Rare Performance of John Ireland's Piano Concerto

[Guest]

We have tickets for the RFH on the 20th January 2013 at 3.00 pm, Philharmonia with

conductor John Wilson
piano Leon McCawley

Walton: Portsmouth Point
Delius: ...Cuckoo......
Ireland: Piano Concerto
VW: Fantasia..............Tallis
Elgar: In the South (Alassio)

I got to know this work ( the Ireland) because I found myself with Eileen Joyce's recording on 78s and put it up on my website with her Shostakovitch First which must have been one of the first recordings of the latter work.The Ireland is definitely not as weird as some of his piano pieces and as far as one can tell from the recording is pretty imaginatively scored for full orchestra.

[antongould]

On one of the occasional threads demanded by Lady Sidcup - favourite PCs or some such - it "scored" very well if I recall. I think it is a fine work.

[Barbirollians]

I must admit to having been very unimpressed by it when it was in BAL a couple of years back but bought the Lenehan recording on Naxos which post dated the BAL and it has won me over . Nice to see it in concert and Leon McCawley is a very fine pianist IMO.

[salymap]

I love it. Lord Washington [Tyne & Wear] kindly sent me a CD of the Colin Horsley performance, a pianist I saw playing it years ago and a fine recording.

[Bax-of-Delights]

The Ireland Concerto was programmed with the Moeran 2nd Symphony just before Christmas at the Brighton Dome. I already knew it pretty well from the old Lyrita recording with Eric Parkin (Sir Adrian Boult conducting the London Phil) but it was delightful to hear it live and to judge from the comments of those who had never heard it before was much appreciated.

[Stanfordian]

I love it. Lord Washington [Tyne & Wear] kindly sent me a CD of the Colin Horsley performance, a pianist I saw playing it years ago and a fine recording.

Hiya salymap, I agree. I have several recordings of the Ireland piano concerto and my standout account is certainly by Colin Horsley with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Basil Cameron that I have on EMI Classics 7 64716 2.

[visualnickmos]

On Conifer, I have this (Ireland Piano Conc) with Kathryn Stott/RPO/Handley. Found in a charity shop in Eltham many years ago - sorry, I'm mixing my threads; Bargains

[Ferretfancy]

This work used to be a Proms favourite, and featured on several occasions on the Last Night. I first heard it on 78s in the Eileen Joyce performance, and asked one of the music teachers if he knew it. He promptly sat down and plated part of the slow movement from memory. Later on, Colin Horsley made an early stereo recording with Basil Cameron and the RPO, one of the few Cameron recordings that are still available. It still sounds good on CD. Of modern performances, I enjoy Lenehan, and Eric Parkin made an excellent disc with Boult for Lyrita, I'm not sure if it's available.