 | | |
| | Johann Nepomuk Hummel: Piano Concerto in A Minor and B Minor | | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Chandos | | Release Date : | | 1992-10-28 | | Store Price : | | $18.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $18.98 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
|
|
|
|
|
CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 85: No. 1, Allegro moderato
2. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 85: No. 2, Larghetto
3. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 85: No. 3, Rondo. Allegro moderato
4. Piano Concerto in B minor, Op. 89: No. 1, Allegro moderato
5. Piano Concerto in B minor, Op. 89: No. 2, Larghetto
6. Piano Concerto in B minor, Op. 89: No. 3, Finale. Vivace
| |
|
|
|
|
Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
|
 Great CD!!
Submitted on: 2009-11-07 |
|
I bought this CD a few months ago and I love it.
The performance by Stephen Hough is perfect and the recording is very good.
I definitely place this album among my favorite piano concertos, especially the Concerto in B minor. |
|
|
|
Melody, Clarity and Humor
Submitted on: 2009-08-21 |
|
This 2-concerto CD is satisfying on many levels. The quality of recording is exceptional, considering how difficult it is to record piano music well. The music sparkles, the English Chamber Orchestra is a joy and the pianist Stephen Hough performs a miracle of playing. If you've ever played piano you'd know what this means. How so many notes can exist on a page of music together and be played with such precision, speed and
delicacy of interpretation, is something to ponder.
Which brings us to Hummel, the composer. How have I not heard of him before? His music is full of beauty with a touch of delight and playfulness, captured well by Hough. The two concerti on this CD give pleasure on many fronts. Although Hummel was a contemporary of Beethovan, the music could have been written yesterday. I highly recommend it for uplifting listening. |
|
|
|
Extraordinary performance by a brilliant pianist
Submitted on: 2007-08-03 |
|
| I can only concur with the other reviews. This is one of those rare, truly exceptional performances and it amazes me that it is done with such underrated concerti. Hummel's concerti make for extremely listenable music and Mr Hough's playing is astounding. It is rare to hear such flawless brilliance on the piano - each note is brilliantly clear and his virtuosity is astounding! He plays with astounding rhythm and exceptional musicality and this recording has the energy levels of a live performance. I've since also acquired a recording of Liszt by Mr Hough (Mephisto 1, Tarantella etc) and it is equally brilliant. Bravo! |
|
|
|
A triumph
Submitted on: 2006-08-13 |
|
What's wrong with a couple of piano concertos by Hummel? Well, it is simple: they're very difficult to play. But they are great to listen to!
That means that if you want the full experience of listening to these concertos, you need to get a recording of them by someone who can really play them. And Stephen Hough does a superb job; this is one of Hough's early great recordings.
Hummel, a pupil of Mozart as a child, was, of course, was a fine composer. I think Hummel's wind concerti may be his most striking works, but I also especially love the B-minor piano concerto on this disk. The A-minor concerto is good as well. If you haven't heard these concertos before, you truly ought to try this CD.
|
|
|
|
Stephen Hough's first hit recording
Submitted on: 2006-07-11 |
|
This recording of the glorious Piano Concerto in A minor Opus 85, and Piano Concerto in B Minor Opus 89 by Johann Nepomuk Hummel was the first recording to bring the spectacular British pianist Stephen Hough to my attention. He went on to sign his exclusive contract with Hyperion and has produced miracle after miracle in his recordings since, winning many awards, including being the first pianist to win the coveted McArthur Award, in actuality a huge stipend given soley on already proven merit.
When I was a high school student somewhere around 1969-70 I remember buying an LP on the Turnabout label of pianist Martin Galling playing the Haydn Concerto in D major. Coupled with that well-known piece was a concerto by a composer I had never heard of, Hummel, his Opus 89. Upon playing the record I fell in love with the Hummel: it's mysterious quiet tympani opening ( in a way like that of the Beethoven Violin Concerto), it's florid rather Chopinesque writing, the sheer drive of the music. I went on to seek out as much Hummel on LP as I could, which back then wasn't much. As the years went on I heard and studied and played quite a bit more of Hummel's ouvre. When I saw this CD I immediately wanted it to replace those old cheap vinyl discs. I had no idea at that time who Stephen Hough was. Well, within minutes I was out of my chair and pacing the room! The playing was so blazing with virtuosity and elan, examples of such a gorgeous pianism that I was flabbergasted.
The Galling recordings of these concerti are full of little internal cuts, sometimes to tighten the structure, but often to avoid some real technical nightmares, such as lightning-fast passages in thirds, etc.
People like to say perfection cannot be achieved in this world, but I say it can. This recording is a case in point. It is absolutely perfect. And beautiful. And thrilling.
I would give it 10 stars if I could. |
|
|
|
