Palmgren Piano Concertos 1-3

[Alan Howe]

anssik reports:

Selim Palmgren: Piano concertos 1, 2 and 3; with Henri Sigfridsson and Pori Sinfonietta.

www.alba.fi/en/shop/products/5256

I don't' know whether this has been noted yet, but this new release from Alba Records might be of interest to some people here. There is an "old" release from the long since deceased Finlandia Records of Palmgren's five piano concertos with Juhani Lagerspetz, Matti Raekallio and Raija Kerppo as soloists, and accompanied by Turku Philharmonic Orchestra with Jacques Mercier. Palmgren's concertos were moderately popular in the early decades of the twentieth century, but have completely disappeared from the stage; listening to that "old" recording leaves me with a somewhat ambivalent feeling; it sounds very attractive much of the time but somehow the music is a little thin. Anyway, this new recording must be given a try.

[Revilod]

The Second (the "River") is the best of them. Ignaz Friedman used to play it.

[TerraEpon]

I thought Finlandia was part of Warner? Granted not the first time a major label's recording comes out later on an independent but a bit surprising.

[Alan Howe]

This is a new release on Alba - nothing to do with Finlandia/Warner.

[TerraEpon]

Ohhh, I misread "there is" as "this is". Whoops

[Alan Howe]

Not to worry.

[Gerhard Griesel]

Sheer coincidence that I checked earlier today to try and find Palmgren's concertos. The Finlandia label seems to be available, but is just too expensive. The Finlandia version does fit in all five concertos and even adds some orchestral music. I assume this new recording is a single disc presentation, which makes it a bit expensive as well.