Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto continues roaring ahead with the second volume of works dedicated to the versatile Ignaz Moscheles. I had previously enjoyed the 1st and 2nd Piano Concertos from this Jewish composer and can safely say the same of the 4th and 5th recorded here alongside the pictorial 'Recollections of Ireland'.
Howard Shelley and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra have now collaborated on a number of projects and their empathy is well demonstrated here. The Fourth Concerto has a burgeoning and expansive opening movement marked Allegro maestoso which contains some fine interplay between soloist and orchestra whilst the Finale is suitably barnstorming with a rousing Tempo di Marcia rounding off the work in suitably celebratory fashion.
The Fifth concerto is similarly structured in three movements with an expansive Allegro moderato leading the pack and a rather long Allegro vivace by way of conclusion. Here one can detect a slightly more mature Moscheles with Shelley very much on top form throughout. The Recollections of Ireland Suite is a lovely collection of impressions from the Emerald Isle and makes a wonderful conclusion to this well filled disc. Recordings are on the dry side but this issue is self-recommending if you have been collecting this magnificent series.
Copyright © 2005, Gerald Fenech