All performances of the Piano Concerto have to deal with the all-but-unbeatable standard set by Szell/Browning on Sony, just as challengers in the Violin Concerto have to contend with Bernstein/Stern. Still, this is a remarkably fine performance. Giampaolo Nuti stresses the music’s lyricism, which is a good thing, but never at the expense of forward momentum. This is particularly telling in the first movement. No one is as quick as Browning and Szell, but happily this version isn’t as slow as some other recent performances. The central Canzone is wonderfully bittersweet, and the finale has plenty of the necessary energy. Daniel Kawka and the orchestra accompany quite well, and the sonics, perhaps a touch shallow, are otherwise very good.
In the three essays, Kawka & Co. sound perfectly idiomatic. The strings at the opening of the First Essay are warmly romantic, and Kawka shapes the conclusion of the grand Second Essay about as well as anyone ever has. The brass do themselves proud here also, with a bright but not raw timbre. The Third Essay, the longest of the three, is also unusually focused and confidently projected. Clearly Italian orchestras have come a long way in the past few decades. It would be easy to overlook this release, but if you’re a serious Barber fan, that would be a mistake.
