Kalkbrenner: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3 (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 56)

Featuring

Howard Shelley
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Friedrich Kalkbrenner

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Interpretation

The music on this album is extremely difficult to play on a modern concert grand piano due to its heavier action, making Kalkbrenner's original techniques for lighter instruments more challenging.

Critical Reception

Despite his contemporary success, Kalkbrenner's music has been consistently denigrated, with many writers passing on opinions without having heard his work.

Performer Biography

Howard Shelley, the pianist and conductor on this recording, has had a distinguished career since his London debut in 1971 and has recorded complete cycles of Rachmaninov's solo piano works and concertos.

Compositional Technique

Kalkbrenner's piano writing made distinct advances in techniques such as finger equality and responsiveness, octave playing, and pedal use, with his fingers kept in close contact with the keys.

Cultural Impact

Kalkbrenner's name is often mentioned in biographies of Chopin due to their well-known first meeting in Paris, where Kalkbrenner suggested Chopin study with him.

Composer Biography

Friedrich Wilhelm Michael Kalkbrenner, a child prodigy, studied at the Paris Conservatoire and in Vienna, where he befriended Hummel and spent time with Beethoven and Clementi.

Recording & Production

This album features the first recordings of Kalkbrenner's Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 85, Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 107, and Adagio & Allegro di Bravura, Op. 102.