Shostakovich: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Peter Jablonski, Cristina Ortiz, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Shostakovich: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 is a Decca recording pairing two distinguished soloists under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, capturing both of Shostakovich's piano concertos in performances widely regarded as among the finest available. The Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 35 — completed in 1933 and premiered by the composer himself on October 15 of that year with the Leningrad Philharmonic — is given here by Swedish pianist Peter Jablonski, accompanied by RPO trumpeter Raymond Simmons, and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London in June 1991. The concerto is an unusual and irreverent work — effectively a double concerto for piano and solo trumpet with string orchestra — packed with Shostakovich's characteristic wit, including a finale that quotes Beethoven's "Rage Over a Lost Penny" and slips in references to Haydn and several folk songs. Jablonski's recording of this concerto won him an Edison Award, the prestigious Dutch recording prize.
The Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op. 102 — a sunnier, more lyrical work originally written by Shostakovich in 1957 as a gift for his son Maxim — is performed by Brazilian-born British pianist Cristina Ortiz, recorded at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London in January 1989. Where the First Concerto bristles with sarcasm and modernist energy across four compact movements, the Second is warmer and more openly melodic, its celebrated slow movement a sustained Andante of rare tenderness. Ortiz brings an elegant, singing tone to the work, and the Ashkenazy/RPO accompaniment is crisp and idiomatic throughout — drawing on Ashkenazy's deep roots in the Russian repertoire as both pianist and conductor. The disc was originally released on Decca's Philips imprint before being reissued in 2012 under the Decca label, and has been praised by critics as a "top quality" traversal of both concertos.
Shostakovich: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Peter Jablonski, Cristina Ortiz, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Shostakovich: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 is a Decca recording pairing two distinguished soloists under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, capturing both of Shostakovich's piano concertos in performances widely regarded as among the finest available. The Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 35 — completed in 1933 and premiered by the composer himself on October 15 of that year with the Leningrad Philharmonic — is given here by Swedish pianist Peter Jablonski, accompanied by RPO trumpeter Raymond Simmons, and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London in June 1991. The concerto is an unusual and irreverent work — effectively a double concerto for piano and solo trumpet with string orchestra — packed with Shostakovich's characteristic wit, including a finale that quotes Beethoven's "Rage Over a Lost Penny" and slips in references to Haydn and several folk songs. Jablonski's recording of this concerto won him an Edison Award, the prestigious Dutch recording prize.
The Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op. 102 — a sunnier, more lyrical work originally written by Shostakovich in 1957 as a gift for his son Maxim — is performed by Brazilian-born British pianist Cristina Ortiz, recorded at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London in January 1989. Where the First Concerto bristles with sarcasm and modernist energy across four compact movements, the Second is warmer and more openly melodic, its celebrated slow movement a sustained Andante of rare tenderness. Ortiz brings an elegant, singing tone to the work, and the Ashkenazy/RPO accompaniment is crisp and idiomatic throughout — drawing on Ashkenazy's deep roots in the Russian repertoire as both pianist and conductor. The disc was originally released on Decca's Philips imprint before being reissued in 2012 under the Decca label, and has been praised by critics as a "top quality" traversal of both concertos.