Anda and Kubelik – Schumann and Grieg – Piano Concerti

Two piano concertos in A Minor by two composers Robert Schumann and Edvard Grieg are often placed together. Both are very popular works of romantic period, both are in the same key, both are the only finished concertos in composers’ oeuvres but this is still not enough explanation to understand why so many listeners love to connect these two concertos. Although these two composers were parted by interval of a whole generation and so these concertos were written 27 years one after another, both are highlights of the same romantic style and both are extremely attractive as philharmonic evening events.

From constructional point of view both base on the same idea. After orchestral strike, piano bursts with descending passage and this creates space for theme in orchestra. The construction idea of both concertos is generally the same. Both are nominally in three parts and both have second and third parts ordered to play attacca. And this makes them closer to the rhapsody in two parts than to Mozart or Beethoven type of three-part piano concerto. Consequently in  place of the development traditionally dominating in first parts composers show many casual themes and ideas. These two are similar in basic ideas probably because 25 years old composer followed some creative directions of Schumann whom he really admired. This is most probable cause for some construction and main idea similarities but considering the final effect, these two concertos are still quite different in style and personal character.

Anda in Schumann and Grieg's Concerti (1964)

Basic differences between these two concertos could be derived from historic circumstances and creative attitude of both composers. The Schumann’s work was the milestone of romantic concerto formal development. It was set up against traditional form by composer who was trying to restore the spirit of improvised virtuoso music and reform old idea of concerto. After quarter of the century subversive formal ideas of first romantics became common way of composing. Edvard Grieg, who was great admirer of Schumann’s work, was also determined to create national style of Norway music, which was in line with the spirit of the era. He used national Norwegian folklore, melodies and rhythms of folk dances and transform them into elements of European musical tradition. And this is probably the hallmark of Grieg’s Piano Concerto A Minor which resulted this very work became beloved piece of nineteenth and twentieth century audience.

Géza Anda plays Schumann’s Concerto with a kind of classical standoff, building emotional pressure through standard dynamics and precise articulation. Orchestra creates highly suggestive emotional support for pianist. In Grieg’s Piano Concerto artists follow the rhythmic and melodic intensity with vigor and pathos driving to more emotional or even sentimental moods. Pianist, orchestra and conductor are perfect team for this works. The set of two concertos recorded for Deutsche Grammophone Gesellschaft in 1964 was out of stock and highly priced recording, so twenty years later it has been digitally mastered and republished with new cover design in DGG „Galleria” series. Is there any better review than second edition of the work?

Géza Anda – Mozart Piano concertos G Major KV 453 and C Major KV 467

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote twenty seven piano concertos and almost every one of them can be seen as masterpiece of classical music. Besides his great contribution in every genre of musical creativity, this is piano concertos where we can follow the process of crystallizing his symphonic style and building the equilibrium between band and soloist’s individuality. Mozart’s concerti for piano from Vienna period have both so much of symphonic touch, that comparing them can clearly show, composer realized in this form some concepts of creating structure of orchestral sound and establishing new relations between instruments of the orchestra and soloist. 

Géza Anda – Mozart Piano concertos – „Elvira Madigan” 

Géza Anda was one of most respected Mozart interpreters of his times. Born in Budapest in 1921, he was student of Ernst von Dohnányi and Zoltán Kodály at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. He started his career winning 1940 the Liszt Prize. One year later he astonished musical world with his congenial interpretation of 2nd Piano Concerto by Brahms. Wilhelm Furtwängler called 20 year-old pianist „troubadour of the piano”. 

Since his first contract, Géza Anda was recording mainly for Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. For this label he recorded as first pianist in history the full cycle of Mozart’s piano concerti. In studio performances recorded between 1961 and 1969 Anda played with Camerata Academica des Salzburger Mozarteum which he conducted himself from the keyboard. Maybe this is why sometimes orchestra plays less vigorous and without so much emphasis then on many other known performances. Anda’s rendition convince, this can be a real virtue, giving piano more place for sedate interpretation.

Maybe the best selling from complete set of Géza Anda’s Mozart concerti was the one of 17th Piano Concerto G Major KV 453 and 21st Piano Concerto C Major KV 467. This album has been featured as recording used in soundtrack to Swedish movie Elvira Madigan. In 1968 cover of this record has been changed, showing Pia Degermark in the boat scene. Great international success of Andante from Piano concerto C-dur used in movie as a love theme, decided of whole concerto's nickname – Elvira Madigan. Dreamlike theme of this movement, especially in Anda's moderate performance became real hit of late sixties and early seventies, strengthening romantic legends on Mozart’s music. Album was prized Grand prix du disque in Paris. It is worth to remember cadenzas to Concerto G-dur were written by Mozart himself, but in 1st and 3rd part of C-dur Concerto the record includes original cadenzas by Géza Anda.