Moscheles: Piano Concerto No. 8

[Kriton]

Might be that you already heard this, but apparently Moscheles' 8th piano concerto has been orchestrated by Ian Hobson (who also recorded the rest of them), and will be released next year. It was new to me, and I'm really looking forward to this release!

I'm wondering if any other piano & orchestra works of Moscheles remain unrecorded...

[thalbergmad]

I have a few scores in solo or full format that I expect have not been recorded, but I might be wrong.

Fantasy Variations & Finale Op.46
March Alexandre Op.32
Souvenirs de Danemarc Op.83
Fantasy on Strains of the Scottish Bards Op.80
Fantasy et Variations Au Clair de la Lune Op.50

I have not been through Pazdirek, but I expect there are more.

Great news about the 8th.

Thal

[Kriton]

I have a few scores in solo or full format that I expect have not been recorded, but I might be wrong.

Fantasy Variations & Finale Op.46
March Alexandre Op.32
Souvenirs de Danemarc Op.83
Fantasy on Strains of the Scottish Bards Op.80
Fantasy et Variations Au Clair de la Lune Op.50

Thanks! Hobson already recorded the op.32 & op.50 variations for piano & orchestra, and the new disc will probably also bring us, next to the 7th & 8th concertos, 2 other works. Hopefully the op.80 & op.83 from your list, since we already have the Ireland & Scotland fantasies on Hyperion.

The op.46 I only know as chamber work for piano, violin, cello & clarinet, in its 2 recordings on MD+G & Wigmora Hall Live. Not a masterwork, but very listenable. Is it orchestrated, then, as well?

[thalbergmad]

Thanks so much, I was not aware of those recordings and I love Moscheles.

You are correct about the Op.46. Not for the first time in my life, I have filed something in the wrong place.

I thought I had found another work, but Grand Variations on the fall of Paris, appears to be exactly the same as March Alexandre, but published by different publishers.

One wonders what 19th Century skulduggery was afoot here??

Thal

[giles.enders]

What is interesting about Moscheles 8th piano concerto 'The Pastoral', is how many people who should know better have written knowledgeably about it with only the piano part in existence and that in need of editing and seen by few. Nuff said !!!

[pianoconcerto]

I am often asked about a recording of Moscheles's piano concerto 8 since I list it in my online discography of piano-and-orchestra works.  It is true that Ian Hobson has recorded the work in his own orchestration (since the orchestral part is lost) and it will come out on CD.  Those who can't wait can hear a mono-only live performance broadcast of this at <http://www.archive.org/details/PrairiePerformances05-24-09>.  The Moscheles is right after the Mendelssohn in this 3-hour broadcast.  Enjoy.

[jerfilm]

One of my favorite pieces by Moscheles is his Concertante in (F?) for flute, oboe and orchestra and I don't have the opus number here.  There was a commercial recording of it that was quite blah but I have a transfer from a Mn. Public Radio broadcast of a performance some years ago by the Mn. Orchestra with the principal flute and oboe doing the solo parts.  I was there and it was a stunning performance.  My biggest disappointment is that they've never repeated it.....

[Kriton]

One of my favorite pieces by Moscheles is his Concertante in (F?) for flute, oboe and orchestra and I don't have the opus number here.  There was a commercial recording of it that was quite blah but I have a transfer from a Mn. Public Radio broadcast of a performance some years ago by the Mn. Orchestra with the principal flute and oboe doing the solo parts.  I was there and it was a stunning performance.  My biggest disappointment is that they've never repeated it.....

There are too many commercial recordings of this rather uninteresting piece, I myself have four. Which one are you referring to? I probably should've heard the radio broadcast you're so enthusiastic about - perhaps it would trigger my interest in the piece more.

[JimL]

Listened to the performance of the 'Pastoral' Concerto today.  Interesting work, but I'd have to hear it more often to really assimilate it fully.  It would appear that Moscheles intended it for reduced orchestral forces (as his in his 1st Concerto) and that he connected the movements (as in his 6th).  Sounds like he truncated the 1st movement, too, although, as I said, I'd need to hear it more often to tell exactly at which point.  Is there any way to separate out the Moscheles from the rest of the broadcast, or would I have to upload the whole thing?

BTW, great performance of the Mendelssohn PC 1! 

[jerfilm]

Kriton, my original post about the Concertante gives about all the information there is to give about the radio broadcast.  It was probably 20 years ago and was one of the Friday night Minnesota Orchestra concerts broadcast weeklu by National Public Radio in collaboration with Minnesota Public Radio.   The CD I have, I can't tell you which one as I'm in Colorado at the moment and my collection and computer database are a thoiusand miles away in Minnesota.  If you'd like a copy of the broadcast, I'd be happy to make you one when I get home.

Again, I wish we had a place here to upload stuff like this.....

[JimL]

BTW, if anyone has the movement titles of the "Pastoral" Concerto available, I'd much appreciate it.

[eschiss1]

BTW, if anyone has the movement titles of the "Pastoral" Concerto available, I'd much appreciate it.

There is a hint in the preview at Google Books of Recent Music and Musicians; As Described in the Diaries and Correspondence of Ignatz Moscheles ed. by Charlotte Moscheles that the movement listing sought, might be on one of the un-previewable pages (available at libraries or by purchasing the whole book, of course), in the list of Moscheles' works at the end of the book. See http://books.google.com/books?id=Nj4mQJHsdLoC and search for Pastoral - it's page 297 I'm thinking of, one of the last 'hits'.
Eric

[eschiss1]

There has also been a dissertation on Moscheles' larger-scale piano music (sonatas, concertos, etc.) - Ingebord Heussner's Ignaz Moscheles in seinen Klavier-Sonaten, Kammermusikwerken, und -Konzerten (U. of Marburg, 1963, mentioned in Lindeman's Structural novelty and tradition in the early romantic piano concerto .) I don't doubt that he has the answer- of course, the Hyperion recording probably will too.  All this says unfortunately is that the answer is available in principle, and unless someone can access the Heussner dissertation sooner than the Hyperion recording is released, I'm not that sure why I'm mentioning it, though it might have other uses at other times (I haven't seen it, though.)

(Also, of course, if anyone has a copy of Moscheles' own Thematisches Verzeichniss im Druck erschienener Compositionen that might solve the problem right there- it was published after he made the 1875 revision to the 1838 Concerto pastoral, even.)
Eric

[JimL]

I doubt Moscheles made any revisions in 1875.  I believe he'd been dead for 5 years at that point.  And I think that Hyperion won't be getting their hands on this one before Ian Hobson records the Pastoral Concerto on Zephyr.  It's his own label, after all.

[eschiss1]

I doubt Moscheles made any revisions in 1875.  I believe he'd been dead for 5 years at that point.  And I think that Hyperion won't be getting their hands on this one before Ian Hobson records the Pastoral Concerto on Zephyr.  It's his own label, after all.

*recovers his mind as it rolls down the street* right. oops. can I say 'brainfart'ed on this forum or is that outside of the decency regulations? Ow! Anyhow. Thanks.