Search - Vernon Duke, Dmitry Yablonsky, Russian Philharmonic Orchestra :: Vernon Duke: Piano Concerto; Cello Concerto; Homage to Boston

Marvelous Music

D. A Wend | Buffalo Grove, IL USA | 03/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a marvelous disc with memorable melodies. In fact, I had some difficulty not recalling the opening of the Piano Concerto! I knew of Vernon Duke (who changed his name from Vladimir Dukelesky at the suggestion of George Gershwin) but I had never heard about these delightful works. Vernon Duke's Piano Concerto was written in 1923 for Arthur Rubinstein but instead of a concerto the composer produced a two piano score. This became a favorite work for Rubinstein and George Gershwin, who would often ask Vernon Duke to play the second piano part. The concerto was never orchestrated by the composer and was only published in its original form for two pianos. The orchestration performed here was done by Scott Dunn (who is the performer in this recording). The concerto is a vibrant work reminiscent of Les Six but clearly with a lightness that belongs to Vernon Duke.



The Cello Concerto (1945) was written on commission from Sergei Koussevitzky and was premiered in 1947 with Gregor Piatigorsky as soloist. This is a romantic concerto with marvelous writing for the cello and orchestra, as well. The first movement is light and elegant with a witty dialogue between soloist and orchestra. The second movement opens with a lonely sounding trumpet and sets the somber tone of the movement, and the notes suggest that this may be a reflection of the recent conclusion of the Second World War. The finale is a splendid Allegro brioso that at times sounds a bit like Shostakovich with a dash of Stravinsky mixed in and ends with a glorious passage by the cello.



The Homage to Boston Suite is an interesting collection of descriptive pieces of people and places in Boston. The places are personal to the composer and consist of the Boston Common and the Ritz Charlton hotel (being the places, along with Dinner at the Ritz), Molly (a woman the composed in love with), the Poet and His Wife and Sergei Prokifiev are among the people making an appearance. The suite closes with Midnight Train; a reflective piece that one can believe is Mr. Duke sad on leaving Boston.



This is a very charming disc that has wide appeal and is a great discover making one wonder why it took so long to record this music.



"

Surprisingly Good Concert Music by Vernon Duke

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 02/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I put off opening this CD and listening to it, because I was just snooty enough to think that it probably wouldn't be all that good. After all, my only knowledge of Vernon Duke was as a writer of popular songs -- such things as 'April in Paris', 'Taking a Chance on Love', 'Autumn in New York' -- and I assumed, wrongly as it turns out, that it would be as earnest but amateurish as similar efforts by other pop composers like Paul McCartney. I did, in the back on my mind, remember that Vernon Duke was originally Vladimir Dukelsky and that he had had some sort of classical training back in Russia, but I had never heard a note of his classical works. So I wasn't prepared for the delights that this CD contains.



It opens with his one-movement piano concerto, written when he was newly arrived in New York and only nineteen years old. It was written at the request of Arthur Rubinstein but for some reason never orchestrated and never performed until the present piano soloist, Scott Dunn, orchestrated it and premiered it in 1998. Only eighteen minutes long, the concerto is both jazzy and modal, has memorable melodies, is expertly constructed, with clever development of its thematic elements, and is a complete delight from start to finish. Dunn not only makes a fine soloist, his orchestration is excellent.



The Cello Concerto came some twenty-odd years later and is a full-fledged three-movement (fast-slow-fast) work which shows influences of Shostakovich and Prokofiev, with a dollop of Stravinskyan rhythmic complexity thrown in. It is a hugely Romantic work regardless of those influences. I particularly like the finale, Allegro brioso, a march that sounds as if it could be something by Shostakovich in a sassy mood. It was premiered in 1947 by Gregor Piatigorsky and the Boston Symphony under Serge Koussevitsky. As far as I know it has languished since then. It is played with passion by cellist Sam Magill. Orchestral accompaniments in this and the piano concerto are by the excellent Russian Philharmonic Orchestra under its regular conductor (and himself a fine cellist) Dmitry Yablonsky.



The CD is rounded out by a suite for solo piano, 'Homage to Boston', written in 1945 and dedicated to members of the Boston Symphony. It has seven short movements with titles like 'Charles River', 'Boston Common', 'Dining at the Ritz', as well as movements written for various Boston friends. One particularly clever movement is 'Prokofieff in Louisburg Square', a gavotte which reminds one of Prokofieff's Classical Symphony.



I have learned a valuable lesson (again): don't judge the worth of a CD without actually listening to the music contained therein. If you give the music a chance you might find yourself delighted, as I was.



Recommended.



Scott Morrison"

Fantastic performances of unknown masterpieces !

Robert Wolovitz | New York, NY | 12/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cellist Samuel Magill and pianist Scott Dunn have done the music world a great service by unearthing these fascinating masterpieces and recording them expertly. Their marvelous interpretations of Vernon Duke's highly underrated classical repertoire should spark a well-deserved revival of the interest in Duke's classical legacy. These works are of the highest order and should be forever immortalized among the greatest masterpieces of the 20th century, next to those of Prokofiev and Stravinsky. Tonally and technically, both Sam Magill and Scott Dunn display an unusual mastery and sensitivity. Highly recommended !"