Liszt’s Legacy: Two Forgotten Concertos, Reborn

The two piano concertos on this release have a few things in common:

1) They were both composed by students of Franz Liszt

2) Both composers were better known as pianists

3) Both works have languished in obscurity for almost a century

4) Both are extraordinary concertos that deserve an audience

Oliver Triendl has made a career recording overlooked and neglected repertoire. Virtually all the music he's recorded has been worthy of revival. And that's the case here, too. 

Triendl has the chops to pull off these concertos -- and they're needed. Emil von Sauer was considered Franz Liszt's heir. His piano writing is dense and difficult. Conrad Ansorge also follows in Liszt's footsteps, but not as closely. His music relies on sensitive musicianship as well as technical brilliance.

Sauer's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E minor was the first of two concertos. He wrote it in 1895, and it's the height of Romantic expression. Crashing chords cascade up and down the keyboard. Thick piano textures are the norm, with an abundance of rapid runs. 

But this concerto isn't solo piano with a side order of orchestra. It is a collaborative effort. The piano sometimes accompanies the orchestra (as well as the other way around). Sauer created a four-movement concerto, unusual for the day. 

The work is filled with big, brawny melodies that have some staying power. Now I want to hear Sauer's second concerto!

Ansorge's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in F major, Op. 28, is a late work from 1924. Ansorge finished it six years before his death. It may be the last work he completed.

It's a very different work from Sauer's concerto. Technical demands on the pianist remain high. But the focus isn't the technique, but what is expressed through it. This is a very lyrical concerto, and one with real beauty. 

The Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchestrer Berlin perform under Roland Kluttig. The ensemble has a big, brawny sound that's well-suited to this music. If you're a fan of Rachmaninoff, Grieg, or Tchaikovsky concertos, give this a listen. You may just discover some new favorites.

Emil von Sauer, Conrad Ansorge: Piano Concertos
Oliver Triendl, piano
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchestrer Berlin; Roland Kluttig, conductor
Capriccio C5511