Medtner - Piano Concerto no.1
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto no.1
Sudbin; São Paulo Symphony Orchestra / Neschling
BIS BISSACD1588

Release date April 2007

One of the highlights of this release is the booklet essay, by Sudbin himself. His English writing style is relaxed (colloquial even) yet elegant, the content informative and thought provoking without being dry. While he communicates his enthusiasm for Medtner, he understands that the music of this neglected composer may not be to everyone’s taste, especially on the first hearing. Of course, by pairing one of the least-recorded concertos with one of the most popular ever written, he’s at least giving Medtner a good chance of being heard – and it’s certainly a work worth hearing. Medtner was a younger contemporary of Rachmaninov and Scriabin. Early on he developed his own very personal style of composition, romantically full-blooded and virtuosic, influenced by Russian folk music but rooted in the German masters such as Schumann and Brahms. His music is remarkable for its tightly-controlled structures and contrapuntal textures. His first concerto is in one movement, lasts as long as the Tchaikovsky and is very much a ‘symphonic concerto’ with soloist and orchestra working together rather than being pitched against each other. It is dramatic and exciting, superficially most similar to Rachmaninov’s concertos, and I can confirm that it makes much more sense at the second and third hearings! The technical challenges that it presents the pianist are apparently extreme (although you wouldn’t guess from the performance); Sudbin likens the Tchaikovsky concerto to “an afternoon nap at midsummer” by comparison! And the Tchaikovsky does sound as if it holds no technical difficulties whatsoever for Sudbin. It’s a sparkling performance that brings out the dance elements of the work, crisply articulated throughout. The solo part is never over-bearing, and the use of a slightly dry-toned piano makes for very clear textures. John Neschling and the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra prove sympathetic yet fiery partners throughout. This is refreshing, stimulating music-making

Anne McAlister