Berkeley: Piano Concerto, Op. 29 - Concerto for 2 Pianos, Op. 30
4/1/2007, 5 Tracks, 58:31
Featuring
Nicholas Braithwaite
David Wilde
Garth Beckett
Boyd McDonald
Norman del Mar
New Philharmonia Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Lennox Berkeley
Did you know?
1/7
Compositional Technique
In the Theme and Variations movement of the Concerto for Two Pianos, one variation starts as a fugue and incorporates the main theme of the finale of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony.
Critical Reception
Sir John Manduell stated at Lennox Berkeley's Requiem Mass that 'No composer has written more distinctively for the piano,' a claim supported by works like the Piano Sonata, Op 20.
Composer Biography
Lennox Berkeley, a leading British composer, was introduced to music at an early age by listening to classical music rolls on his father's pianola.
Composition History
The Concerto for Two Pianos was commissioned by the Henry Wood Concerts Society for pianists Phyllis Sellick and Cyril Smith, who premiered it at the Proms in 1958.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Lennox Berkeley's piano music, both miniatures and large-scale pieces, is characterized by a melodic approach influenced by Mozart, Chopin, and Ravel, combined with his unique harmonic language.
Compositional Technique
The Concerto for Two Pianos is unusually structured in two movements: a concentrated A-B-A design (slow-fast-slow) followed by a substantial Theme and Variations.
Composition History
The Piano Concerto was written for pianist Colin Horsley, who premiered it at the Proms in 1948 and performed it about thirty times.
