Concerto Comparison: Roscoe/Brabbins/Hyperion
Robert Fuchs was an
avid follower and friend of Johannes
Brahms who mentored his younger colleague
and enthusiastically promoted his music.
By having a treasured position in the
'Brahms Circle', Fuchs attained a huge
reputation as a romantic-era composer.
However, all things must end, and the
death of Brahms ushered in the demise
of Fuchs' popularity. Not helping the
situation was the fact that Fuchs did
not alter his compositional style as
time progressed and specifically did
not adapt to the innovations made by
Gustav Mahler. Essentially, all of Fuchs'
music was melodic and well constructed,
although thoroughly derivative.
Thanks to the digital
era, there has been a revival of interest
in Fuchs' music with discs of his chamber
and orchestral music being mined along
the way. The new CPO recording of the
Piano Concerto is the second on disc,
preceded
by Martyn Brabbins conducting the
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with
Martin Roscoe on piano. The Serenade
No. 5 has seen a few recordings over
the years although my catalog currently
only shows an EBS recording on the market.
The Fuchs Piano Concerto
is a stunning achievement displaying
exemplary musical gifts, emotional breadth
and lyricism. Right from its fiery opening,
it is clear that Fuchs delves intensely
into the dark and heroic side of the
human condition. The 1st Movement is
marked "Allegro maestoso ed energico",
and that is exactly what we get. When
the piano enters, Fuchs reveals an exceptional
ability to blend orchestra with keyboard;
further, the solo part has a host of
delicious passages that sparkle enticingly.
Although the movement lasts over seventeen
minutes, there is never a dull moment
as strength and beauty are exhibited
in unison and in contrast. The architecture
is conventional and in the best tradition
of the Romantic era. Anyone who loves
the Brahms Piano Concertos would surely
love this 1st Movement with its alternating
duplets and triplets from the strings.
The 2nd Movement "Andante
sostenuto" is in the key of D flat major
and constitutes a set of variations.
The music is highly lyrical with soaring
strings, and the subsequent introduction
of the piano adds a lovely and delicate
touch. I would have liked the variations
to be more distinct from one another,
but the gorgeous lines make the movement
quite memorable. The final movement
is a brilliant rondo with an heroic
primary theme that pervades the entire
movement.
The Hyperion recording
of the Piano Concerto is quicker and
more lithe than the CPO which tends
to have a rather serious and heavy nature.
However, the important thing is that
both performances excellently capture
all the emotional content and lyricism
of the work. Franz Vorraber does not
possess the silky suppleness of Martin
Roscoe, but his craggy pianism is certainly
a viable alternative just as it is in
his cycle for Thorofon of the Schumann
piano works.
Moving on to the Serenade
No. 5, it was composed to honor the
50th anniversary of the musical career
of Johann Strauss. Fuchs conducted the
premiere in Vienna to a very appreciative
audience. Unlike the earlier Fuchs Serenades
that use strings only, the 5th includes
wind instrumentation. This work is much
lighter in mood than the Piano Concerto,
but contains many fine melodies and
tight construction.
The Serenade's 1st
Movement is a soaring "Adagio con espressione"
with appealing motifs that are mildly
poignant. Three dance movements follow:
the first possesses elegance and charm,
the second is a sprightly waltz while
the third uses motifs from the Fledermaus
overture as its foundation. Overall,
the Serenade No. 5 is an alluring confection
sure to bring a smile to listeners not
looking for profound utterances. Alun
Francis and the Luxembourg Orchestra
do a fine job of conveying the delightful
dance elements of the Serenade and also
have an unerring sense of the music's
flow.
CPO gives the production
an excellent soundstage with ample depth
and definition. The rather heavy tone
of the recording comes from the performances,
and I would rate the sound equal to
the Hyperion.
Concerning recommendations,
I feel that the Piano Concerto is an
essential work for lovers of romantic
music. Both the CPO and Hyperion versions
'deliver the goods' and can be recommended.
Actually, the couplings could well be
the decisive factor as to which recording
to acquire. The Hyperion coupling is
the Piano Concerto of Friedrich Kiel.
This is a fine work that occupies the
same level of inspiration as the Fuchs
Serenade No. 5. Frankly, the best work
on both discs is the Piano Concerto,
and you can't go wrong with either of
the two recordings.
I must admit to not
having had a great deal of admiration
for the music of Fuchs until I discovered
his Piano Concerto which reveals a much
wider range of emotional content that
most of his other compositions. For
those wanting a taste of his best music,
both the Hyperion and CPO discs are
strongly recommended.
Don Satz
Franz Vorraber, piano 