The
romantic piano concerto falls into two categories: the virtuoso
showpiece, in which the orchestra is treated as a necessary
evil to accompany the flashy finger-work of the composer/pianist;
or, the symphonic expression, perhaps best exemplified by
Brahms, in which the orchestra and soloist are of equal importance
in telling the musical story. The three works on this disc
seem to fall into the former category, although they are
not as shallow as say the concertos of Liszt and Chopin which
exhibit ultra-flimsy orchestrations and somewhat shallow
contributions from the soloist.
Schumann’s
ubiquitous concerto, composed for his virtuoso wife Clara
gets a refreshing performance here from Howard Shelley, England’s
no-nonsense yet tastefully expressive piano master. Clarity
of line, spot-on choices of tempo and just enough romantic
ache to remind us that the music was composed in the 1800s
are the high points of this elegant and masterful reading
of a piece that can easily succumb to either overt gush or
tired indifference. Shelley proves himself to be at home
with both orchestra and instrument in this well balanced
reading.
Grieg’s
equally over-performed work is also held in the bounds of
good taste here. Unquestionably influenced by Schumann, Grieg
adopts most of the elder composer’s conventions by eliminating
a lengthy orchestral exposition, by linking the middle and
outer movements without pause and even by choosing the same
key. This tuneful work can often come across as elementary
and trite in the wrong hands. Not so here. Again, good choices
of tempo and a lack of fussiness make this performance fresh
and enjoyable.
The
real treat is the Saint-Saëns. Perhaps the most lyrical of
the French master’s five piano concertos, Mr. Shelley plays
with a great deal of élan, proving the composer’s own adept
keyboard virtuosity. Saint-Saëns is a composer whose music
has a certain classical balance to it. He was quite prolific,
and it would be a good thing if more of his music, particularly
the chamber works made it to the stage more often. Howard
Shelley is fleet of finger, finding gallant lyricism in the
filigree and bringing out the substance of thought that lies
only inches beneath the surface of what could be interpreted
as a mere showpiece.
This
is my first encounter with the Orchestra of Opera North.
They prove to be a very able band indeed, providing clear
and balanced accompaniment, accurate intonation and clarity
of line. Quite able to shine in the passages without the
soloist, they also provide a fine and stable underpinning
when the pianist is to the fore.
Kevin
Sutton
Howard Shelley
(piano and conductor) 
