Bendix is not a completely
unknown quantity. This Danish composer's
four symphonies have been recorded on
Danacord DACOCD 436-437. He was of the
same generation as Glass and Ludolf
Nielsen - a generation cast into outer
darkness by the brilliance and overwhelming
genius of Carl Nielsen.
Bendix's lanky and
romantically leonine concerto is in
three meaty movements. The first is
a substantial allegro moderato which
has about it elements of the Brahms
First Concerto and the irresistible
songfulness of the Scriabin and Arensky
concertos. The second is a softly floral
and rhapsodic Intermezzo. The
allegro vivace carries many resonances
but the strongest is early Rachmaninov
(First Piano Concerto) - in fact the
infamous Rachmaninov Prelude hangs
in the air. Did Rachmaninov know this
Bendix concerto before he wrote that
Prelude. There is certainly more
of Rachmaninov (and Tchaikovsky) in
this last movement than there is of
the decorative Saint-Saens. The sign-off
is trampingly conventional but there
is much here that will captivate and
especially for the enthusiast of romantic
piano concertos.
Music is a sacred calling
- that was the belief of Rudolph Simonsen.
His chamber music includes two string
quartets, a piano quartet, a piano quintet
and a clarinet quintet. His four symphonies
were written between 1921 and 1925 and
at the time were seen as a continuation
of the Carl Nielsen six. No. 3 Hellas
was included in the historic recordings
Danacord set DACOCD 370-371. The others
are: No. 1 Sion; No. 3 Roma
and No. 4 Denmark.
The three movement
Simonsen Piano Concerto is from three
decades after the Bendix. Even so it
is highly romantic. This time there
is less of Brahms and Rachmaninov and
more of the silvery enchantment of Tchaikovsky
but lambently orchestrated and many
more 'modern' touches. Towards the end
of that first movement the piano solo
becomes sternly heroic and fleetingly
takes on some of the impress of the
Brahms Second Concerto. The Lento
is still romantic but is subdued
apart from a brief rounded climax at
7:23. There is a ramshackle Lisztian
finale full of grotesque fantasy and
thundered out victory.
As expected Marshev
is completely in command and is a capably
sympathetic advocate for these neglected
romantic leviathans. Conductor and orchestra
match his achievement although the violins
lack the lush bloom we might have hoped
for.
The booklet notes are
by Mogens Wenzel Andreasen so we are
in reliable hands; just what is called
for with unknown music.
Rob Barnett
Danish Piano Concertos series on DANACORD
Siegfried
Langgaard and Rued Langgaard DACOCD
535
August
Winding and Emil Hartmann DACOCD
581
Otto
Malling, Ludvig Schytte, Siegfried
Salomon DACOCD 597
Oleg Marshev (piano) 
