Kirchner / Henze piano concertos

[Rach3]

Heard the Kirchner's for the first time today.Tough nuts but great initial impressions, rewarded second hearings, will require additional re-hearings to fully evaluate. Not every day music, but rewarding I thought :

Mitropoulos / NYPO recording with Kirchner as pianist ( did not realize he was virtuoso, too ) , in Kirchner’s 1953 PC # 1 :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8rIKvBm5m8&t=87s

His PC # 2 ( 1963 ? ), his student Leon Fleisher with NYPO under William Steinberg, live 1964 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHgcUuzfr7U&t=28s

If you enjoy the Kirchner’s, I think you may enjoy these of Hans Werner Henze ; I do , especially # 2, have recordings of both :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izJu2Ms7mlk ( PC # 2 )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_xae9cK8vw ( PC # 1 )

All 4 of these concerti are romantic at heart.

There is an Albany cd I have , also at YT , of Kirchner's solo piano music played by several of his students, among them Fleisher, Peter Serkin,Jonathan Biss,Jeremy Denk. As with the concerti , tough nuts at first hearing , but rewarding after more.

[Lance]

I know the Mitropoulos (one of my favourite conductors anyway). In 2001, my late associate in producing recordings, Nick Nickson and I, released of semi-private CD of this very performance with the NYP. Dimitri Mitropoulos was an excellent pianist. He performed and recorded Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, no easy concerto by any stroke of the imagination. No doubt that YT performance comes from our CD release.

[Rach3]

There is an Albany cd I have , also at YT , of Kirchner's solo piano music played by several of his students, among them Fleisher, Peter Serkin,Jonathan Biss,Jeremy Denk. As with the concerti , tough nuts at first hearing , but rewarding after more.

Heard the Albany cd again today.Confirmed, a lyricist at heart under a crusty exterior, Scriabin-like at times.A good start would be the 2nd Piano Sonata. Here is the Albany cd. I need to go back to his PC's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gnAOFZ ... BbpFpwDpX4

[Rach3]

I know the Mitropoulos (one of my favourite conductors anyway). In 2001, my late associate in producing recordings, Nick Nickson and I, released of semi-private CD of this very performance with the NYP. Dimitri Mitropoulos was an excellent pianist. He performed and recorded Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, no easy concerto by any stroke of the imagination. No doubt that YT performance comes from our CD release.

I acquired an mp3 download from Presto today of that 1953 PC # 1. Great work, particularly the amazing Adagio.Thanks !

[maestrob]

I know the Mitropoulos (one of my favourite conductors anyway). In 2001, my late associate in producing recordings, Nick Nickson and I, released of semi-private CD of this very performance with the NYP. Dimitri Mitropoulos was an excellent pianist. He performed and recorded Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, no easy concerto by any stroke of the imagination. No doubt that YT performance comes from our CD release.

I'm impressed, Lance. I must hear that CD.

As for the Mitropoulos/Prokofiev Third Concerto, I used to have a cassette (released by the NY Philh.) of that performance. It was released before modern technology could restore it, so there were plenty of pops & ticks and surface noises from the original acetate, but you could tell Mitropoulos was quite the virtuoso. I've since transferred the cassette to DVD, something I no longer have the equipment for. Unfortunately, the orchestra, playing without a conductor, tends to wander just a bit here and there, but for its time it's an excellent performance. Abut ten years later, Szell/Graffman released their early stereo recording on Columbia: that's the one I prefer from that era.

[Modernistfan]

Is there any way to get the Szell/Graffman recording of the Kirchner piano concerto? I would really like to get that. I don't believe that Sony has ever reissued this, unless this is in some huge Szell box that I don't have. (I would be fine with a download, which I would probably burn to CD.)

If this doesn't become available, I hope that someone re-records the piece. How about Ursula Oppens? (Mark-Andre Hamelin would also do fine.)

[maestrob]

Is there any way to get the Szell/Graffman recording of the Kirchner piano concerto? I would really like to get that. I don't believe that Sony has ever reissued this, unless this is in some huge Szell box that I don't have. (I would be fine with a download, which I would probably burn to CD.)

If this doesn't become available, I hope that someone re-records the piece. How about Ursula Oppens? (Mark-Andre Hamelin would also do fine.)

I just checked my Szell box, and there's nothing there by Kirchner. I'm not sure, but although Szell did record with Graffman for Columbia, maybe the Kirchner was recorded by another label?

Maybe Lance will know when he signs on later.

[Modernistfan]

I think I made a mistake; the earlier post probably referred to the Prokofiev recorded by Graffman/Szell, which is well known to me. There is no evidence that I can find that Graffman ever recorded the Kirchner work. In any event, we need a new recording of the Kirchner Piano Concerto, and Ursula Oppens, who recorded the Carter Piano Concerto. or Mark-Andre Hamelin, who can play anything, would be excellent for that.

[maestrob]

I think I made a mistake; the earlier post probably referred to the Prokofiev recorded by Graffman/Szell, which is well known to me. There is no evidence that I can find that Graffman ever recorded the Kirchner work. In any event, we need a new recording of the Kirchner Piano Concerto, and Ursula Oppens, who recorded the Carter Piano Concerto. or Mark-Andre Hamelin, who can play anything, would be excellent for that.

OK.

The Graffman/Szell Prokofiev I & III was my introduction to his piano concertos as a teenager, and I prefer it to Prokofiev's own Third Concerto with Coppola conducting that was recorded in London while Prokofiev was living in France. Prokofiev's playing is fine, but I don't agree with Coppola's odd tempo choices. The excerpts from Visions fugitives that fill out my copy are quite revealing of the composer's thoughts on how to interpret his own music. Wish he'd had the chance to record more. There also happens to be a complete set of the HMV 78's available on amazon for $300.

[Rach3]

Heard the Albany cd again today.Confirmed, a lyricist at heart under a crusty exterior, Scriabin-like at times.A good start would be the 2nd Piano Sonata. Here is the Albany cd. I need to go back to his PC's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gnAOFZ ... BbpFpwDpX4

And again today the solo piano cd. Better each time. Now feel should start at the beginning of the cd.