Piano Concerto in F (1925) [33.55]
Rhapsody No 2 (1931) Rhapsody in rivets [15.54]
Variations on “I got rhythm” (1934) [8.49]
Orion Weiss (piano)
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra/JoAnn Falletta
rec. Kleinhans Concert Hall, Buffalo, New York, 17-20 November 2010
NAXOS NBD0025 BD-A [58.39]
There appears to be a rather startling - and alarming - inconsistency
in the approach of record companies to the issue of Blu-ray discs.
Although all are making the most of the increased disc capacity
to produce their recordings at the highest possible quality, there
is a massive discrepancy in the amount of music they provide on
the disc. The ultimate is, I suppose, the issue of a single Blu-Ray
CD in the luxury edition of the Decca/Solti Ring, although
this has still not been released other than as part of the expensive
limited edition. Possibly the company are considering re-mastering
the disc to eliminate the ludicrous editing error in Act One of
Siegfried, which reduces the value of what would otherwise
be a superlative product.
This Naxos release, on the other hand, makes no use whatsoever of
the extended playing times available on Blu-ray; it is a simply
release of the original CD material. Surely there is a missed opportunity
here. Apart from anything else, the most famous of Gershwin’s
pieces for piano and orchestra, the Rhapsody in Blue, is
omitted. The addition of this item, which could have been imported
from an earlier Naxos release with the same performers, would have
made this disc more valuable as a complete representation of all
of Gershwin’s works for piano and orchestra. Then again they
could have added the Cuban Overture and An American in
Paris - possibly in the restored complete edition by George
Schwarz, already in their catalogue - to make a set of all of Gershwin’s
music with orchestra. As it is, prospective purchasers may feel
somewhat short-changed.
Some of Naxos’s other Blu-ray releases have also made use
of the increased capacity of the disc to provide on-screen information
- texts, translations and so on - to enhance the viewer or listener’s
enjoyment. Here the visual element is restricted to a series of
moving abstract projections, rather in the style of the similar
production on Windows Media Player, which really do nothing to make
the disc more desirable. So one’s real reason for purchasing
this disc must be confined to the wish to hear these performances
in the best possible sound. This is where the Blu-ray medium may
encounter problems because the results which can be obtained are
heavily dependent on the equipment on which the disc is played.
I found that playing the disc on an ordinary Blu-ray player attached
to a television produced a good solid CD sound, but that the balance
was not ideal with the full-bodied strings somewhat lacking in substance.
On the other hand, playing the same disc on a top-of-the-range system
produced a much more tangible effect with real depth and warmth
in a much more resonant acoustic. The performances themselves are
very good indeed: lively and supple, with playing from Orion Weiss
of marvellous aplomb - although he sounds closer at some points
in the concerto than in others. So, if you already have a version
of Rhapsody in Blue in your collection and want to supplement
this with a superb modern recording of Gershwin’s other works
for piano and orchestra, this issue is self-recommending. One just
wishes that Naxos could have made more imaginative use of the new
medium.
Paul Corfield Godfrey
Previous reviews (CD): Dan
Morgan ~~ John
Whitmore ~~ Brian
Reinhart
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