V34 Romantic Pno Cto

If you like the piano music of Saint-Saens, Franck, and Faure (as different as those composers are), you'll like this disc. The notes to the recording wonder over the fact that Pierne isn't more highly regarded and more widely played, but to me the answer is that he lacked a truly distinctive voice, being content to sound like his better-known musical forebears and near contemporaries. Does this mean his music should be abandoned altogether? Far from it, as the works on this disc amply demonstrate. Pierne's lone piano concerto, clearly modeled on the Saint-Saens Second Concerto, is worthy of some of the attention given to its too-often-performed model. Like the Saint-Saens, the Pierne concerto provides its finest moments in the Scherzando second movement, which is all grace, lightness, and charm. Pierne replaces Saint-Saens's triangle with a side drum, giving his movement a more "military" bearing, but the overall effect is pretty much the same. If anything, Pierne's concerto holds together better than Saint-Saens's, but it lacks the striking ideas that Saint-Saens comes up with in his first and third movements, which some wag described as a progression "from Bach to Offenbach." The orchestration in the outer movements of the Pierne has a heavier, more Germanic feel to it ala Saint-Saens's underrated Third Concerto.

Pierne's Poem Symphonique recalls the Franck of Les Djinns, full of darkly dramatic gestures resolved by a triumphant conclusion. It's a very attractive work, as is the spirited Scherzo-Caprice, again with overtones of Saint-Saens and maybe Litolff as well. But there is a Faure-like lilt to this work, too, as there is in the early Fantaisie-Ballet.

Well, as my comments indicate, Pierne's music is not the last word in originality, but it is extremely well put together, very attractively orchestrated, and with writing for the piano that is beautifully idiomatic and virtuosic in a way that's never taxing to the listener--probably not the case for the pianist!

Speaking of pianists, all credit to Stephen Coombs, who has distinguished himself throughout Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series. He's a natural for this assignment, capturing Pierne's dash and brilliance to a T. Ronald Corp, usually heard in British music, conducts with verve as well, and the BBC Scottish Orchestra play with equal spirit and color. This disc deserves a place of honor among the entries in Hyperion's acclaimed series.

Before this CD, I had not heard of the composer. The works on this disc show that Pierne was a more than average composer that must have had a formidable piano technique. Each of the compositions are for a virtuoso. As far as compositional style, I agree with the liner notes that suggest Pierne's music is reminiscent of Cesar Frank's. But that is not to say that it doesn't speak with its own unique voice.

Highly recommended, and a very worthwhile addition to Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series.

Gabriel Pierne is all but forgotten these days. I know of one of his ballets but it is nothing compared to his output of nine operas, nine ballets and scores of orchestral and instrumental works. Pierne studied with Cesar Franck and Jules Massenet, and his music owes a debt to his teachers, along with some influence of Saint Saens. He was a Prix de Rome student, and two of the works recorded here, the Piano Concerto and Fantasie-Ballet date from that period.

This disc represents all of his works for piano and orchestra, all of which are early works. All of these works are a virtuosic tour-de-force with sparkling, lovely melodies superbly orchestrated. The performance by Stephan Coombs is first rate and he is ably supported by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. This is a disc that I liked on first hearing and was anxious to listen to again. Unfortunately for Pierne, he was so popular during his life that on his death he has been eclipsed. If one enjoys French music, Pierne is absolutely a necessary addition.