Ferdinand Hiller: Klavierkonzerte Nr.1-3 on CD

Ferdinand Hiller war eine der beeindruckendsten Musikerpersönlichkeiten des 19. Jahrhunderts: Bekanntschaften verbanden ihn mit den literarischen Größen seiner Zeit und Kollegen wie Rossini, Meyerbeer, Berlioz und Liszt. Neue musikalische Moden um die Wende zum 20. Jahrhundert sorgten nur wenige Jahre nach seinem Tod dafür, dass Hillers Werke schnell in Vergessenheit gerieten. Umso begrüßenswerter ist die vorliegende Edition mit seinen Klavierkonzerten (darunter zwei Ersteinspielungen), die den zu Lebzeiten gefeierten Pianisten und Dirigenten auch als erstrangigen Vertreter der romantisch-konservativen Richtung vorstellen.

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The Romantic Piano Concerto series continues to bring undiscovered works to the listening public, performed by the greatest piano virtuosos of today. The composer Hiller was admired by Schumann, who described him as the exemplar of ‘how to combine orchestra and piano in brilliant fashion’. One of the most imposing musical personalities of the nineteenth century, close friends with the likes of Rossini, Liszt, Berlioz and particularly Mendelssohn, Hiller was nevertheless largely forgotten less than twenty years after his death as musical fashion changed. The Second Concerto is a genuine forgotten masterpiece, and Hyperion has been looking for the right opportunity to record it for many years. The First and Third concertos are both first recordings, and indeed the Third was never published. A combination of the appealing and the unknown makes this a classic RPC disc. Howard Shelley is a veteran of the Romantic Piano Concerto series. He conducts the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra here from the piano.

Rezensionen

'Ferdinand Hiller is yet another of those gifted, yet unaccountably quite forgotten romantic composers only now coming to light … Here is another splendid entry in Hyperion's seemingly inexhaustible 'Romantic Piano Concerto' survey' (American Record Guide)

'These dextrous and remarkably self-confident concertos … are studded with delights … As a pianist, Hiller was known for his delicate touch - and Shelley reflects that characteristic in the breathtaking finesse of his playing. At the same time, there's plenty of bravura here, too, which Shelley handles with enviable technical panache … All in all, another triumph in this ear-opening series' (International Record Review)

'One of the more successful of Hyperion's prodigal disinterments of Romantic Piano Concertos. We have learnt from Howard Shelley's previous contributions to the series to expect brilliant and stylish playing, and he does not disappoint here. He also give full value to the lyrical elements' (BBC Music Magazine)

Reviews

FonoForum 11/08: "Hillers Opus 5 bietet elegante Musik, brillantes Laufwerk unter dem Einfluss Chopins.​ Hillers Opus 69 klingt dramatischer.​ Der Orchesterpart wirkt hier wie im Opus 170 gewichtiger.​ Shelley widmet sich liebevoll den Partituren, die eher hervorragendes Handwerk als echtes Genie verraten.​"