The cover of this CD claims the recording of the Gordon Jacob
First
Piano Concerto to be a première recording; the booklet by Graham
Parlett, slightly more circumspectly, refers to it as the “first commercial
recording”. There has indeed been available for some time on the internet a
broadcast transcription dating from the 1950s featuring the pianist Iris
Loveridge, for whom the concerto was written. It has however to be observed
that the old recording suffers from fairly abysmal sound even for its era.
Although as always it is of interest to hear the view of the work taken by
its creator this new reading in modern sound is much the better way to
encounter the work. Malcolm Williamson’s
Second Piano Concerto was
recorded in the 1970s by Gwenneth Pryor with the English Chamber Orchestra
under Yuval Zaliouk for EMI (EMD 5520) in the 1970s but this version seems
never to have made the transition from LP to CD; at any rate it is no longer
listed on Archiv. I do however note that
Hyperion have a complete recording of all of the
Williamson piano concertos performed by Piers Lane. Doreen Carwithen’s
concerto was recorded in modern sound back in 2006 as part of a complete
Carwithen CD conducted by Richard Hickox for
Chandos with
Howard Shelley as the pianist. Even so the combination of these three
concertos for piano and strings is most welcome, since all three scores well
repay investigation and all have been neglected on disc over many years.
It is particularly gratifying to hear the Jacob concerto is modern sound,
since it is a most attractive work. At first the busy neo-classical style
could be regarded as superficial, but by 2.01 in the first movement we
encounter some beautifully lyrical writing. Jacob is most remembered
nowadays for his work with Vaughan Williams — he orchestrated the latter’s
Folksong Suite — and his short book on orchestral technique. This
concerto predates his activities in this field and makes the listener aware
that he had already established his own style and voice. The slow movement
is particularly emotionally charged, with its use of solo strings almost
sounding like chamber music.
The Malcolm Williamson concerto, despite its jazzy outer movements, is
distinguished also by a heartfelt slow movement and it is amazing to realise
that the whole work was composed in a mere eight days. This was the period
when Williamson was at his most productive, and although the composer
disclaimed any pretensions to profundity in the writing the melody of the
slow movement has a haunting quality that will linger in the ear of the
listener. It is a great pity that many of the major works from this period,
in particular his spellbinding operatic setting of Oscar Wilde’s
The
Happy Prince, have never made the transition from LP to CD. In these
days when Williamson’s music seems to be finding new audiences I hope that
their reissue will not be long delayed. Be that as it may, we should be
grateful to have this revival of the concerto to enjoy.
The Carwithen concerto is one of the composer’s major works. After her
marriage in 1961 to her former teacher William Alwyn she more or less gave
up writing music of her own during her husband’s lifetime. Like the Jacob
concerto, it is largely neo-classical in style but with a Ravelian delicacy
in the string writing. This is the only concerto on this disc to encounter
modern competition. It has to be said that Hickox obtains a richer sonority
from his LSO strings at passages such as the big tune in the first movement
(track 7, 4.59) than the players here can contrive. Then again, the listener
may wonder whether Carwithen really wanted the music here to sound quite as
Rachmaninov-like as Hickox makes it. The smoothly emotional performance here
has an equal validity, although Graham Parlett’s notes point out that
Maurice Johnstone noted the parallels with Rachmaninov at the time of the
first performance in 1951. The work was subsequently given at a Prom in
1952, again with the indefatigable Iris Loveridge as soloist. The
chamber-music like delicacy of the slow movement is particularly beautifully
realised here, and the forthright finale brings the disc to a rousing
conclusion.
Mark Bebbington, a marvellously adventurous pianist, is every bit as good
in these performances as we might expect. The orchestra, drawn from players
of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, is admittedly small in scale –
the big romantic tunes in the Williamson could also be richer – but their
performance has poise and accuracy and is superbly well recorded. Those
looking for a more overtly romantic and full-bodied approach may wish to
consider the alternatives although only that of the Carwithen is readily
available at present. Even so this disc should have a claim on their
attention. Those unfamiliar with these works will find much satisfaction
here. The release comes with an eight-page booklet note by Graham Parlett
which is a mine of useful information.
Paul Corfield Godfrey
Footnote (from a reader)The reviewer refers
to a broadcast performance from 1958 which appears on YouTube.
Your reviewer quotes that it was played by Iris Loveridge - this
is stated on the YouTube video but it is incorrect and I tried a
few years ago to point this out. The broadcast performance that I
actually recorded at the time was played by Peter Wallfisch and
this is the version on YouTube. The concerto was dedicated to
Arthur Benjamin who premiered the work in 1927. Iris Loveridge
would have been about 10 years old in 1927! I hope this sets the
record straight.
Dr Geoff Ogram
