The Romantic Piano Concerto 45 - Ferdinand Hiller - Hyperion: CDA67655 - CD or download

Listen on Presto Music. Free thirty day trial. Find out more.

This must rate as one of the more successful of Hyperion's prodigal disinterments of Romantic Piano Concertos. Howard Shelley's brilliant and stylish playing … gives full value to the lyrical... — BBC Music Magazine, May 2008, 5 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 31st Mar 2008
Catalogue No: CDA67655
Label: Hyperion
Series: The Romantic Piano Concerto
Length: 76 minutes

Gramophone Magazine

June 2008

Editor's Choice

Usually despatched in 3 - 4 working days

Hiller, F: Piano Concerto No. 1 in F minor, Op. 5

Work length24:33

$3.30

$4.50

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Howard Shelley

I. Allegro moderato

Track length10:20

$1.10

$1.50

II. Adagio

Track length5:52

$1.10

$1.50

III. Allegro moderato e con grazia

Track length8:21

$1.10

$1.50

Hiller, F: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F sharp minor, Op. 69

Work length20:02

$3.30

$4.50

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Howard Shelley

I. Moderato, ma con energia e con fuoco

Track length8:23

$1.10

$1.50

II. Andante espressivo

Track length6:05

$1.10

$1.50

III. Allegro con fuoco

Track length5:34

$1.10

$1.50

Hiller, F: Piano Concerto No. 3 in A flat major ‘Concerto espressivo’, Op. 170

Work length31:38

$3.30

$4.50

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Howard Shelley

I. Allegro con anima

Track length12:35

$1.10

$1.50

II. Andante quasi adagio

Track length8:04

$1.10

$1.50

III. Allegro con spirito

Track length10:59

$1.10

$1.50

About
Reviews
Explore

About

The Romantic Piano Concerto series continues to bring undiscovered works to the listening public, performed by the greatest piano virtuosos of today. The composer Hiller was admired by Schumann, who described him as the exemplar of ‘how to combine orchestra and piano in brilliant fashion’. One of the most imposing musical personalities of the nineteenth century, close friends with the likes of Rossini, Liszt, Berlioz and particularly Mendelssohn, Hiller was nevertheless largely forgotten less than twenty years after his death as musical fashion changed. The Second Concerto is a genuine forgotten masterpiece, and Hyperion has been looking for the right opportunity to record it for many years.

The First and Third concertos are both first recordings, and indeed the Third was never published. A combination of the appealing and the unknown makes this a classic RPC disc. Howard Shelley is a veteran of the Romantic Piano Concerto series. He conducts the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra here from the piano.

Reviews

May 2008

This must rate as one of the more successful of Hyperion's prodigal disinterments of Romantic Piano Concertos. Howard Shelley's brilliant and stylish playing … gives full value to the lyrical elements.

2010

History can be a cruel judge, for it is hard to dismiss such a confident, superbly crafted piece as the F sharp minor (Second) Concerto of 1843.
It is one of the gems of the genre, the first to be written in that key and with many surprising features such as the soloist kicking off proceedings fiercely and without any introduction, the written-out cadenza opening with a subsidiary rather than principal theme, and the birdsong figuration and unusual left-hand rhythmic accompaniment in the andante espressivo.
Piano Conerto No 1 (1831) is a brilliant display vehicle in the Parisian manner of the day which, however, owes more to Chopin and Moscheles (its dedicatee) than Herz or Kalkbrenner.
In No 3 (1874), presumed lost until recently, Hiller again strives to be innovative in terms of structure and handling of material, keeping his soloist fully occupied despite the work's subtitle and dominant character. Inferior they may be to No 2 but, especially in perfor- mances like these, well worth hearing.
Once more, one has to take off one's hat to Howard Shelley for leading such exuberant performances while simultaneously tackling demanding keyboard writing with amazing agility, innate elegance and complete stylistic empathy.

June 2008

Once more, one has to take off one's hat to Howard Shelley for leading such exuberant performances while simultaneously tackling demanding keyboard writing with amazing agility, innate elegance and complete stylistic empathy.

These dextrous and remarkably self-confident concertos … are studded with delights … as a pianist, Hiller was known for his delicate touch—and Shelley reflects that characteristic in the breathtaking finesse of his playing. At the same time, there’s plenty of bravura here, too, which Shelley handles with enviable technical panache …
all in all, another triumph in this ear-opening series

The Romantic Piano Concerto 45 - Ferdinand Hiller

CD

Downloads

Contents

Download queue