Piano Concerto / Gaelic Symphony

Album review

Amy Beach's Piano Concerto in C sharp minor and her Symphony in E minor "Gaelic" are markedly different in purpose and character, but they complement each other rather well on this disc. Dark chromaticism and restless modulations mark the Piano Concerto as a work of late-Romantic turbulence and angst, yet Beach's rigorous control of her themes and sharp-edged pianistic writing -- tailored to her own prodigious skills -- keep the concerto at a high level of sophistication and coherence. Pianist Alan Feinberg and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, directed by Kenneth Schermerhorn, present the concerto with urgency and incisive articulation, emphasizing the work's brilliance over its unsettled emotional content. In contrast to the concerto, Beach's "Gaelic" Symphony is a much brighter work, and the overall mood is warm and genial. Often compared to Dvorák's "New World" Symphony because of the use of folk-styled melodies as thematic material, Beach's symphony is more modest and never aspires to that work's epic scale and force. Even though a certain ingenuousness is evident in Beach's handling of symphonic form, this sturdy piece is as accomplished as any American effort of the time. Schermerhorn and the N.S.O. produce a marvelous sound throughout, and the fidelity of the recording makes this CD thoroughly enjoyable.

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