Chinese-born pianist Xiayin Wang has released a number of critically
acclaimed recordings on Naxos and Chandos. These include albums of solo
piano works by
Rachmaninoff,
Scriabin and
Earl Wild. The present album, her third for Chandos, is
her first concerto disc. She turns to completely different repertoire by
presenting together for the first time the piano concertos of three of the
most dominant American composers of the 20
th century: Samuel
Barber, Aaron Copland and George Gershwin.
Wang opens with the Barber, which was composed more than 25 years
after the other two concertos on this album. John Browning, for whom the
concerto was originally intended, premiered the work with the Boston
Symphony in 1962 and subsequently released a landmark recording with George
Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra in 1964 for
CBS. Since then, there have been fewer than ten recordings
of the concerto by artists including Browning (who recorded it again for
RCA/Sony with Slatkin in 1991), Tedd Joselson (
ASV, 1995), Abbott Ruskin (Vox, 1995), Jon Kimura Parker
(
Telarc, 1997), Stephen Prutsman (
Naxos, 2002), and Giampolo Nuti
(Stradivarius, 2011). Wang’s recording is the first to be released in
the hybrid SACD format.
In this narrow field, the Browning/Szell recording, in spite of its
age, has been my gold standard. He plays with an unmatched intensity and
ferocity and is perfectly backed by Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra.
Regrettably, Wang and the RSNO do not come close to delivering the nervous,
raw energy set forth by Browning/Szell in the outer movements. In the second
movement, however, Wang’s lyrical playing is particularly moving.
Oundjian and the RSNO, especially the wind soloists, provide a sensitive
accompaniment.
Wang and the RSNO next take on the Copland, which is in two
movements representing what Copland considered to be the two basic moods of
jazz: "the slow blues and the snappy number". Interestingly, this work was
critically panned following its premiere in 1927 with Copland as soloist and
Koussevitsky directing the Boston Symphony. It was to be revived by Leonard
Bernstein and pianist Leo Smit in 1946. While Wang and the RSNO give a
technically strong performance, they are again unable to convey the same
excitement heard in the recording with the composer himself at the piano,
accompanied by Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic (
CBS, 1965). It’s a rare opportunity to hear
Copland’s artistry, and one can get a glimpse of how he intended his
own work to sound. Both the piano and the orchestra are in sync here and
deliver a dynamic, big-sounding reading characteristic of the
Bernstein-Copland collaborations. Just listen to how Copland accentuates the
dance rhythms in the second movement with his sharp attack at the piano. You
just don’t hear the same type of articulation and rhythmic precision
from Wang on this recording.
The Gershwin Concerto is clearly the most well known of these three
and perhaps the most accessible. It’s infectious - like the Copland,
highly rhythmic and infused with jazz elements. I was hoping that Wang would
be more successful here. Unfortunately, as in her interpretations of the two
preceding concertos, what is again lacking is pizzazz. In the first and
third movements in which proper articulation is critical to maintaining
rhythmic interest, accents are simply missing. To make matters worse, the
playing of the RSNO lacks the intensity needed to give this concerto life
and spontaneity. It leaves much to be desired. Just listen to a handful of
classic or recent recordings of the concerto: Earl Wild with the Boston Pops
(
RCA/Sony, 1961), Philippe Entremont with the Philadelphia
(RCA/Sony, 1971), Andre Previn and the LSO (
EMI, 1971), Jon Nakamatsu and the Rochester
Philharmonic (Harmonia Mundi, 2007), or Freddy Kempf with the Bergen
Philharmonic Orchestra (
BIS, 2012), and you’ll see what I mean. There is
an undeniable vitality to these other recordings that unfortunately is not
matched on this current album.
While I highly commend Ms. Wang for compiling these three American
piano concertos onto a single recording, I wish that I could give it a
warmer welcome. Wang has made some great recordings, but I regret to say
that this is not one of them. Go with Browning/Szell for Barber and
Copland/Bernstein for Copland. Take your pick with the Gershwin.
Albert Lam
Previous reviews:
Leslie Wright ~~
Simon Thompson (Recording of the Month)
