GODARD : Piano Concerto No 1, Op 31 • Piano Concerto No 2, Op 148 • Introduction And Allegro, Op 49 (Howard Shelley · Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra ) (2014) Serie The Romantic Piano Concerto – 63 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The massive survey of Romantic piano concertos carried out by British pianist-conductor Howard Shelley -- 63 CDs and counting -- has certainly had its ups and downs, but this entry is one of the stronger in the series. French composer Benjamin Godard was prolific indeed over his 45 years, but remains known mostly for a single berceuse from the opera Jocelyn, known in English as Angels Guard Thee. Shelley makes a strong case for the recovery of the three piano-and-orchestra works included here. Godard avoided the influence of Wagner, and there are certainly many respects in which he took Brahms for a model. But he is most interesting in the places where he departs from that model, such as in the Scherzo and Andante of the Piano Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 31 (1875), which develop the drama only suggested by the sonata-form first movement, or the organically developing and initially quite ominous opening movement of the Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 148 (1893). The four-movement structure of each concerto is novel, and Shelley handles the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra well from the keyboard, an impressive feat given the difficulty of the piano parts. The final Introduction and Allegro, Op. 49, seems to suggest Beethovenian seriousness in its Lento introduction (track 9) but turns into something different, a joyous bravura romp. Recommended for anyone interested in the virtuoso scene of the late 19th century. James Manheim  
Tracklist :
Piano Concerto No 1 In A Minor Op 31    (29:53)
Composed By – Benjamin Godard

Piano Concerto No 2 In G Minor Op 148    (28:35)
Composed By – Benjamin Godard

Introduction And Allegro Op 49    (11:43)
Composed By – Benjamin Godard

Credits :
Leader – Jun Yi Ma
Orchestra – Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Piano, Conductor – Howard Shelley

HERZ : Piano Concerto No 2, Op 74 • Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op 30 • Fantaisie Et Variations Sur La Marche D'Otello De Rossini, Op 67 • Grande Fantaisie Militaire Sur La Fille Du Régiment, Op 163 (Howard Shelley · Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra) (2015) Serie The Romantic Piano Concerto – 66 | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Austrian-French virtuoso Henri Herz has already appeared twice in the Hyperion label's giant series devoted to the Romantic piano concerto, and that's as it should be. Although Schumann disparaged Herz, he was a famous figure at the time, touring the world and even writing a book about his experiences in the U.S. (it's available in English for those who want to hunt for it). His eight piano concertos seem to absorb the structural tuition of Beethoven as they go along; the later ones are quite concise and elegantly developed. This third album is a bit less desirable, with the self-consciously Beethovenian Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 74, as the only piano concerto. There is nothing objectionable about any of the music here, but the rest of the album consists of opera paraphrase music that was primarily designed, in the absence of recordings, to transmit catchy melodies to audiences in a flashy package. As usual, pianist Howard Shelley, leading the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, enters into the spirit of the music, and the engineering in Hobart's Federation Concert Hall is very strong. James Manheim  
Tracklist :
Piano Concerto No 2 In C Minor Op 74    (22:24)
Composed By – Henri Herz

Grande Fantaisie Militaire Sur La Fille Du Régiment Op 163    12:55
Composed By – Henri Herz

Fantaisie Et Variations Sur La Marche D'Otello De Rossini Op 67    15:45
Composed By – Henri Herz

Grande Polonaise Brillante Op 30    14:02
Composed By – Henri Herz
Credits :
Leader – Jun Yi Ma
Orchestra – Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Piano, Conductor – Howard Shelley