Tchaikovskian current rather than
the Brahmsian one. After a dreamy middle movement the finale
gallops along in optimistic vein but pulls itself together for
a conventional buffeting storm with which to end. Those moody
coal-black clouds gradually lighten for the Konzertstück
and take us into a more Schumann-inflected style. The dying
bars emphasise the irrepressibly reverberant acoustic of The
Lighthouse.
Then comes the compact Violin Concerto which opens in
slowly pulsating film noir gloom. The violin enters
high and slender in a finery that blends Berg and Delius. The
music develops temperaments that dance and sing. All in all
this is a triumph of variegated yet predominantly lambent writing.
The ‘sweet tooth’ finale is reminiscent of both Saint-Saens
and Korngold. A Mephisto darkness builds towards the end but
soon changes tack for a cheery final wave. Encircling shadows
hang over the Rhapsodie but once the music finds
its feet this proves to be another exuberant feel-good effort.
Again the work is in the concentrated, tunefully catchy style
established by Saint-Saens in his short violin pieces such as
Havanaise and Caprice Andalou.
The agreeably detailed notes are by Robert Matthew-Walker and
are no token contribution. The research shows and is put across
with a light but not condescending hand.
Well worth the investment for those who are curious about Andreae
the composer and for adherents of catchily romantic concertos.
Rob Barnett
Volkmar Andreae on Guild:-
Symphony GMCD
7377
Songs GMCD
7237
Piano Trios GMCD
7307
String and Flute Quartets GMCD
7328
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Fali Pavri (piano); Christian Altenburger (violin)