Litolff: Concertos symphoniques Nos. 2 & 4 (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 14)

Featuring

Peter Donohoe
Andrew Litton
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Henry Charles Litolff

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Litolff aimed for a new equality between the orchestra and the solo instrument in his concertos, influencing Franz Liszt in his use of the four-movement scheme and the triangle.

Composer Biography

Henry Charles Litolff, the composer, was born in London in 1818 to an Alsatian dance violinist father, who was a prisoner of war, and a Scottish mother.

Composer Biography

Litolff's early talent was recognized while working in a piano factory, leading to him being taught by Ignaz Moscheles, a renowned pianist and composer.

Recording & Production

This album features the first recording of Litolff's Concerto Symphonique No. 2 in B minor.

Compositional Technique

The Fourth Concerto Symphonique, considered Litolff's finest, bases its first and last movements entirely on a single theme, which he manipulates to create the illusion of multiple themes.

Compositional Technique

Litolff's piano concertos are notable for adding a Scherzo movement, making them four movements instead of the usual three, effectively making them 'symphonies with piano obbligato'.