Ferdinand Ries: Piano Concertos, Vol. 4 / Hinterhuber, Grodd, Bournemouth
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RIES Piano Concerto in c, op. 115; Concerto Pastoral in D, op. 120; Introduction and Rondo Brilliant, WoO 54 • Christopher Hinterhuber (pn); Uwe Grodd,...
RIES Piano Concerto in c, op. 115; Concerto Pastoral in D, op. 120; Introduction and Rondo Brilliant, WoO 54 • Christopher Hinterhuber (pn); Uwe Grodd, cond; Bournemouth SO • NAXOS 8.572088 (71.26)
Christopher Hinterhuber has been recording his way steadily through Ferdinand Ries’s 14 works for piano and orchestra. Austrian pianist Hinterhuber and Ries are an excellent match: Ries composed most of these brilliant works for his own concerts while touring Europe as a virtuoso pianist, and Hinterhuber has the brilliant keyboard technique and musical sensibility to bring them back to life.
The three works on this CD are from different periods of Ries’s life (the opus numbers do not accurately reflect the chronology). The C-Minor Concerto (op. 115), published in 1823, was composed in 1809; the date of composition of the Concerto Pastoral in D (op. 120) is not certain, but its dedication to a member of the Swedish royalty in the published edition of 1823 suggests that it was composed near the time Ries became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, around 1813. The Introduction and Rondo Brillant, published posthumously as WoO 54, is the latest of the three works, dating from 1835. Like all of Ries’s music that I have played and heard, the piano concertos are composed with skill and a wealth of inspired musical ideas.
The romantic spirit prevails throughout these works; the concertos are outgoing, flashy works, intended for a less sophisticated audience and more public venue than Ries’s piano sonatas and chamber music. (The word “flashy” is not used pejoratively here—it describes music that aims to entertain the audience with its brilliance.) While Ries indulges in all the typical romantic flourishes in the piano part (very similar to Chopin’s style of figuration), the orchestral sections adhere to classical ideals. The grand opening tutti of the D Major Concerto Pastoral could be by Beethoven; there are even a few brief melodic hints of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” and Ninth symphonies (both, significantly, in the key of D)—but as soon as the piano enters, the romantic keyboard style takes over. A soulful cello solo starts the slow movement, which ends with a horn call to initiate the delightful hunting character of the finale, in a fast 6/8 meter very reminiscent of Mozart’s horn concertos. The C-Minor Concerto from 1809 opens with a sober and melancholy tutti that is somewhat Mozartean, and filled with lovely melodic ideas; it also sounds quite like Beethoven at times—small wonder, since just a few years earlier Ries had premiered Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto in Vienna.
Even while Ries often reflects his classical roots, his concertos look forward to the style of the romantic piano composers. His gift for writing beautiful melodies and sparkling keyboard figuration, in addition to his thorough knowledge of orchestral writing, makes these concertos very enjoyable listening. Uwe Grodd, a fine flutist as well as conductor, accompanies Hinterhuber beautifully, the Bournemouth Symphony is excellent, and the balance between piano and orchestra is perfect. Highly recommended.
FANFARE: Susan Kagan
Product Description:
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Release Date: October 26, 2010
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UPC: 747313208876
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Catalog Number: 8572088
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Label: Naxos
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Number of Discs: 1
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Composer: Ferdinand Ries
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Conductor: Uwe Grodd
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Orchestra/Ensemble: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
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Performer: Christopher Hinterhuber