The Romantic Piano Concerto 23 - Holbrooke and Wood - Hyperion: CDA67127 - CD or download

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Holbrooke's ambitious First Piano Concerto is by some margin the most impressive orchestral piece of his to appear on disc. Dubbed a symphonic poem by its creator, it follows the narra- tive... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Release Date: 1st Feb 2000
Catalogue No: CDA67127
Label: Hyperion
Series: The Romantic Piano Concerto
Length: 69 minutes

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Holbrooke: Piano Concerto No. 1, 'The Song of Gwyn ap Nudd', Op. 52

Work length36:06

$22.00

$27.50

Hamish Milne (piano)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

Ia. Maestoso Allegro 'Open the gates of mirrored horn!'

Track length2:04

$1.00

$1.25

Ib. Animato 'Ye guards of my hold whom wanderers fear'

Track length0:50

$1.00

$1.25

Ic. A tempo 'Harness a steed from the gnomes dark fields'

Track length0:17

$1.00

$1.25

Id. A tempo 'Vapour of night be thou my shield'

Track length2:16

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$1.25

Ie. 'Swift through the dell where the young bats wake'

Track length0:49

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If. A tempo 'The armies of night are abroad'

Track length0:58

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Ig. Tempo primo 'Here lies the field that was laid to our hand'

Track length2:19

$1.00

$1.25

Ih. 'Deep in the mould lies the golden helmed all'

Track length2:16

$1.00

$1.25

Ii. Più mosso al fine 'No spectre of them will answer my call'

Track length0:50

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IIa. Poco adagio con sentimento 'Faint as the faith of our people long dying'

Track length4:24

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IIb. Tempo poco Allegretto Poco Scherzando 'Clotted of shadows he comes to my hest'

Track length2:29

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IIc. Tempo I 'Daughter of Lear'

Track length1:12

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IId. 'O God of our torment lean down and decide that we shall never meet again'

Track length1:22

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IIIa. Allegro, molto fuoco 'Blade that meets blade with never a sound'

Track length1:19

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$1.25

IIIb. 'Face me afresh though the night hour fails'

Track length1:01

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$1.25

IIIc. Tempo poco Larghetto 'Back to your grave'

Track length1:34

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IIId. Tempo primo 'Break back from the battle'

Track length0:51

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IIIe. 'Away from this land, Fairy folk all'

Track length0:48

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IIIf. Poco lento 'Flit ye away while the shadows mate Branch and blest earth'

Track length2:17

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IIIg. L'istesso tempo (Doppio) 'For scorn follows fast on the Fairy King's fate'

Track length0:52

$1.00

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IIIh. Cadenza

Track length3:12

$1.00

$1.25

IIIi. Grandioso – brillante 'She was the most splendid maiden'

Track length2:06

$1.00

$1.25

Wood, Haydn: Concerto in D minor for piano and orchestra

Work length33:09

Album only

Hamish Milne (piano)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

I. Maestoso e moderato – Tranquillo – cadenza – Allegro

Track length15:00

Album only

II. Andante

Track length5:51

$1.00

$1.25

III. Finale: Vivace

Track length12:18

$2.05

$2.50

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These two English piano concertos in the grand romantic tradition were written at almost the same time (Holbrooke 1908, Wood 1909) and were undoubtedly inspired by the great concertos of the previous few decades such as those of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. The Holbrooke piece, like so much of his music, has a literary inspiration, in the form of the poem 'The Song of Gwyn ap Nudd' which the score follows closely. Indeed the composer originally described the work as a symphonic poem though he later changed his mind and settled on Piano Concerto No 1 when he revised the work in 1923the version recorded here. (Incidentally, we have it on good Welsh authority that 'Nudd' is pronounced 'Neeth'). Though Haydn Wood later made his name writing shorter pieces of light music his early concerto is in full blown romantic style complete with first movement cadenza and 'big tune' grand finale. Its emotional heart, though, is in the simple but moving slow movement. This is the work's first recording and it appears not to have been played since 1951.

Reviews

2010

Holbrooke's ambitious First Piano Concerto is by some margin the most impressive orchestral piece of his to appear on disc. Dubbed a symphonic poem by its creator, it follows the narra- tive of a poem based on a Welsh legend by his patron Lord Howard de Walden entitled TheSong of Gwyn ap Nudd. Yet the work can also be appreciated perfectly well as a red-blooded Romantic concerto in the grand tradition. Holbrooke handles proceedings with deft resourcefulness and a vaulting sweep. It receives outstandingly eloquent and tirelessly committed treatment in this performance.
An altogether more straightforward confection is the D minor Piano Concerto by Haydn Wood (1882-1959), who, before he made his name in the field of light music, was a gifted violinist and composition pupil of Stanford. Indeed, Stanford conducted the Queen's Hall premiere of Wood's big-boned D minor Concerto in July 1909.
Grieg's Concerto is the obvious template, and there are stylistic echoes of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and MacDowell. The opening movement is full of effective display, and boasts a ravishing secondary idea. By far the best music comes in the central Andante – a haunting, deeply felt essay, boasting some wistfully fragrant orchestral sonorities. Not a great work, by any means, but incurable romantics will devour it.

The Romantic Piano Concerto 23 - Holbrooke and Wood

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