Parry: Orchestral Bits 'n Bobs
For this entry of my Bits 'n Bobs series, I look at two recordings of Hubert Parry's orchestral and concertante music. One from the Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series and one from Chandos.
Proserpine
Suite Moderne
Proserpine is described as a short ballet; at 10-minutes, short might be underselling its description of length. The music certainly apes the sounds of nature, with many bird twitters across its runtime. Surprise of surprises, a choir entered at some point, although I could not understand their words enough to make sense of their presence.
It may be called Suite Moderne, but I hear the same pastoral nature that I do in Proserpine, maybe without the specific recognition of bird species being mimicked. This is thoroughly Romantic music, where I don't really hear the titular 'modern' aspect of the music, but perhaps I have missed out on some background information.
I can say, I could have easily gone without hearing either work, for never did they stir the cockles within my heart, nor the music inhibitions in my mind. They receive lovely playing from this Welsh orchestra, but the music did very little for me. Four-Square meets cardboard.
Piano Concerto in F-sharp Major
In all honesty, I expect to cover the oeuvre of Charles Villiers Stanford when I am done with my current recordings of Hubert Parry. Yet, since Parry wrote so little in the concerto genre, I thought I would stick his one effort into a Bits 'n Bobs segment, and cover the whole recording when I survey Stanford later on (BLOG).
Like the two orchestral pieces mentioned above, Parry's Piano Concerto is thoroughly Romantic. However, here the musical gestures are bigger, the melodic content sturdier, and the musical arguments more convincing. Maybe this isn't the finest in the genre, but as Parry's only concerto, I consider it a worthy one.
Truth be told, upon first listening, I misread the work as a Piano Concerto 'in F-sharp minor', and I kept waiting and waiting for an instance of the title minor key to take hold of the work. It never came. When I finished that listening session, I reread the media and felt ridiculous focusing on such a small aspect of the music, and incorrectly at that. Suffice to say, I have gone back to listen a few times, enjoying the F-sharp Major key, although Parry frequently visits plenty of other distant keys during the runtime.
I actually quite enjoy the middle movement, which is nearly set as a sultry dance, perhaps the closest Parry has ever come to showing some ankle (!). Listen to those piano burbles connecting the phrases! The opening movement is overly long, but the jolly high spirits carry the last movement over its even lengthier runtime pretty well.
I have no problems concerning Piers Lane as pianist, nor Martyn Brabbins leading the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. If anything, the performers could have juiced up the Romantic aspects of the music much, much more, but as is, is perfectly fine. Certainly, Hyperion is well beyond Volume 12 of their Romantic Piano Concerto series, so I am sure Parry's work is but a distant fond memory. For my money, I enjoyed my time with Parry's only Piano Concerto.
Bits 'n Bobs
Piano Concerto in F-sharp Major
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins, conductor
Hyperion; 1995
(34.53)
Proserpine (10.57)
Suite Moderne (20.18)
BBC National Symphony Orchestra of Wales
Rumon Gamba, conductor
Chandos; 2018
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