Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54

A truly remarkable recording from the Russian pianist Oleg Marshev, containing his first recording of music by Robert Schumann. This release continues the highly acclaimed series with the brilliant Danish orchestra from South Jutland. The CD also includes a rarely recorded Clara Schumann concerto.

These two popular concertos have for many years been coupled on LP and CD, and ever since their initial release in 1972, the performances on this CD have been consistently rated as outstanding.

This recording is one of a few to have achieved true classic status, of the stature (among concerto recordings) of Jacqueline du Pre’s Elgar Cello Concerto, and Michelangeli’s Ravel G major and Rachmaninov Fourth Piano Concertos.

The young Stephen Bishop (now known as Stephen Kovacevich) was at the height of his considerable powers, and these performances of two of the best-loved piano concertos have hardly been equalled ever since they were made almost 40 years ago.

‘Bishop’s impeccably clear playing fills the big moments with tone without allowing them to be over-rhetorical – and in fact rhetoric is less characteristic of him than fluent speech that can when necessary become assertive to the point of brilliance and does, indeed, make his third movement of the Grieg very exciting. His acute sensibility and the mellifluous playing of all orchestral solo passages show us Grieg the nature-poet. And this feeling for mood, for the undertones of reverie, gives the essence of Schumann as Romantic, and in both concertos conductor and soloist are in perfect rapport – and the recording engineers have missed nothing.’ Gramophone, March 1972

New booklet notes

The popular coupling of Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor and Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21, featuring Louis Lortie as the soloist, is here re-issued on Chandos Classics.

On the original release, CD Review wrote of the performance of Schumann’s Concerto: ‘…his playing is thrillingly imaginative and I cannot recall ever having heard the Finale sound so physically exciting as it does here.’ About the performance of Chopin’s F minor Concerto, the reviewer noted: ‘Lortie produces a scintillating reading which resounds in the mind long after the music has ceased.’

The Philharmonia Orchestra is conducted by Neeme Järvi.

Annie Fischer’s (July 5, 1914 - April 10, 1995) main teacher was Ernst von Dohnányi at the Budapest Music Academy. In 1933 she won the first prize at the International Liszt Competition and soon established an illustrious solo concert career. She was regularly invited to perform throughout Europe by the likes of Otto Klemperer, Ferenc Fricsay, Igor Markevich, Antal Dorati, Walfganf Sawalisch, Adrian Boult. and considered one of the most admired pianists of the 20th century. Her great qualities were the poetic, passionate and magically beautiful performances that created a special communication with the audience.

Martin Helmchen’s last two CDs have both been Music Choice of the Month in BBC Music Magazine. His recording of the “Trout” received excellent reviews all over the world: “The young Martin Helmchen is as gifted a new pianist as I expect to hear for years” BBC Music Magazine.