Anton Stepanovich Arensky, Serge Bortkiewicz, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Stephen Coombs - Arensky: Piano Concerto in F Minor, Op. 2; Fantasia, Op. 48 / Bortkiewicz: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat, Op. 16

It is something refreshing

This is a CD that you cannot find easily in the store. But Anton Arensky's paino concerto really brings us something refreshing. I like the Fantasia on Russian Folk Songs very much and I think this is truly a remarkable piece of Romantic music. May 5, 2005

one of the weakest in the series

It pains me to be the first to throw cold water on this particular fire, but after reading all the other glowing reviews here, I must ask: what is the big deal? One might agree that these pieces are indeed artistic creations, but where is the hand of the inspired creator?

I am a BIG fan of Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series. As a whole this series has unearthed some real gems and given them new life through GREAT performances-but...

Not here.

With the exception of the mildly entertaining fantasia, I could take or leave this disc without much emotional involvement. There are some moments of lyricism and beauty to be found here. That said, most of this music is pasty, derivative, and underwhelming.

In any event, I do not feel this is the performer's fault. The conductor has given us three other more than solid entries in this series. Mr. Coombs (the soloist) has been both revelatory and solid in this series (I loved his Glazunov and his Hahn/Massenet recordings, I was impressed by his Mendelssohn).

I believe that this music suffers from the same fate as much 19th century landscape painting. It may be pretty to look at, but you've seen it all before. We are called, as children of the Greatest Artist to partake in the act of His creation-not just to play variations on a dead horse.

The horse is too long dead here for me to recommend riding it. March 10, 2003

Russian Romantic Renaissance.

This disc contains three works by two Russian composers who have lost most of the popularity that they once enjoyed. Whereas some of Arensky's works like his piano trio and suites for two pianos are performed with a certain regularity, it is only thanks to the attention that Stephen Coombs and more recently Ciprien Katsaris have given the piano works of Bortkiewicz, that the latter has been saved from complete obscurity.

Listening to this disc it is hard to come up with reasons why these pieces lack so far behind the attention that similar works by Tchaikowsky, Rachmaninov and Grieg get, since they equally share many of the elements that made these "greatest hits" such mainstays of the repertoire.

The Arensky concerto used to be a favorite piece of the young Vladimir Horowitz. Arensky's friend/kinship with Tchaikovsky shows throughout the work. The concerto starts with a broad scale maestoso that shows off Arensky's early talent in melody, piano writing and orchestration. It shouldn't come as a surprise that we're dealing with another Rimsky Korsakov pupil here. Curiously, towards the end of this movement we suddenly get an extensive quote from the introspective section of the Liszt Sonata, before closing in authentic Russian fashion. After the lyric second movement, the finale takes us in 5/4 time into the territory of Liszt nr.1 with clear elements of both Grieg and Rimsky Korsakov.

A brief Rhapsody on two Russian folksongs supplements the concerto by the same composer. If you had to guess the composer, Rachmaninov would be a likely choice.

The Bortkiewicz starts with an intimate lento, before moving into the style so common in the romantic Russian concerto. Yet, the instrumentation is very skillful and complements the lyrical piano part beautifully. In addition, there is a fine sense of harmonic development. The second movement starts out lyrical and elegant to develop into more dramatic Rachmaninov type territory. The finale has an array of Rimsky touches and could be described as Liszt and Scheherazade have a good time together.

If there were one very slight objection that one could make to the works on this cd, it would be their lack of an individual style. Yet, all pieces are well written in a pleasing style.

Coombs does a fine job and is again well assisted by the Scots. Yet, due to their similarity with the more familiar works by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov you cannot help but wonder to what heights the likes of Gilels could have taken them. But let's not end with could haves, or should haves, but a resounding should buy. April 25, 2002

Arensky Piano Concerto in F minor Scherzo- Finale

This was a tough piece to get a hold of, but it was worth the wait (I took about three months chasing this one down). From the perspective of someone who plays the piano, this is a show piece that I would love play. Stephen Coombs BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra obviously had a great time putting this one together August 20, 2001

Romantic Obscura

If you enjoy a romantic piano concerto but feel, sadly, that you have exhausted the venue, take heart and take a listen to the two included on this CD. The Arensky concerto was composed while he was a student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and clearly owes a debt to Tchaikovsky.

This is the first recording of the complete Bortkiewicz concerto. He too studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, but he also studied at the Leipzig Conservatory, where he came under the influence of the conservative German tradition.

The two piano concerti are worth visiting. Arensky's fantasia is extra icing.

This CD provides ample evidence that there are many little known composers whose work is very worthy of examination. April 12, 2001

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