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The Ultimate "Romantic" Gershwin and Ravel!

goodmusicman | USA | 04/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Helene Grimaud's performance of the Gershwin Piano Concerto with the Baltimore Symphony conducted by David Zinman is the ultimate "Romantic" performance of this work, unlike the "jazzy" approach most people are used to in this concerto. Grimaud brings out the lyrical and melodic elements of the score, making it more tuneful and memorable than other recordings. By "Romantic" I mean both romantic in its usual sense as well as being in the vein of nineteenth century classical music (the Romantic era in music). The concerto sounds less brash and modernist and more like a traditional piano concerto from the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, albeit with a uniquely American or "Gershwin" sound! This "Romantic" approach to the concerto does not, however, come at the expense of excitement: Zinman effectively controls the orchestra, allowing it to build to climaxes of great physical excitement and Grimaud lets loose with fiery playing when it's called for.



Grimaud's playing is certainly not tentative or signifying her discomfort with the jazz elements of the work, as some reviewers here suggested. Her playing is quite deliberate and a quick listen to her super-fast and virtuosic last movement (as well as the first and third movements of the Ravel) reveals her ability to play quite comfortably at faster tempos. Her delicate entry into the first and second movements of the Gershwin are a deliberate effort to reclaim this work as a genuine "classical" piano concerto. Her approach succeeds in this endeavor, making this work a true piano/orchestral "classic", not just a jazzy crossover attempt by a composer only known for non-classical works. Gershwin's best "crossover" work in the piano format is Rhapsody in Blue, anyway, which made the concerto sound like a distant second in that category, in most performances. (For the best jazzy Gershwin Piano Concerto--fast and exciting--as well as the best Rhapsody out there, try the Wild/Fiedler/Boston Pops account, in one of its incarnations [I like the 2001 release the best]). With Grimaud's fervent interpretation, along with the very precise and lively playing of the Baltimore Symphony--everything seems to be done so carefully, including a perfectly placed gong toward the end of the last movement--Gershwin's Piano Concerto has been "redeemed" as the masterpiece concerto that it is.



Grimaud's rendition of the Ravel as well makes the work sound so different than we usually hear it. It's usually taken at a speedy clip, with the orchestra and pianist having a party, making the work sound like a wild romp, a musical circus of sorts (complete with a whip!). Zinman conducts the orchestra in a more serious and mature rendition, while Grimaud savors the latent Romanticism of the work, without neglecting its Ravelian Impressionism or its jazz influences. (Grimaud here surpasses her own earlier account with the Royal Philharmonic). The result is a very satisfying performance, making this concerto stand, together with the Gershwin, as two of the twentieth century's greatest piano concertos. Add sound quality that is crystal clear and detailed throughout, and you have a CD that is very worthy of the title "Amazon.com Essential Recording".



For those looking for "Romantic" and mature recordings of these two concertos, I can think of no finer disc. Way to go Grimaud and company!"

Beautiful Performances

D. A Wend | Buffalo Grove, IL USA | 07/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I became interested in this recording from reading "The Collection" in the June 2007 Gramophone. In the article by Jeremy Nicholas, after comparing 30 recordings of Gershwin's Piano concerto, selected this one as his best performance. I first heard Gershwin's concerto played by Earl Wild and the Boston Pops but my favorite has always been the recording made by Oscar Levant and Andre Kostelanetz. This recording differs from other recordings of the concerto by playing the work as a Romantic piano concerto instead of playing up the jazz elements. The concerto was adapted for jazz band by Ferde Grofe, who did the orchestration of Rhapsody in Blue but with his concerto Gershwin was writing within a classical structure rather than the free-form of a rhapsody.



Rather than push the jazz elements this performance by Helene Grimaud and David Zinman takes a less hurried approach, particularly in the first movement. The slower tempos allow more focus on the classical structure; there is no over-emphasis just the musical colors that Gershwin wrote. The slow movement is laid-back with the blues element of the music beautifully played. Here Ms. Grimaud matches the mood of the orchestra with very smooth playing, lingering over the phrases. The Finale is fast and furious with a marvelous rolling of the gong at the end.



The Ravel Concerto is a nice pairing with the Gershwin, especially since they met and admired each other's music. Like the Gershwin, Ravel's Piano Concerto is performed at an easy tempo bringing out the colors of the score. Ms. Grimaud is fantastic throughout and delivers an excellent performance and David Zinman has great sensitivity for the score. The catalogue, however, has many excellent performances and this one does not, for me, displace the highly regarded recording of Zimmerman and Boulez. If you already have a recording of the Ravel G major concerto the reason for buying this disc is the Gershwin.



There is a good balance between soloist and performer and the clarity of the recording allows one to hear many details that were missed before. My only complaint is that at 54:47 there was room for more music; the Ravel Piano Concerto for the Left Hand would seem an obvious choice or what about Gershwin's Second Rhapsody? This is a minor problem that is made up for by two superb performances.

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