Concertos for Piano N°s 1 and 5 ; Concerto N° 3 for Piano, Triple Concerto

“Contrary to the flashy piano playing and grand-sounding orchestras, which we see flourishing here and there, this modest but intelligent and lively recording deserves all of our attention”. This was our conclusion following the release of the first volume (Concertos N°s 2 and 4) of this series. We admit to being somewhat surprised at being able to give such a positive review : since then, there have been very good orchestras and reputed soloists, who have demonstrated that renown does not equate to quality and that they should not take too many liberties.

With the notable exception of Lang Lang, who apparently bought himself a conductor for his recordings of Concertos N° 1 and 4, one only has to consider the failures of Grimaud in her “Emperor”, Mustonen in the first two Concertos, of Pletnev in all five….. After these “counter-performances” and taking account of the youth of Camerata Ireland, which is directed by Barry Douglas and which he founded in 1999, it is a pleasure to see the return of such a disciplined performance. Concerto N° 1 is a model of intelligent playing and holds our attention, in spite of a Largo that was taken a bit too slowly by such a young orchestra.

Regarding the Emperor, it has a purity of style and an absence of pomposity that commands our admiration. The most successful of the series, Concerto N°3, is pleasingly assured. Even if the violin in the Triple Concerto was a little frail and the cello a bit understated, the playing was exemplary. The impeccable piano playing of Barry Douglas retains the charm that has been evident for many years. His musicianship and his intelligent interpretations are in stark contrast to the horrors that we have had to endure recently.