{"product_id":"mewton-wood-stravinsky-and-chopin-piano-concertos-pasc284","title":"MEWTON-WOOD Stravinsky and Chopin: Piano Concertos - PASC284","description":"overviewfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003eSTRAVINSKY \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003eConcerto for Piano \u0026amp; Wind Instruments\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"body\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003eCHOPIN \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003ePiano Concerto No. 2\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"body\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bodymidarial\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12px;\"\u003eRecorded in 1952 and 1948\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12px;\"\u003eTotal duration: 51:23 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"bodysmallarial\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eNoel Mewton-Wood, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003epiano\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eNetherlands Philharmonic Orchestra\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eZurich Radio Orchestra \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003econductor \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eWalter Goehr\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_titlefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fMusicWeb International Review578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_quotefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fMewton-Wood is a pianist who demands investigation578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_bodyfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003eOccasional murmurings about the greatness of Noel Mewton-Wood\n(1922-1953), the Australian pianist who committed suicide at\na tragically early age, swelled to an underground reputation\nwhen the British Music Society reissued his recording of the\nBliss Piano Concerto (see\nreview). I have to confess I had not investigated his art\nbefore now. A brutally truncated career can give rise to all\nsorts of legends and I have yet to be convinced that Dino Ciani,\nfor example, was more than just a very good pianist. On the\nstrength of this Chopin I’d say Mewton-Wood was among the greatest\nof recorded pianists, his early death a loss on a level with\nthat of Lipatti or Kapell. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn Chopin his playing has great panache and passion, alternating\neffortlessly with moments of delicacy and of melting poetry.\nHis tonal gradations and colouring in the gentler passages can\nbe appreciated in spite of the problematic recording quality.\nHis rubato is very free, yet without losing the rhythmic shape\nof the phrase. Similarly, his tempi change with a certain freedom\nbut he never loses sight of the larger structure of the music.\nIn this latter he is helped by the sympathetic direction of\nWalter Goehr. The Zurich orchestra is not always immaculate,\nbut he invests the orchestral tuttis with unusual fire and warmth\nwhile giving Mewton-Wood full rein in piano-led episodes. Goehr\nseems entirely identified with the spirit of the pianist’s interpretation,\nhe is not just accompanying. In some ways it could be said that\nMewton-Wood was able to combine the old-style personalized approach\nwith a more modern rigour. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nOne of the finest-ever performances of this work put on disc,\nthen, so what about the recording? \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nLike most of Mewton-Wood’s recordings, it was made for the Musical\nMasterpiece Society, which notoriously cut economic corners.\nThe technology was not of the best for its times and pressings\nwere poor and noisy. This same performance can be downloaded\nfreely from the site of M.\nRené Gagnaux. Gagnaux has taken a special interest in the\nMMS and has also transferred Mewton-Wood’s recordings of Beethoven’s\nFourth Concerto and the first two of Tchaikovsky. His catalogue\nof Walter Goehr recordings is extensive and fascinating. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nGagnaux tells us that he made his transfer by combining the\nbest passages of two copies from his own collection and a third\nmade available by another collector. There is a heavy surface\nswish throughout but the sound is vibrant and alive, the piano\nclose and sometimes clattery in fortes, especially in the higher\nrange, but warm and involving. The orchestra is also close,\nsometimes a bit confused but full and, again, involving. The\noboes sound very acid, but the Suisse Romande oboes sounded\nsimilar so I suppose that’s how the Swiss liked them. All in\nall, the performance comes across convincingly. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nGiven that all this costs nothing but internet connection and\na blank CD to burn it on, you may take the line that “if it’s\nfree there must be something wrong with it”. So if you pay the\nfar from exorbitant price for the Pristine transfer, what do\nyou get? \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFirst of all, Andrew Rose has succeeded in reducing the surface\nnoise to virtually nothing. Even on headphones I detected no\nbackground. But can this be done without filtering out a good\npart of the music too? At the outset the orchestra is far duller,\nwith the husky string sound typical of heavy noise reduction.\nThe effect is almost that of a drastically cleaned up pre-electric\nrecording. The piano, too, is duller, much of the light has\ngone from the sound. There’s also some wow at the beginning\nof the slow movement. The more delicate moments are attractive\nin a moonlit way, but the overall impression is that Mewton-Wood\nis playing an elderly upright piano rather than a grand. Both\npianist and orchestra sound to be further away from us in this\ntransfer, too. In the last resort the performance itself sounds\nless remarkable. So no contest, I’m afraid. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Stravinsky was transferred as one of the fillers on the\nBMS Bliss disc – in the absence of other British repertoire\nset down by Mewton-Wood. I haven’t heard this. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe modern tendency is to treat Stravinsky’s neo-classical works\nwith a certain dispassionate elegance. Stravinsky himself, as\nconductor, left no doubt that these works stemmed from the same\nvolcanic personality as had penned “The Rite of Spring”. I am\nhere talking of Stravinsky’s performances of his neo-classical\nworks in general, I don’t know a Stravinsky-led version of the\npresent piece. Mewton-Wood and Goehr provide real conviction\nand a blazing, barbaric splendour. Mewton-Wood’s tonal beauty\nemerges in the few passages – such as the beginning of the slow\nmovement – where it is relevant. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nStravinsky was notoriously antipathetic to the idea that the\nperformer was also an interpreter. Whether or not you agree\nwith him where other composers than himself are concerned, his\nown music does not essentially require an “interpreter” the\nway Chopin does so this performance, excellent as it is, tells\nus rather less about Mewton-Wood. Any collector who takes my\nadvice and downloads the Chopin in Gagnaux’s transfer needn’t\nregret the loss of the Stravinsky all that much, therefore.\nThose who buy the Pristine CD will note that in a patch of the\nslow movement the surface noise is so strong that Rose does\nnot attempt to eliminate it. On the whole the sound is livelier\nhere than in the Chopin. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nI hope I’ve made it clear that Mewton-Wood is a pianist who\ndemands investigation – but the present disc is not the place\nto begin. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristopher Howell\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9main_samplefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fsamples\/PASC284.mp3578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fProducer's Note578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcontent578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp class=\"bodybig\" align=\"center\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 24px;\"\u003eOne of the greatest 'lost' musical talents of the 20th Century\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"bodymid\" align=\"center\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003eCompleting our series of Mewton-Wood recordings\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp class=\"body\"\u003eAlthough we are lucky to have a handful of recordings which demonstrate the wonderful pianism of Noel Mewton-Wood, it is perhaps to be regretted that these are largely drawn from the LPs made by the Musical Masterpiece Society and its various offshoots. Often, particularly in the early days, rather poorly recorded, the company also kept costs down by simplifying cover designs and information (or lack of it) as well as cheaply pressing lightweight ten inch vinyl discs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"body\"\u003eThe fact that these two recordings also span the often 'difficult' years as new tape technology replaced established 78rpm disc-to-disc recording methods has created extra work for the modern restorer. Both recordings are lacking in the extreme top end, and the orchestral tone at the beginning of the Chopin leaves a great deal to be desired. Happily this is to a degree rectified as the work progresses, and would have been passable for 78rpm release. Both recordings suffer from a light amount of peak distortion, but this has generally been rendered as unobtrusive as possible. What does shine in both of these recordings is the superb piano playing and generally fine piano tone of Mewton-Wood, for which we can be most grateful!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"body\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eAndrew Rose\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fFull Track Listing578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5ftrack_listing578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"bodybigblue\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSTRAVINSKY \u003c\/strong\u003eConcerto for Piano \u0026amp; Wind Instruments \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"body\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNetherlands Philharmonic Orchestra\u003c\/strong\u003e*\u003cbr\u003econducted by\u003cstrong\u003e Walter Goehr\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bodymidarial\"\u003eRecorded 1952, transfer from Club National du Disque 10\" LP MMS 64 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"bodybigblue\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHOPIN \u003c\/strong\u003ePiano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bodymidarial\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"body\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eZurich Radio Orchestra\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003econducted by\u003cstrong\u003e Walter Goehr\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecorded 1948, transfer from Guild International du Disque 10\" LP MMS 4\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"body\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNoel Mewton-Wood\u003c\/strong\u003e piano\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bodymidarial\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e*Netherlands Philharmonic is credited here - other issues have credited Residentie Orchestra, The Hague - see notes\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"bodysmallarial\"\u003eXR remastering by Andrew Rose at Pristine Audio, March 2011\u003cbr\u003eCover artwork based on a photograph of Noel Mewton-Wood\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nTotal duration: 51:23 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fCover Art578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcover_art578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcovers\/thumbs\/PASC284.jpg578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcovers\/PASC284.pdf578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fAdditional Notes578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcontent578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp class=\"body\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNotes on the Orchestra:\u003c\/strong\u003e The members of the so-called \u003cem\u003eNetherlands Philharmonic Orchestra\u003c\/em\u003e were drawn from the three Dutch radio orchestras of the day, something since confirmed by various orchestral members.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"body\" align=\"left\"\u003eThe following notes were taken from Rolf den Otter's website notes {no longer available at original URL)\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \nAfter recording in Switzerland initially, the MMS label turned to the\nNetherlands for orchestral core repertoire. Several orchestras from the\nDutch public radio were recorded under the pseudonym 'Netherlands\nPhilharmonic Orchestra'. Another Dutch orchestra that recorded\nfrequently for MMS in the early '50s (under it's own name) was the\nUtrecht symphony orchestra, conducted by Paul Hupperts. To make things a\nbit complicated, the Utrecht symphony orchestra merged in the 1980's\ntogether with two other orchestras into the... Netherlands Philharmonic\nOrchestra!! Often, these two orchestras, the MMS pseudonym and the\npresent NphO. are mixed up with each other, but there is no connection!!\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    In 2001 the RFO historic society tried to find out which\norchestra and which players contributed to the 'Netherlands Philharmonic\nOrchestra' recordings. Unfortunately, this was virtually impossible.\nThe problem was that the files of the Dutch radio from that time are\ndestroyed, and the organization of these 'odd jobs' were in the hands of\nthe musicians themselves, the so called \"hustlers\". These musicians\nkept no records of their side jobs....\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Being radio\norchestras, Dutch law prevented to record under their own names. The\nbroadcast organizations were aware of the recording sessions, but turned\na blind eye to the musicians. Some players remembered that members of\nthe following orchestra's performed in the MMS recordings: 'het Omroep\nOrkest' (the present Radio Symphony orchestra), the Dutch Radio\nPhilharmonic orchestra and the Radio Chamber orchestra. Not all members\nof the RFO and OO participated to the recordings, particularly the\nstring players refused to play for the MMS label.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f","brand":"Pristine Classical","offers":[{"title":"Ambient Stereo 24-bit FLAC","offer_id":54932152418643,"sku":"nan1789300704140","price":12.44,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Ambient Stereo 16-bit FLAC","offer_id":54932152451411,"sku":"uzd1789300704141","price":8.93,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Mono 16-bit FLAC","offer_id":54932152484179,"sku":"ydx1789300704142","price":8.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"320kbps Mono MP3","offer_id":54932152516947,"sku":"fcy1789300704143","price":7.73,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1068\/1833\/9155\/files\/mewton-wood-stravinsky-and-chopin-piano-concertos---pasc284_1.jpg?v=1789300711","url":"https:\/\/vendnora.com\/products\/mewton-wood-stravinsky-and-chopin-piano-concertos-pasc284","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}