CHAN 10339X Booklet.Indd

Classics Rawsthorne Piano Concertos Geoffrey Tozer Tamara Anna Cislowska CHAN 10339 X London Philharmonic Orchestra Matthias Bamert CCHANHAN 110339X0339X BBookletooklet CCover.inddover.indd 1 119/12/069/12/06 110:15:240:15:24 Alan Rawsthorne (1905 – 1971) Piano Concerto No. 1 (1939, revised 1942)* 18:26 1 I Capriccio. Allegro molto – Presto 7:25 2 II Chaconne. Andante con moto 5:48 3 III Tarantella. Vivace 5:12 Piano Concerto No. 2 (1951)* 26:57 © Lebrecht Music & Arts Photo Library 4 I Allegro piacevole 8:39 5 II Allegro molto 4:50 6 III Adagio semplice 7:13 7 IV Allegro 6:14 Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1968)*† 17: 06 8 I Allegro di bravura 7:01 9 II Adagio ma non troppo 3:40 10 III Theme and Variations. Allegretto con moto – Allegro energico – Poco lento – Allegro – Molto allegro 6:24 TT 62:47 Geoffrey Tozer piano* Tamara Anna Cislowska piano† London Philharmonic Orchestra Matthias Bamert Alan Rawsthorne 3 CCHANHAN 110339x0339x BBooklet.inddooklet.indd 22-3-3 119/12/069/12/06 110:16:230:16:23 touching examples of Rawsthorne in this the whole work, is technically brilliant, as Rawsthorne: Concertos for Piano and Orchestra highly individual vein. More elaborate writing befi tted the occasion, but never overloaded. follows but the movement recaptures at the The movement ends, gently, with the soloist end the bitter-sweet mood of the opening. alone. The second movement, also fast, is The opening years of the twentieth century appeared fi rst, in 1939, in a version for The fi nale, Tarantella, starts with a lively, but scherzo-like, with demanding writing for the were fruitful ones for English music. William solo piano, strings and percussion and was soft, statement of the main tune on solo piano soloist, interrupted by a gentler orchestral Walton (1902 – 1983), Constant Lambert later reworked and re-scored for normal full with light pizzicato accompaniment – note interlude. The brilliance of the opening (1905 – 1951) and Alan Rawsthorne orchestra: it is more often heard, as in the again the kaleidoscopically shifting harmonies. returns, but the movement ends with a series (1905 – 1971) became and remained present recording, in that latter form and The generally delicate writing is occasionally of soft, sustained chords for the soloist, close friends. Walton, especially, admired was fi rst given thus at the Proms in 1942, thrown into relief by more vigorous episodes – accompanied – if at all – by a distant string Rawsthorne’s music, and Lambert was an expert by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with one such occurs just before the end, in a background. and avid conductor of Rawsthorne’s work. The Louis Kentner as soloist. The solo part is strident quotation from a well-known Italian The fi nale is an uninhibited, vigorous link between Lambert and Rawsthorne was to immaculately written for the piano – political song of the Left (where Rawsthorne’s affair, its high spirits maintained almost be cemented in that, when Lambert died – far Rawsthorne, though never a concert pianist, sympathies lay throughout his life). But the throughout, and it ends (unusually for too young – Rawsthorne married his widow, played fl uently, having studied with Gordon vigour soon fades and the movement ends Rawsthorne) on a brilliant, extrovert note. Isabel, the painter and scenic designer (she was Green at the Royal Northern College of Music, softly with fragmentary hints of its opening responsible for the sets and costumes of the and abroad. tune. Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra 1955 Covent Garden production of Madame Though the concerto is a comparatively early The Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, Chrysanthème, for which Rawsthorne wrote the work, the fi rst movement, Capriccio, shows Piano Concerto No. 2 written seventeen years later, is less well score). It was she who looked after him in his many of the characteristics which were to Concerto No. 2 is on an altogether larger known. It is a more introverted, concise fi nal illness, herself dying early in 1992. become Rawsthorne’s ‘trade marks’ – such as scale, one of the more ‘public’ works of work (completed only three years before Rawsthorne was more of an instrumental the kaleidoscopic changes of harmony, and the an often reticent composer. It was written his death). It was commissioned by the BBC than vocal composer and his orchestral output, delicacy of much of the piano writing, which for Clifford Curzon who gave the fi rst and written for John Ogdon and his wife, apart from the present three concertos, includes throws into relief the occasional full-blooded performance at the 1951 Festival of Britain, Brenda Lucas. Its fi rst performance was three symphonies, two violin concertos, a cello outbursts. This movement ends, for example, in in the then new Royal Festival Hall. There are at an Albert Hall Prom in 1968, with the concerto, a concerto for strings, the Symphonic a forthright way, with brilliant fortissimo piano four movements. London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted Studies for orchestra, and an oboe concerto – writing. The fi rst, Allegro piacevole, opens with by John Pritchard. Ogdon, like Rawsthorne, as well as much chamber music, and scores for The slow Chaconne which follows exhibits soft semiquaver fi guration for the soloist, had studied the piano at the Royal Northern twenty-two fi lms. a highly personal mood of gentle, rather than accompanying the main, lyrical tune on College of Music and with the same teacher. impassioned, sadness, with – again – fl ute: again the constantly shifting tonalities At the time of the work’s fi rst Piano Concerto No. 1 constantly changing harmonies. Despite its cannot be missed. The piano writing performance, Rawsthorne wrote of ‘the Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra early date, the music remains one of the most throughout the movement, and indeed appalling number of notes one has to 4 5 CCHANHAN 110339x0339x BBooklet.inddooklet.indd 44-5-5 119/12/069/12/06 110:16:240:16:24 contend with’, but this is a deliberately There follows a short-lived crescendo for the in reviving and performing the music of little- recordings, its trail-blazing international misleading, tongue-in-cheek, remark – it is pianos, but the music quickly and momentarily known composers. tours and pioneering education work, the most economically written of all three fades. A sudden Allegro energico is forcefully the London Philharmonic Orchestra has concertos. introduced by the fi rst piano, then developed The most acclaimed and awarded Australian long since earned a high reputation for There are three shortish movements. The by both. A slow section starting dolente (sadly) pianist of her generation, Tamara Anna versatility and artistic excellence. Kurt Masur, opening Allegro di bravura starts in 4 /4 time and distantly on the two pianos, building up Cislowska began studies at the Sydney Principal Conductor since September 2000, with quick semiquaver fi guration for both but soon subsiding, ends on a quiet pause. Conservatory at age six, and was the youngest and Vladimir Jurowski, Principal Guest orchestra and soloists, heralding a resolute The fi nal section, Allegro, a rapid 3 / 8 played pianist ever to win Australia’s prestigious ABC Conductor since March 2003, extend the idea for the two pianos alone. Very soon the fortissimo, soon gives way to a few bars of Young Performers’ Award. With a repertoire line of distinguished musicians who have tempo changes to 6 / 8 – still fast – for the two soft, arabesque writing for the two pianos, that includes forty piano concertos, and having held positions with the Orchestra since its soloists, lightly accompanied. The spareness ending on a pause. The momentum and vigour given the world premiere of fi fteen new works, foundation in 1932 by Sir Thomas Beecham; continues, only occasionally interrupted by return, building up to some robust writing she has performed as soloist with the London these have included Sir Adrian Boult, Sir John more energetic outbursts. The movement ends for the two pianos, marked strepitoso (i.e. and Romanian Philharmonic Orchestras, the Pritchard, Bernard Haitink, Sir Georg Solti, with a short, affecting passage for the two noisy), and leading to the concise, emphatic NHK and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras, Klaus Tennstedt and Franz Welser-Möst. pianos alone, hushed and dying away into conclusion. and the six major Australian orchestras. She Resident symphony orchestra at the Royal nothing. has appeared at the Barossa and Huntington Festival Hall since 1992, presenting its main © Alan Frank The following slow movement opens Festivals, the Mostly Mozart Series and Springs series of concerts there between September with characteristic ambiguous tonalities and International Festival of New Music in Sydney, and May each year, the London Philharmonic sustained expressive writing for the two Geoffrey Tozer was born in the Indian and at festivals and concert venues throughout Orchestra has also been the resident pianos, often alone. The mood changes as the Himalayas. After studying in Australia and Europe, including the Purcell Room in London symphony orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival music becomes faster and more dramatic, with London he made his European debut at and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In Opera for more than forty years; it performs forceful writing for soloists, fading – after a a BBC Promenade Concert in the Royal North America she has performed in Montreal, besides at venues around the UK, has made pause – into the very restrained ending. Albert Hall and went on to give concerts Chicago, Los Angeles and New York (the numerous tours across Europe, to America The fi nal movement takes the form of a and recitals around the world. He has made Frick Collection). Tamara Anna Cislowska and Japan, and visited India, Hong Kong, Theme and Variations (a form much favoured numerous recordings for Chandos, the set has recorded acclaimed CDs as a recitalist, China, Australia and South Africa.

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