These glittering, virtuoso concertos make welcome additions to Hyperion’s “Romantic Piano Concerto” series (now at 47 volumes!). Salomon Jadassohn was a respected Leipzig pedagogue whose music vanished without a trace after his death in 1902, assisted by the fact that he was Jewish and so lost whatever support he may have had in his German homeland. Felix Draeseke, on the other hand, was strikingly successful during his own lifetime, so the neglect he has suffered since is a bit harder to explain. It may have something to do with the fact, as note-writer Kenneth Hamilton points out, that neither concerto sports an instantly memorable tune, but he goes too far in trying to defend these works at the expense of Grieg and Brahms–there’s no need to tear down a certified masterpiece to build up the work of an unknown.
Jadassohn’s two concertos are compact (15 and 23 minutes respectively), full of Lisztian fireworks, formally experimental, and a great deal of fun. Draeseke was one of many German composers who straddled the Wagner and Brahms camps, which is probably why he fell between the cracks historically. But he marries elements of both schools together very effectively, and if his handling of form is more traditional and the thematic material not perhaps instantly memorable, the work as a whole makes for very satisfying listening. Markus Becker’s confident, technically adroit performances certainly make the best possible case for all three works, and he receives excellent support from Michael Sanderling and the Berlin Radio orchestra. Typically fine sound guarantees collectors of this series complete satisfaction, while novice listeners interested in good Romantic music should consider this strongly as well. Recommended without reservations.
