Moritz Moszkowski - Piano Concerto in E, Op. 59 (1/3)

Piano Concerto in E, Op. 59 (1898)

Movement I: Moderato

This lively, brilliant Romantic piano concerto is certainly one of my favourites. It was composed in 1898 by the German Jewish pianist Moritz Moszkowski (1854-1925). He dedicated it to the virtuoso pianist Josef Hofmann, who studied with Moszkowski in his youth. This work enjoyed considerable popularity in the decade following its premiere, but it soon fell into neglect, along with the rest of Moszkowski's oeuvre (where - unfortunately - much of it remains to this day). By the outbreak of the First World War, his wife and daughter had passed away and he became a sickly recluse, rejecting all new composition students on account of their "modern" preferences as followers of "artistic madmen like Scriabin, Schoenberg, Debussy, Satie." Having lost all his money in defunct German and Polish bonds, by 1922 Moszkowski was so poor and heavily in debt that his colleagues (including Wilhelm Backhaus, Percy Grainger and Ossip Gabrilowitsch) arranged a benefit concert at Carnegie Hall, raising $10 000 on his behalf. Sick and destitute, Moszkowski died in Paris in 1925.

The soloist in this recording is the late Israeli pianist David Bar-Illan, though he may be better known as a journalist and media spokesman. He was the Executive Editor of the Jerusalem Post and later the Director of Communications during Benjamin Netanyahu's first prime ministership. In that capacity he was the regular spokesman for the Israeli prime minister on foreign media programs (like Mark Regev today). His talent as a concert pianist, however, is evident from this recording. The conductor here is Jean-Jacques DeBois, who leads the Orchestre des Concerts Français.

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[numex48]

I find this Moszkowski's concerto very beautiful, and I really like David Bar-Illan's performance.



[MrDjwage]

One of the few composers who appreciates the bass. I put him in a close second (to Rachmaninov) in my book.

[Cantormatis]

I quite like this music. I cannot speak to the performance as i don't know the music well enough to comment to it. I will say that the music is lovely, and not at all lacking brilliance, if not possessing true genius.

[pfitzner1]

I used to enjoy this performance, but now it seems hard, rushed and unsmiling. The big cut in the finale I used to find annoying, but now it's disfiguring and unconscionable. The old Ponti performance has personality in every bar, and almost winks at you. Missing the harp part, though. How could anyone not love a concerto that ends with a can-can?

[milesandolivia]

Ashamed to say I wasn't familiar with this work by Moszkowski, that is until now. Fantastic, in the best tradition of the romantic concerto, and second to none in structure, texture, virtuosity, emotion and depth. Thank you for posting it.

[Svarniovci]

excellent music. orchestration.. piano facture.. pianistic... GREAT WORK.

what a pitty thats is underrated.. i will play it in the future for sure!

[vooteleaer]

My favourite pian concero...

Moszkowski's music is very underrated, sadly.

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

beautiful concerto indeed

[12345qazx1]

unexpected nice music!

[lovesGenet]

Bar-Illan is dead already! Just read in Ives MEMOS wher Gabrilow played Schoenberg op.19 and Franck in series of recitals encompassing history of piano music. I didn't know Gab played Schoenberg. Why didn't he record more fabulous music .His rec of en automne is tasteful in extreme . Pianists now play it less strictly. Mosk wrote lots of great music! Thks fro posting this treasure.