05. - 07. Frederic Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, op.11* [39'37]
08. Paul Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice [11'46]
Ewa Kupiec- piano*; Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christopher Seaman
ABC Classics 4768363 [recorded May 2005; digital download released
[digital download; flacs, cover scan - no booklet]Recording venue: Hamer Hall, Melbourne Arts Centre, Australia
Recording engineer and Producer: unknown
Here is a complete concert given on 5 May 2005 but rather curiously presented in reverse order on this digital download. It's an earlier recording of A London Symphony than the studio recording with the Rochester Philharmonic that I posted here on MIMIC recently.
Though in no way replacing the Rochester recording this is still a very well molded perforrnance of A London Symphony with a magical viola solo at the end of the Lento movement. The Polish pianist, Ewa Kupiec, gives a straightforward performance of Chopin's first concerto displaying considerable finesse with no histrionics and a mastery of its challenges. Seaman and the Melbourne orchestra offer fine support.
As a bonus, I have added a recording of Vaughan Williams Orchestral Works made 11 years earlier for the RPO label.
01. - 03. The Wasps. Aristophanic Suite - I. Overture, II. Entr'acte & III. March Past of the Kitchen Utensils [10'03]
04. (arr. Ralph Greaves) Fantasia on 'Greensleeves' [4'55]
05. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis [15'00]
06. The Lark Ascending ^ [14'51]
07. English Folksong Suite [10'02]
08. Prelude on an Old Carol Tune* [6'12]
Jonathan Carney- violin^; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Christopher Seaman; excepting *Munich Symphony Orchestra conducted by Douglas Bostock
Membran Quadromania 222195-444 (disc 3) [recorded July 1994 excepting * 1998; first CD release 1996; this CD release 2004]
[CD-rip; flacs, cover, booklet and inlay scans]
Recording venue: CTS Studios, London; Recording engineer: Dick Lewzey; Producer: Alan Peters
This set of recordings with the Royal Philharmonic under Christopher Seaman was originally issued on the orchestra's own label, issued by Tring International. This CD is part of a four disc set with the works presented in a different order and with Douglas Bostock's recording of Prelude on an Old Carol Tune added as a makeweight.
And another bonus - Neville Marriner's later recording of Vaughan Williams Orchestral Works made for Philips.
01. The Wasps. An Aristophanic Suite - I. Overture [9'01]
02. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis [14'14]
03. In the Fen Country [14'15]
04. (arr. Gordon Jacob) Variations for Orchestra [12'02]
05. Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1 [11'07]
06. Five Variants of 'Dives and Lazarus' [11'01]
Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields conducted by Neville Marriner
Philips 442 4272 [recorded July 1993; digital download released 2006]
[digital download; flacs, booklet (kindly provided by MIMIC friend Contrarian), cover and back scans]
Recording venue: Abbey Road Studios, London
Recording engineer: Erdo Groot; Producer: Erik Smith
Not as sparkling as Marriner's late-1970s Vaughan Williams recordings for Decca which included the classic recording of The Lark Ascending with Iona Brown. It sometimes feels a bit heavy, particularly in the Dives and Lazarus, but the Tallis Fantasia is excellent and it's good to have Gordon Jacob's fine orchestration of the competition test piece Variations for Brass Band.