It’s not usual to encounter Robert Schumann’s works for piano and orchestra together on one disc, as is the case here. Given Angela Hewitt’s Bachian prowess, her careful contouring of the Concerto first movement’s canonic overlapping voices and her intelligent, clear delineation of the finale’s swirling passagework come as no surprise. Apart from the first-desk soloists emerging relatively recessed in relation to the piano (the keyboard/oboe exchanges), the first movement stands out for its thrust, sweep, and vigorous timpani.
However, Hewitt doesn’t differentiate the Intermezzo’s detached and legato articulation so well as others, while the Berlin strings lack the robust tone and expressive generosity that distinguish the stereo Ormandy/Serkin/Philadelphia Orchestra recording. Nor does the lackluster, foursquare finale begin to approximate Schumann’s Allegro vivace directive. We miss the soaring, joyous lilt and cross-rhythmic accentuation that characterize such divergent interpretations as Arrau/Dohnanyi, Janis/Reiner, or a particularly impressive version with Howard Shelley conducting from the keyboard.
The two shorter concerted works are scrupulously prepared and balanced in terms of woodwind/string section definition. I appreciate the power and heft that underlines the Op. 134 Allegro’s kinship with the finale of Schumann’s Fourth Symphony, together with Hewitt’s polished bravura and singing tone. Still, there’s something to be said for Perahia/Abbado’s lighter textures and slightly faster tempo here, as well as the stronger imprint from both Abbado and Ormandy’s horn sections in Op. 92.
A stronger Concerto finale would have raised this release’s competitive edge, so Perahia/Abbado/Berlin remain the first choice for these three works together. If you don’t mind less sumptuous engineering and rougher orchestral execution, the underrated Italian pianist Benedetto Lupo and conductor Peter Maag also include Schumann’s original piano version of the Op. 86 Konzertstücke (the composer later rescored the solo part for a quartet of horns). As usual, Hewitt contributes her own lively, superbly researched and well written annotations.
