A Trio of Concertos

 

But not the Piano Concerto.

The Piano Concerto came contained on an earlier entry (BLOG), so here we get the curious Capricorn Concerto.

I say curious because the work comes from a similar sound world to that of Stravinsky. Samuel Barber is mainly known as a Neo-Romantic, although his toying with modernity varies from work to work. Capricorn, however, is surprisingly fashioned on Neo-Classicism and can sound craggy in comparison to his other compositions.

Barber's use of winds, that is, his concertante setting of flute, oboe, and trumpet, are almost Baroque here, set against a string-only ensemble. This just goes to show how labeling music is more about composers breaking the rules rather than following them, especially in the 20th Century.

The Violin Concerto lays on the other side of the spectrum, mooring strongly in Romanticisms. The first two movements are achingly nostalgic, with only a few breaks into ill-tempered fits. The motoric third movement is different compared to everything which came before it, yet it is a fun little virtuosic toss-off.

I could see the Violin Concerto being Samuel Barber's most loved work, as it is highly melodic and its harmonies are lushly tonal. The boon of having Japanese violinist Kyoko Takezawa is her lack of syrupy sentimentality, while still providing an emotional core within Barber's music. That said, the classic recording remains that of Isaac Stern with Leonard Bernstein on Sony.

I have yet to come to terms with Barber's Cello Concerto. It lays somewhere between these two works; not as populously approachable as the Violin Concerto, but not leaning as modernistically as the Piano Concerto. The Cello Concerto waxes a little more rhapsodically than suits my preference, although I like the composer's use of rhythmic propulsion. He certainly gets a lot of miles of virtuosity out of the cello, and this aspect remains impressive, particularly from having the talents of British cellist Steven Isserlis on board.

What great programming from Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. This recording has since been packaged up in various other forms, so if you want more music with these same performers, there should be many to find.

 

 

Listen on YouTube

 

 

 

Works
Violin Concerto (23.37)
Capricorn Concerto (14.34)
Cello Concerto (26.11)

Soloists
Kyoko Takezawa, violin
Steven Isserlis, cello
Jacob Berg, flute
Peter Bowman, oboe
Susan Slaughter, trumpet

Performers
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Leonard Slatkin, conductor

Label: RCA
Year: 1996
Total Timing: 64.42

 

 

 

 

 

Find more Barber recordings HERE!