Information
Composer: Joseph Marx
David Lively, piano
Bochum Symphony Orchestra
Steven Sloane, conductor
Date: 2005
Label: ASV
- Romantisches Klavierkonzert: I. Lebhaft (Allegro moderato)
- Romantisches Klavierkonzert: II. Nicht zu langsam (Andante affettuoso)
- Romantisches Klavierkonzert: III. Seht lebhaft (Allegro molto)
- Castelli Romani: I. Villa Hadriana. Allegro (ma non tanto)
- Castelli Romani: II. Tusculum. Andante
- Castelli Romani: III. Frascati. Presto
David Lively, piano
Bochum Symphony Orchestra
Steven Sloane, conductor
Date: 2005
Label: ASV
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A limp Klavierkonzert redeemed by a first recording for the ‘second’ concerto
The Romantisches Klavierkonzert is a big play for the soloist, the difficulties of its densely chromatic writing, ‘exuding the aroma of tardigrade romanticism’ (Hinson), not always apparent to the listener. More symphonie concertante than duelling concerto, it can be powerfully effective in the right hands. American David Lively and the Bochum orchestra are faced with the disadvantage of being recorded, apparently, from the back of an empty gymnasium. Steven Sloane’s tempi in the two outer movements are sluggish and his players seem unwilling to put their hearts into this lush score – the last few bars of the work are veritably limp. The competition is Marc-André Hamelin’s world-premiere recording: no one is better than he at unravelling complex keyboard textures and here he is on top form. Powerful, crisply articulate, as well as warmly responsive to the music’s emotional demands, he is more than two minutes faster in the opening Lebhaft and closing Sehr lebhaft movements, to the music’s benefit. (In a live radio broadcast from the 1980s, not released commercially, Jorge Bolet, whose favourite concerto this was, is more magisterial and equally ecstatic in the work’s climactic passages.
ASV’s trump card is the first recording of Marx’s ‘second’ concerto (Walter Gieseking, no less, gave the first performance in 1931). Castelli romani consists of three pieces for piano and orchestra entitled Villa Hadriana, Tusculum (‘an old garden town of ancient Rome’) and Frascati, the latter providing a rare example of a mandolin solo in a piano concerto. The score is less thickly textured (it puts one in mind of Respighi’s Roman trilogy); the players seem more engaged, the so und more focused. The finale, full of southern Italian high spirits, is particularly successful. I do hope, incidentally, that David Lively’s fulsome biography in the booklet was written by his agent and not by the pianist himself.
-- Jeremy Nicholas, Gramophone
More reviews:
ClassicsToday ARTISTIC QUALITY: 8 / SOUND QUALITY: 7
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/June05/Marx_piano_concertos_CDDCA1174.htm
https://www.allmusic.com/album/joseph-marx-the-piano-concertos-mw0001843409
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/a/asv01174a.php
https://www.amazon.com/Marx-Piano-Concertos-David-Lively/dp/B000S5AHAK
The Romantisches Klavierkonzert is a big play for the soloist, the difficulties of its densely chromatic writing, ‘exuding the aroma of tardigrade romanticism’ (Hinson), not always apparent to the listener. More symphonie concertante than duelling concerto, it can be powerfully effective in the right hands. American David Lively and the Bochum orchestra are faced with the disadvantage of being recorded, apparently, from the back of an empty gymnasium. Steven Sloane’s tempi in the two outer movements are sluggish and his players seem unwilling to put their hearts into this lush score – the last few bars of the work are veritably limp. The competition is Marc-André Hamelin’s world-premiere recording: no one is better than he at unravelling complex keyboard textures and here he is on top form. Powerful, crisply articulate, as well as warmly responsive to the music’s emotional demands, he is more than two minutes faster in the opening Lebhaft and closing Sehr lebhaft movements, to the music’s benefit. (In a live radio broadcast from the 1980s, not released commercially, Jorge Bolet, whose favourite concerto this was, is more magisterial and equally ecstatic in the work’s climactic passages.
ASV’s trump card is the first recording of Marx’s ‘second’ concerto (Walter Gieseking, no less, gave the first performance in 1931). Castelli romani consists of three pieces for piano and orchestra entitled Villa Hadriana, Tusculum (‘an old garden town of ancient Rome’) and Frascati, the latter providing a rare example of a mandolin solo in a piano concerto. The score is less thickly textured (it puts one in mind of Respighi’s Roman trilogy); the players seem more engaged, the so und more focused. The finale, full of southern Italian high spirits, is particularly successful. I do hope, incidentally, that David Lively’s fulsome biography in the booklet was written by his agent and not by the pianist himself.
-- Jeremy Nicholas, Gramophone
More reviews:
ClassicsToday ARTISTIC QUALITY: 8 / SOUND QUALITY: 7
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/June05/Marx_piano_concertos_CDDCA1174.htm
https://www.allmusic.com/album/joseph-marx-the-piano-concertos-mw0001843409
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/a/asv01174a.php
https://www.amazon.com/Marx-Piano-Concertos-David-Lively/dp/B000S5AHAK
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Joseph Marx (May 11, 1882 - September 3, 1964) was an Austrian composer, teacher and critic. He studied philosophy, art history, German studies, and music at Graz University, earning several degrees including a doctorate. As a composer Marx is chiefly remembered for his vocal music contributions, particularly his more than 150 lieder, with about two dozen of them used symphonic accompaniment. His style is characterized by Slavonic and Italian elements, often with an impressionistic kind of lyricism. His "Romantic Piano Concerto" was Jorge Bolet's favorite among the great virtuoso concertos.
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David Lively (born 27 June 1953 in Ironton, Ohio) is an American-born French pianist. He studied in the USA and in France at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. He is a prize-winner in numerous international competitions, including the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud competition, where he met Claudio Arrau, and became one of Arrau's rare pupils. Lively has acquired over eighty concertos in his repertoire, of which he has recorded over ten for labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Koch Schwann, Cypres and Marco Polo. He is also regularly invited on international juries for competitions.
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Lively-David.htm
***
Steven Sloane (born 1958 in Los Angeles, California) is an American conductor, currently based in Germany. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in music. Separately, he also took conducting lessons with Eugene Ormandy, Franco Ferrara and Gary Bertini. Sloane has been music director of the Bochum Symphony Orchestra since 1994. He was also music director of the Frankfurt Opera (1989-1994), the Spoleto Festival USA (1996-2000), the Opera North (1999-2002), the American Composers Orchestra (2002-2006) and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra (2007-2013).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Sloane
http://stevensloane.de
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Lively-David.htm
***
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Sloane
http://stevensloane.de
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