Hermann Goetz; Józef Wieniawski - Piano Concertos (Hamish Milne)

Information

Composer: Hermann Goetz; Józef Wieniawski

• Goetz - Piano Concerto in B flat major, Op. 18
• J. Wieniawski - Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 20

Hamish Milne, piano

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Michał Dworzyński, conductor

Date: 2009

Label: Hyperion

-----------------------------------------------------------

Review

Goetz’s Second Concerto was first recorded in the early 1970s by Michael Ponti, one of many forgotten gems he unearthed for the Vox Candide label in a pioneering series. It stood out among the Raffs, the Reineckes and the Rheinbergers not merely for its memorable thematic material but for the original and inventive way the subject matter was handled, its imaginative use of the orchestra and its musical integrity. There is, to be sure, plenty to keep the soloist busy but little that is flashy or meretricious, especially in Hamish Milne’s hands. Ponti’s is a fine performance (though the recorded sound and orchestral playing cannot compare with Hyperion’s), always ready to push the music forward in an exciting manner, but he is not as successful in conveying the Mässig bewegt of Goetz’s first movement. Milnes finds a deal more depth and poetry here and in the second movement, which also features some lovely passages for the woodwind and horns. It is a long work at 40'48" but does not outstay its welcome for a moment. This is among the most rewarding concertos of Hyperion’s entire series.

The Józef Wieniawski, as a friend of mine would say, is an autre kettle of poisson: pure fun, high jinks and scintillating bravura. Christopher Fifield notes in his entertaining booklet that “the music is peppered with instructions such as risoluto, furioso and grandioso…the piano plays for most of the time, no distractions [from the orchestra] wanted by its attention-seeking composer” (who was, by the way, the younger brother of the more famous Henryk). Milne plays it up to the hilt (try the spectacular rondo-finale with its “wrong note” chordal motif), relegating Setrak’s 1987 Le Chant du Monde recording to silver-medal position.

— Jeremy Nicholas

-----------------------------------------------------------

Hermann Goetz (7 December 1840 – 3 December 1876) was a German composer who spent much of his career in Switzerland. Born in Königsberg, he studied piano and composition with Hans von Bülow in Berlin before moving to Switzerland in 1863. He became city organist in Winterthur and gained recognition as a composer and music critic. Illness forced him to stop teaching and performing, leading him to focus solely on composing in his final years. His works include a symphony, concertos, chamber music, piano pieces, and two operas: Der Widerspänstigen Zähmung and Francesca von Rimini.

***

Józef Wieniawski (1837–1912), younger brother of violinist Henryk Wieniawski, was a Polish pianist and composer. He studied with notable teachers including Pierre Zimmermann, Antoine François Marmontel, Franz Liszt and Adolf Bernhard Marx. Renowned for his concert tours across Europe, he performed both his own works and those of major composers like Beethoven, Schubert and Liszt. As a chamber musician, he collaborated with leading performers of his era. His compositions include a symphony, piano concerto, piano sonata, études, and numerous piano pieces such as mazurkas, polonaises, waltzes and impromptus.

***

Hamish Milne (27 April 1939 – 12 February 2020) was an English pianist known for his advocacy of Nikolai Medtner. He studied with Harold Craxton at the Royal Academy of Music and then in Italy with Guido Agosti. At the Accademia Chigiana in Siena he was lucky enough to hear the classes of Casals, Cortot, Segovia and, in particular, Sergiu Celibidache. Milne appeared as soloist with most of the leading British orchestras and gave over two hundred broadcasts for the BBC. He was also well known as a chamber musician. Milne recorded for Chandos, CRD, Danacord and Decca, as well as for Hyperion.

-----------------------------------------------------------