MELCER : Piano Concertos No 1 & 2 (Jonathan Plowright · BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra · Christoph König) (2008) Serie The Romantic Piano Concerto – 44 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Hyperion’s celebrated Romantic Piano Concerto series reaches volume 44. This disc includes two prize-winning concertos written in the 1890s by the Polish composer-pianist Henryk Melcer.

The first is written in the style of Liszt and Chopin, and is notable particularly for its thrilling finale which is marked by its strong Polish character: starting as a mazurka, the accelerando through the movement increases the excitement of the piece, giving it the frenzy of a kujawiak or oberek.

The second concerto was also appreciated by contemporary critics for its imaginative use of Polish themes: one reviewer writes of ‘themes full of expression in Polish character that are developed so splendidly and broadly that they leave us enraptured … an unforgettable impression remains after hearing the Concerto’. This work demands particular technical virtuosity, versatility and stamina on the part of the pianist, who is playing almost continuously. Hyperion

Henryk Melcer-Szczawinski (1869-1928)

Piano Concerto No 1 In E Minor    (28:59)

Piano Concerto No 2 In C Minor    (37:27)

Credits :
Conductor – Christoph König
Leader – Elizabeth Layton
Orchestra – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Piano – Jonathan Plowright

ZELENSKI : Concerto In E Flat Major, Op. 60 ♦ ZARZYCKI : Concerto In A Flat Major, Op. 17 • Grande Polonaise, Op. 7 (Jonathan Plowright · BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra · Łukasz Borowicz) (2013) Serie The Romantic Piano Concerto – 59 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

For its acclaimed series of the Romantic Piano Concerto, Hyperion has delved deeply into the most obscure areas of the repertoire to extract odd gems that still have some sparkle, in spite of the thick dust of neglect. Volume 59 presents three works by Polish composers, the Piano Concerto in E flat major of Wladyslaw Zelenski, along with the Piano Concerto in A flat major and the Grand Polonaise in E flat major of Aleksander Zarzycki. These works are virtually unknown today, even in Poland, and while they reflect the influences of major 19th century composers -- Chopin above all, followed by Brahms, Liszt, and Saint-Saëns -- they show little originality and seem rather routine. This is not to say that they are incompetently written or unappealing, because they feature plenty of flashy passagework, and the orchestral writing is vivid enough to hold one's attention. The performances by pianist Jonathan Plowright and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, led by Lukasz Borowicz, are grand displays of virtuoso showmanship, backed by a vigorous orchestral accompaniment with touches of flamboyance. While the pieces will be utterly new to the majority of listeners, there are sufficient conventions and clichés of the concerto genre that no one will feel lost while hearing them. Hyperion's reproduction is exceptional, and the centrally placed piano has a strong presence in front of the robust orchestra. Blair Sanderson  
Tracklist :
Piano Concerto In E Flat Major Op 60 (34:00)
Composed By – Władysław Żeleński

Piano Concerto In A Flat Major Op 17 (17:21)
Composed By – Aleksander Zarzycki

Grande Polonaise In E Flat Major Op 7 4:32
Composed By – Aleksander Zarzycki
Credits :
Leader – Kanata Ito
Orchestra – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Piano – Jonathan Plowright
Conductor – Łukasz Borowicz

Różycki : Piano Concerto No 1, Op 43 • Piano Concerto No 2 • Ballade, Op 18 (Jonathan Plowright · BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra · Łukasz Borowicz) (2016) Serie The Romantic Piano Concerto – 67 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Hyperion's large Romantic Piano Concertoseries (this is the 67th volume) has yielded a lot of fair-to-middling music and a few gems. This release of music by Ludomir Rózycki, unknown outside his native Poland, fits into the latter category. Yes, it's true that the Ballade in G minor, Op. 18, is harmonically conservative for 1904, to say nothing of the Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 43, of 1917-1918 and the World War II-era Piano Concerto No. 2. All these pieces are essentially late Romantic in style. But none is derivative or stale. The Ballade is a student work, but already captures the essence of Rózycki's style, which infuses great spontaneity into traditional forms. Note especially the delightfully understated conclusion to this work. The first movement of the Piano Concerto No. 1 (track two) makes a good place to start when sampling the album. It has a slow introduction of a sort, but with an unusual conversational quality that seems organically linked to the explosive "Allegro" that follows with syncopated figures. The second movement of this concerto is as close as Rózycki comes to straight Romantic melody, but even here he offers unexpected divagations. The Piano Concerto No. 2 is a more personal work, quoting some of the composer's own songs; the booklet notes are useful in understanding what's happening, but in general this work too has a feeling of total freedom in the use of conventional forms. The level of virtuosity is very high but poses no problems for pianist Jonathan Plowright, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Lukasz Borowicz gets the spontaneous quality of the music. An entirely satisfying album of music that ought to inspire further performances of these pieces in concert. James Manheim
Tracklist :
Ballade In G Major Op 18    10:35
Composed By – Ludomir Różycki

Piano Concerto No 1 In G Minor Op 43    (31:43)
Composed By – Ludomir Różycki

Piano Concerto No 2    (20:52)
Composed By – Ludomir Różycki
Credits :
Conductor – Łukasz Borowicz
Leader – Laura Samuel
Orchestra – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Piano – Jonathan Plowright

GABLENZ : Piano Concerto In D Flat, Op 25 ♦ PADEREWSKI : Polish Fantasy, Op 19 (Jonathan Plowright • BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra • Łukasz Borowicz) (2021) Serie The Romantic Piano Concerto – 83 | FLAC (tracks), lossless

This entry is volume 83 in the Hyperion label's Romantic Piano Concerto series, which shows just how much neglected music is out there. There are several attractions this time around on this recording of Polish piano concertos. One is the presence of the Piano Concerto in D flat major, Op. 25, of Jerzy Gablenz, which is a genuine rarity; Gablenz, booklet readers learn, was preoccupied with his management job at a pickle factory and lacked time to devote to his musical career. The work was not premiered until 1977 in the Dominican Republic. It's an imposing work with a 24-minute opening movement that can't quite cash the structural checks it writes; the Andante cantabile middle movement, with its novel glockenspiel strokes, is more memorable. However, the work certainly belongs in the repertory, and the big virtuosi should take note. They should also note pianist Jonathan Plowright's reading of the Polish Fantasy, Op. 19, of Ignace (Ignacy) Jan Paderewski. The great Paderewski was certainly capable of keyboard heroics, but here, he's about something different, namely an extension of Chopin's experiments with keyboard textures. There's less keyboard pounding than sprightly ornamentation, and Plowright's reading is exceptionally lively; he suggests not only the power but also the spontaneity that must have drawn audiences to the great Pole in his time. With properly circumspect backing from the BBC Scottish Symphony under Lukasz Borowicz and fine idiomatic sound from the Glasgow Town Halls, this is a strong entry in Hyperion's series. James Manheim  
Tracklist :
Piano Concerto in D flat major Op. 25
Jerzy Gablenz
Fantaisie polonaise sur des thèmes originaux Op. 19
Ignace Jan Paderewski
Credits :
Jonathan Plowright - Piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Lukasz Borowicz - Conductor