BaL 22.05.21 - Shostakovich: Piano Concerto no. 2

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 Building a Library
Yshani Perinpanayagam chooses her favourite recording of Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2.
Shostakovich composed his Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op. 102, in 1957 as a gift for his son Maxim to mark his 19th birthday. It is an uncharacteristically exuberant work that Maxim premiered during his graduation at the Moscow Conservatory. Shostakovich intended the concerto to be his last work written for piano, but it is not the heavy farewell that we might expect from the rest of his output. It is also a relatively short and compact work, which ends in a lively dance movement. Although the Second Piano Concerto is not considered to be one of Shostakovich's most important works, it has become one of his most popular with audiences.

Available versions:-

Dmitri Alexeev, English Chamber Orchestra, Jerzy Maksymiuk
Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Idil Biret, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Arpad Geretz
Yefim Bronfman, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen *
Angela Cheng, CBC Radio Orchestra, Mario Bernardi *
Peter Donohoe, Orchestra of the Swan, David Curtis
Boris Giltburg, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko
Andrey Gugnin, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Constantine Orbelian
Paul Gulda, Moscow Radio Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Fedoseyev
Marc-André Hamelin, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton
Martin Helmchen, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski
Michael Houstoun, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Lyndon-Gee
Valentina Igoshina, Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss, Lavard Skou-Larsen *
Patrik Jablonski, Polish Radio Orchestra Warsaw, Wojciech Rajski *
Ingrid Jacoby, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras
Martin Jones, English String Orchestra, William Boughton
Andrei Korobeinikov, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Okko Kamu *
Elisabeth Leonskaja, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Hugh Wolff
Andrew Litton, Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Loeg Marshev, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu
Dmitry Masleev, Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Sladkovsky
Denis Matsuev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (SACD)
Denis Matsuev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (DVD/Blu-ray)
Alexander Melnikov, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Teodor Currentzis
John Ogdon, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent *
Cristina Ortiz, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Cristina Ortiz, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Berglund *
Joshua Pierce, RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Paul Freeman *
Julian Rolton , Kensington Symphony Orchestra, Russell Keable *
Mikhail Rudy, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons *
Dmitri Shostakovich, Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Gauk
Dmitri Shostakovich, Orchestra National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise, André Cluytens
Dmitri Shostakovich Jr, I Musici de Montreal, Maxim Shostakovich
Maxim Shostakovich, New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein
Alexander Toradze, Frankfurt RSO, Paavo Järvi
Florian Uhlig, SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks, Jiri Stárek
Anna Vinnitskaya, Kremerata Baltica
Sabine Weyer, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Erich Polz (SACD)

(* = download only)

[richardfinegold]

Written to give Maxim, a Pianist of limited gifts, a vehicle to play. It is the Chinese food meal of the DSCH restaurant—enjoyable while playing, and out of the mind an hour later

[LeMartinPecheur]

Can't think of another concerto where you can get father, son and grandson each playing the solo part!

(Won't be rushing to buy son, grandson or anyone else I suspect. DSCH Snr, Alexeev and Ortiz should be enough...)

[LMcD]

If CD couplings are a factor for you, Hamelin/Litton offer Shostakovich's 1st piano concerto and Shchedrin's 2nd.

[Petrushka]

Can't think of another concerto where you can get father, son and grandson each playing the solo part!

I was lucky enough to be present in the Royal Festival Hall, London, on October 21 1981 when Maxim Shostakovich conducted the LPO in his father's works, including the 5th Symphony and this concerto with his own son, Dmitri junior, as the soloist. I went backstage after the concert to meet them both and the signed programme is beside me as I type. An unforgettable evening and hard to believe it's 40 years ago.

As far as recordings are concerned, I can only find three on my shelves: The composer/Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra/Gauk, Rudy/LPO/Jansons and a BBC Music Mag CD with Martin Roscoe/BBCPO/Sinaisky.

Easy to see why it's popular with audiences, and rightly so, but not really a work of sufficient importance to merit a BaL to be honest and it might well come down to couplings. In that case, I'd go for Mikhail Rudy/LPO/Jansons with a fine Symphony 15 though the composer with Gauk is a very interesting issue if you can find it.

[Barbirollians]

The Alexeev/Maksymiuk CFP has always satisfied me as far the work can. The big tune of the slow movement seems so wasted and underdeveloped.

[Darloboy]

I was lucky enough to be present in the Royal Festival Hall, London, on October 21 1981 when Maxim Shostakovich conducted the LPO in his father's works, including the 5th Symphony and this concerto with his own son, Dmitri junior, as the soloist. I went backstage after the concert to meet them both and the signed programme is beside me as I type. An unforgettable evening and hard to believe it's 40 years ago.

As far as recordings are concerned, I can only find three on my shelves: The composer/Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra/Gauk, Rudy/LPO/Jansons and a BBC Music Mag CD with Martin Roscoe/BBCPO/Sinaisky.

Easy to see why it's popular with audiences, and rightly so, but not really a work of sufficient importance to merit a BaL to be honest and it might well come down to couplings. In that case, I'd go for Mikhail Rudy/LPO/Jansons with a fine Symphony 15 though the composer with Gauk is a very interesting issue if you can find it.

Possibly explains why it hasn't been covered by BaL for 35 years. Last covered in its own right by Geoffrey Norris in June 1980 when he chose Eugene List conducted by Maxim Shostakovich as his first choice. Then in April 86, he made Dmitri Alexeev conducted by Jerzy Maksymiuk first choice for both piano concertos - with Eileen Joyce conducted by Leslie Heward from 1941 also recommended.

[gurnemanz]

One of my first classical LPs about 50 years ago was the Bernstein on CBS in that famous coupling with the Ravel. At the time it was an accessible work for a Shosty novice and it's still a favourite. I seem to remember it took a while to appear on CD and my first digital version was Dmitri Alexeev with Jerzy Maksymiuk and ECO. I probably don't need another recording, having acquired a couple more versions via boxes:

John Ogdon with Lawrence Foster/RPO (Ogdon EMI Icon)
Composer with André Cluytens/ORF Orch (EMI Composers in Person box)

[Bert]

Dimitry Masleyev, piano - Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Sladkovsky. Melodiya.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Dimitry Masleyev, piano - Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Sladkovsky. Melodiya.

It's on the list, though perhaps with questionable spelling.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Written to give Maxim, a Pianist of limited gifts, a vehicle to play. It is the Chinese food meal of the DSCH restaurant—enjoyable while playing, and out of the mind an hour later

Thing is it’s a lot more difficult than it looks . Even the famous Andante which sounds easy doesn’t lie under the fingers that well. But it’s a whole lot easier than concerto for piano and trumpet whose Roll Out The Barrel stride section must be some of the most difficult stuff around. Disagree about the Chinese meal - I think it’s a mini masterpiece...

[Bert]

It's on the list, though perhaps with questionable spelling.

Seen the pianist's name spelt variously - on my CD set it's spelt Dmitry Masleev.

[LMcD]

Seen the pianist's name spelt variously - on my CD set it's spelt Dmitry Masleev.

That's how it's spelt on his official site.

[cloughie]

That's how it's spelt on his official site.

...and how is spelt spelt or spelled?

https://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused/spelled_spelt.htm

[BBMmk2]

I have Dmitri Alexeev, ECO, Maksymiuk, Martha Argerich, Orchestre della Svizzera Italiana, Alexander Vedernikov. That Alexander Melnikov recording looks interesting!