Mily Balakirev; Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Piano Concertos (Malcolm Binns)

Information

Composer: Mily Balakirev; Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

• Rimsky-Korsakov - Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor, Op. 30
• Balakirev - Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1
• Balakirev - Piano Concerto No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. posth

Malcolm Binns, piano

English Northern Philharmonia Orchestra

David Lloyd-Jones, conductor

Date: 1992

Label: Hyperion

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Review

'Op. 1' and 'Op. posth.' says a lot about Balakirev's two piano concertos. The First is a single movement only, composed at the age of 18 and massively indebted to the Chopin concertos. The Second was begun not long after, in 1861, but abandoned after the first movement; Balakirev apparently extemporized the rest to fellow-Mighty-Handful members but was only persuaded to write the other movements down near the end of his life. At his death in 1910 the finale had to be completed by Lyapunov, which may be partly why it sounds so splendidly rambunctious, so close in places, I felt, to Gershwin. The concerto was certainly worth the efforts of all concerned; the first movement's fugal episodes and the slow movement's tinges of Russian Orthodox gloom stay in the mind, compensating for Balakirev's occasional recourse to inflating and over-decorating short sub-phrases. The First Concerto, too, has little flashes of individuality which keep you listening despite the obvious naivety and derivative quality of the material.

The Rimsky-Korsakov has come and gone from the catalogue over the years and is currently not listed. It is in effect more of a folk-song fantasia than a concerto, but there is much post-Liszt-and-Grieg-ian charm, as well as a striking foretaste of Rachmaninov's Paganini Rhapsody (Paganini's famous opening motif coincidentally also begins the second strain of Rimsky's chosen theme).

These three works make an excellent programme, then. And Malcolm Binns, though not the most sparkling of soloists, plays with commendable solidity. A tighter focus on some sections of the orchestra might have improved the recorded sound; but the quality of the English Northern Philharmonia's contribution is high, and all in all this is an admirably conceived and executed disc.

-- Gramophone

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Mily Balakirev (21 December 1836 – 16 May 1910) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor. He was leader of the Russian nationalist group of composers now known as The Five (or The Mighty Handful), including him, Alexander Borodin, César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. It has been said that it was Balakirev, even more than Glinka, who set the course for Russian orchestral music and lyrical song during the second half of the 19th century. His most famous works include the brilliant piano fantasy Islamey, Overture on Russian Themes, Symphony No. 1, and the symphonic poem Tamara.

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Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (18 March 1844 – 21 June 1908) was a prominent Russian composer and a key figure in the development of Russian classical music. He was a member of the group of composers known as "The Five" which dedicated to creating a distinctively Russian sound. Rimsky-Korsakov is best known for his orchestral works, including Scheherazade, Capriccio Espagnol, and Russian Easter Overture. His compositions often feature vibrant orchestration, exotic themes, and rich harmonic textures. He also contributed to the development of Russian opera, with notable works such as The Snow Maiden and Sadko. 

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Malcolm Binns (born 29 January 1936) is a British classical pianist. Born in Nottingham, he studied music at the Royal College of Music from 1952 to 1956 and has frequently appeared at the Proms in London, starting in 1960. Binns has a vast repertoire which spans the classics to new music, and is a noted authority on British piano repertoire. His wide repertoire of British music encompasses concertos by Stanford, Harty, Ireland and Richard Rodney Bennett. He was also influential in the William Sterndale Bennett revival, performing and recording with the London Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras.

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