The Romantic Piano Concerto - V.1 Moszkowski and Paderewski [Import]

Both concertos make you hate the concert-going public, with its penchant for wanting to hear their 5,000th Brahms' Second or Tchaikovsky First. So what if the Paderewski and Moskowski aren't quite in the same league artistically? With melodies to burn and with at least two movements that are as memorable as anything in the standard repertoire, they should be heard, demand to be heard.

Both are fluent, attractive concertos throughout, but for me, the outstanding movements are the last of the Moskowski and the first of the Paderewski. Moskowski's, as one might expect of a salon composer, is a bit more lightweight but has all the disarming bustle and dazzle of the French dance hall and has a main tune that you can't help whistling as you come away. Padeweski's first movement is a grand, sweeping drama that is more serious but just as memorable. And the other movements aren't bad either. Paderewski's concerto is somewhat let down by a rather corny chorale treatment of the big tune of the last movement, but otherwise, it is a wonderful achievement and would be a great vehicle in the concert hall. Moskowski's less serious work, though, is of a piece--an entertaining enterprise from beginning to end.

Both Lane and Maksymiuk perfectly catch the fervor and sheer pizzazz of these works, and the BBC Scottish Symphony is in fine fettle, captured in a nigh-perfect recording. This one's a keeper.

The Moszkowski is coupled with Paderewski's Piano Concerto in A minor. A little less refined and more bombastic than the Moszkowski, it also is deserving of a wider audience.

Piers Lane does a wonderful job on the entire disc. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Jerzy Maksymiuk, handles the task at hand in a creative and faithful manner.

Hyperion deserves laurels for unearthing these gems. I recommend this disc.