Ernest Bloch’s Concerto symphonique is one of the 20th century’s great masterpieces for piano and orchestra, and this easily is its finest recording to date. Imagine the cyclical form of Franck’s Symphony wedded to the pianistic brilliance and rhythmic drive of Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto. Sound juicy? You betcha! All previous performances have suffered either from an inadequate pianist or orchestra–or both. Jenny Lin’s account of the solo part is extraordinary: fiery and brilliant, but also extremely sensitive in places such as the quiet central section of the second movement, where woodwinds and keyboard are remarkably in sync. In a work that couldn’t have been familiar to the orchestra, with a really intricate relationship between solo and the larger ensemble, this is very impressive.
The performance isn’t quite perfect, however. The finale is a touch under-tempo, though never underpowered (thanks to the enthusiastic brass section). On the other hand, it’s much better to play the piece more slowly than usual but observe proper dynamics and phrasing in what after all is some very heavily scored music. Just compare the passage for piano and winds (with snare drum) after figure 89 to the work’s three prior recordings, and it’s quite clear that the approach works well for the most part. The engineers also have balanced Lin very naturally against the orchestra–no easy task. In sum, the performance is a joy, and if you don’t know this work, then you owe yourself a listen.
Better still, this disc contains all the rest of Bloch’s music for piano and orchestra. Concerto grosso No. 1 for piano and strings is one of his most popular pieces, and this is one of its better performances. The second-movement Dirge is particularly moving, while the final fugue offers a very satisfying culmination. The Scherzo fantasque sounds like a chip off of the Concerto symphonique, and once again this is its finest recorded performance (not that there have been many). Bloch really was one of the best orchestral composers active in the first half of the 20th century, and this excellent disc should go a long way toward convincing any doubters. [2/7/2008]
