Search - Myer Fredman :: Concerto in Modo Misolidio for Piano and Orchestra / Three Preludes on Gregorian Themes

A refreshing departure from standard repertoire

07/11/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you've heard all the big-gun warhorse piano concerti and are looking for something a little different, this is it! In two epic-sized movements, Respighi's concerto is a complex work by turns boisterous and captivatingly ambient. A superb performance, this disc nonetheless requires multiple repeat listenings just to "get it." The "mixolydian mode" makes for a subtle creation; it isn't overbearing or flashy for its own sake like the Tchaikovsky concerto. As soloist, Ms. Hanke deserves a lot of credit for tackling (and mastering, I think) a seldom-heard work from outside the canon that apparently most "name" concert pianists are afraid to come anywhere near because of the technical demands. The three solo piano pieces on Gregorian themes are a little chalky, cold and overly austere even for my blood, and I drink austerity for breakfast. These pieces are, however, (the liner notes tell us) the basis for what later became Respighi's popular orchestral suite Church Windows. So, there you go --a touch of the (distantly) familiar mixed in with the "new.""