Hess, N: Piano Concerto

Advantages: One of the most Romantic concertos around, full of beautiful melodies and passion
Disadvantages: over-recorded

...INTRODUCTION Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov was one of the most promising composers emerging from Russia after Tchaikovsky. His early works included the youthfully energetic Piano Concerto in F sharp minor, Op.1, an orchestral fantasia The Rock, the opera Aleko, several songs, piano pieces (including the famous Prelude in C sharp minor, a work that would plague Rachmaninov with its popularity throughout his life) and the First Symphony in D minor, Op.13. Rachmaninov had high hopes for the latter; it was his magnum opus up until that time. However the symphony proved to be the biggest disappointment of his career, causing a tremendous crisis in his creative life. All the critics jumped on the work, most notably César Cui who compared it with the Seven Plagues of Egypt and condemned the work as modernist trash. The effect... Read review

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Advantages: Great tunes
Disadvantages: Recorded quality and overall blandness

...are the best on the CD and these do not suffer from the harshness of the other instruments. The popularity of the album spawned a completely new work in 1993, The Piano Concerto. This Concerto is in four linked movements based on the themes of the film. There are several recordings to be had of the Concerto, including one conducted by the composer himself. As opposed to the soundtrack, this Concerto is much better and pleasing, as it offers all the main music and keeps the material more unified. Music from the film has also been included on many subsequent Michael Nyman recordings and the main tune has become a popular piece among pianists. This has some very nice tunes; it is very popular; it has melodic appeal; it is easier to listen to than to some other of Michael Nyman compositions. If you get it cheap, it's worth the purchase... Read review

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Advantages: Beautifully hypnotic music from the master of floating ambient piano
Disadvantages: It is a very short CD indeed

...of Michael Nyman and again being a slightly more unusual Budd track (though, again, entirely recognisable), and Somos Trees being a little Glass like we require the stability of The Messenger between pieces. For La Casa Bruja really does have a passionate edge reminiscent of Nyman's music from The Piano and the Piano Concerto that grew from it. But as I say this is not derivative music at all, it's instantly recognisable as Budd and again it is the captivating interplay between the three pianos that cause the piece to have more apparent rhythmical energy than normally we would expect from Budd. It's another absolutely gem within Budd's body of work. But then the whole short album is beautiful and certainly a gem. One could but only have hoped for something longer, not because the repeat button is not enough but because more of the same... Read review

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