Julius Röntgen - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4 (Matthias Kirschnereit)

Information

Composer: Julius Röntgen

• Piano Concerto No. 2 in D major, Op. 18
• Piano Concerto No. 4 in F major

Matthias Kirschnereit, piano

NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra

David Porcelijn, conductor

Date: 2011

Label: CPO

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Review

CPO take a diversion from the symphonies into these two three-movement piano concertos of Germanophile Dutch composer Julius Röntgen.

 

The concertos owe their glossary to Brahms but this does not mean that they are to the same Olympian scale as the two Brahms concertos. In fact each runs to a couple of minutes either side of half an hour. The style of the Second Piano Concerto of owes a deep fealty to Brahms. One has the sense that Röntgen in 1879 had found the musical apple of his eye and would be feasting his creativity on that object. There is no doubting this. In fact the very oxygen and topography of the ideas derive from the Hamburg-born master. The first movement has that chiming pastoral high-mindedness you hear in the Grieg concerto - Grieg was a friend of Röntgen. The movement traverses stirring Olympian landscapes to attain idyllic introspection. Röntgen’s introspection looks upon internal realms and it is clear that what he finds is good and contents his mind. There is no anxiety here - only a tender absorption in beauty. The second movement is pervaded by centred calm. The finale breaks the spell with a dignified and grand Polish dance - delicious delicacy from 4:55 onwards. For all of my comments about Grieg and Brahms it should be borne in mind that in 1879 the Brahms Second Piano Concerto lay two years in the future though the Grieg had been written a decade earlier.

 

The shadow of Brahmsian confidence is still there in the wings for the Fourth Concerto. It’s strongly present in the unhurried romanticism of the Larghetto but moderated by a elysian romance - something between Beethoven and Chopin. The finale has a vigorously dancing exuberance. The Allegro is a faithful reflection of the mood of the two outer movements. The First movement lends an ear to the mysterious rumbling of Beethoven’s Ninth but this is a transitory presence. Soon the centripetal pull of Röntgen’s exalted Brahmsian calling asserts itself.

 

The performances and recording are mete companions to the overarching air of surging confidence and affectionate introspection. The capable and generously proportioned notes are by Röntgen biographer Dr Jurjen Vis. Another strongly perfumed entry in the Röntgen revivals.

 

For all of my usual comparisons these works are very satisfying and have some extremely beautiful, noble and fresh things to say. Just don’t look for high tragedy.

 

— Rob Barnett

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Julius Röntgen (9 May 1855 – 13 September 1932) was a German-Dutch composer and teacher. Privately educated, he began composing at age eight and studied under prominent musicians like Ferdinand David, Carl Reinecke and Franz Lachner. A meeting with Brahms in 1874 had a decisive influence on his compositional style. Settling in Amsterdam in 1877, Röntgen co-founded the Amsterdam Conservatory and helped establish the Concertgebouw building. He composed over 650 works in almost every genre, evolving from Romanticism to modern experimentation. His first wife was Swedish composer Amanda Maier.

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Matthias Kirschnereit (born 1962) is a German pianist. Born in Westphalia and raised in Namibia, he studied at the Detmold University of Music and was influenced by figures like Claudio Arrau and Murray Perahia. He has won several prestigious competitions and performed across Europe, the Americas and East Asia. Kirschnereit collaborates with major orchestras such as Camerata Salzburg and Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, and with renowned chamber partners including Christian Tetzlaff and Daniel Müller-Schott. He teaches at the Rostock University of Music and regularly gives international masterclasses.

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