John Ireland was another one of those high-quality composers who avoided large forms, and so will always rate as (at best) a “minor master”. But his Piano Concerto is an early 20th century masterpiece, a real crowd-pleaser in a Prokofiev-meets-Gershwin sort of way. Eric Parkin is the pianist most closely associated with Ireland’s work, and this recording of the concerto is the finest available. Parkin re-recorded the piece for Chandos, but that version is comparatively labored and heavy-handed, as well as glaringly recorded. Here, Parkin plays with an ease of rhythm, a flexibility and flow that makes the music swing as it must, and (as usual) Lyrita’s sonics are terrific.
The remainder of the program is scarcely less attractive. These Things Shall Be is an optimistic choral paean that packs a lot of musical material into 20 scant minutes. Satyricon, an overture that for some reason never gets played these days, once again reveals Ireland’s high level of melodic inspiration and sheer craftsmanship in those few works he composed with orchestra. The Legend for piano and orchestra has Parkin once again in top form, and all of this music benefits from Adrian Boult’s authoritative but unobtrusively sensitive podium guidance. So many of these Lyrita discs are true “building a collection titles”–the one disc you must have if you want the best and most representative selection of its respective composer’s work. Here is another in that distinguished line. [5/22/2007]
