Grieg & Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos
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The Musical Engine of Europe?
An intriguing release. Two well-known core compositions performed by lesser-known artists. It requires some explanation. Many of us will be familiar with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken (now the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern), mainly for guest Director Stanisław Skrowaczewski’s Bruckner Symphonies. But I can’t recall hearing anything from the Saarländisches Staatsorchester Saarbrücken. Its French Chef, Sébastien Rouland, is also new to me. Nor was I familiar with Suzana Bartal. An omission? It sounds like it.
What I do know is that, historically, Saarland is a pivot between France and Germany, having changed hands at different times. Now, it may be seen as a symbol of German-French cooperation, which is as solid as it gets. Not just politically, but in every other sphere as well, and, therefore, also in the cultural and musical sense. Indeed, an intriguing release: A German Orchestra, a French Conductor, and a Hungarian, though practically French, soloist. My curiosity was aroused. Economically, French-German cooperation may be the engine of the European Union. In my totally subjective view, this release embodies the Musical Engine of Europe.
A Blind Test Can Be Most Revealing.
My first observation: There is nothing ‘second-rate’ about this new Channel Classics album. Had I not seen the cover, I’d probably have guessed that I was listening to one of the better Staatsorchester in Germany and a French soloist of the kind ‘everybody talks about’. Amazing. I’m all in for a listening test without being prejudiced by Names. As it turned out, Bartal plays with passionate virtuosity and great precision, yet her playing is full of warmth and poetry. Maestro Rouland is the master of linking the soloist to a disciplined orchestra, following the pianistic wizardry in every mood and twist these two exceptionally well-crafted concertos demand from soloist and players alike.
Visitors to this site are no novices, and we may expect them to trust their own ears. Indeed, a blind test can be most revealing for all those who really care about classical music.
A Perfect Match Between What Can and What Must.
My second observation: It needs someone who knows his métier, to match financial constraints with commercial opportunities, without disappointing a discerning consumer. This someone has a name: Jared Sacks. Over the years, he has learned to distinguish between what can and what must, and we are the beneficiaries. Furthermore, and I assume many outside the Great European Music Centres will concur, the exciting collateral is that regional orchestras get a chance to shine in the best-engineered surround resolution. It’s a well-earned compliment for all those hard-working musicians outside the spotlights of global fame and PR.
Nothing but praise? Yes, with one exception: The spelling of the French composer Saint-Saëns. Surely no one but a grumbler who whines about it.
Blangy-le-Château, Normandy, France.
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