MacDowell: Piano Concerto No. 2 in D minor Op. 23

This release by JRI Recordings features two works for piano and orchestra, brilliantly written for the soloist by two of the most prominent pianists of the 19th century. The work by Clara Schumann is the single finest concerto by a female composer in the romantic era, and that by Edward MacDowell the finest concerto by an American in this period. This recording is also novel in that it utilizes two experimental approaches to making a concerto recording. In the MacDowell Concerto, the orchestra was recorded alone and the piano part was added later. In the Clara Schumann Concerto, the orchestra was created entirely with a midi keyboard and computer using sampled sounds. The results in both pieces are stunningly beautiful and realistic.

Contrasting music rooted, like American painting of the late nineteenth century, in the European and American traditions: Charles Griffes was the first American "Impressionist" composer. Edward Macdowell took the American landscape and scenes as his inspiration. Both studied in Europe before returning to their native land to begin distinctive musical careers as American composers.

When Arturo Toscanini fell out with NBC in 1943 and refused to conduct the orchestra which had been specially founded for him in 1937, replacement conductors were engaged. Amongst these was Leopold Stokowski, who conducted a series of broadcast concerts over the next few years, until Toscanini eventually resumed his post. These Stokowski broadcasts have gained legendary status, not least because of the rare experience of hearing him in charge of Toscanini’s own orchestra. This CD brings together an important collection of those performances taken from the original broadcasts, with some items actually introduced by Stokowski himself. Also here are works that Stokowski never recorded commercially, making a release of considerable importance to collectors of great conductors on record.

recorded Vienna, 1953