Piano Concerto No 4 in E major Op 64
Piano Concerto No 5 in C major Op 87
Recollections of Ireland Op 69

Howard Shelley’s third disc in Hyperion’s traversal of the complete extant piano concertos by Ignaz Moscheles brings us triumphant performances of the fourth and fifth concertos which are complemented by a spirited rendition of the Recollections of Ireland, composed almost by way of thanks for divine deliverance from a storm-tossed crossing of the Irish Sea in 1826. Piano Concerto No 4 represents the culmination of Moscheles’ output in the genre during his years as a touring virtuoso, and the results are every bit as pyrotechnical as this might lead one to expect. A precurser of the Chopin and Schumann concertos, here delicious melody and rumbustious joie de vivre combine (alongside a version of The British Grenadiers) in a work of immediate and lasting appeal. The fifth concerto is something rather different, its audaciously progressive musical language initially proving something of a turn-off for contemporary audiences expecting ‘more of the same’. However, the work bristles with virtuosic display and strong themes – every bit a tribute to its composer’s idol, Beethoven, whose own C minor concerto provides the opening motif of Moscheles’ closing movement. Recollections of Ireland is a crowd-pleasing fantasia based on four popular Irish tunes (‘The Groves of Blarney’ being better known today as ‘The Last Rose of Summer’) and provides Moscheles ample scope to indulge his passion for a good tune – and his facility at interweaving several good tunes … The accompanying booklet gives full details of the works, of course, and also throws down the gauntlet to the interested listener: Hyperion is committed to recording the missing Piano Concerto No 8 – if anyone can shed any light on where the music might be, many years of international searching having so far drawn a blank.

'You have to hand it to Howard Shelley. It's one thing to lead a concerto from the keyboard, but to do this when the solo part is so demanding and with such insouciance is quite another thing … Completed by Henry Roche's trenchant and engaging booklet notes, this is an issue which I cannot praise too highly' (Gramophone)

'Imagine Paganini's Rossinian verve, Schumann's poetic sensibility and Mendelssohn's gentle humanity rolled into one, and you won't be far from the sound-world of these wonderful concertos' (Classic FM Magazine)

'Directing the performances from the keyboard, Shelley takes every prestidigitational hurdle with immaculate precision and aristocratic aplomb. He displays an exemplary range of touch and fluidity, communicates an intense pleasure in the music and indeed seems to revel in its abundant charm. The recording is of the same excellent standard as previous releases in this series. Listeners who have already enjoyed the other Moscheles concertos will not hesitate; if you haven't, this is a good place to start' (International Record Review)

'Pianist-conductor Howard Shelley... delivers very fine and sensitive performances on a Steinway piano. This recorded is a valuable addition for listeners interested in building their collection of nineteenth-century concertos or in tracing the history of the genre' (Nineteenth-century Music Review)

'All in all, if you're curious about this repertoire, I'd recommend you turn to the Hyperion series. This latest installment is as good a place as any to start' (Fanfare, USA)

---

Recording details: Various dates; Federation Concert Hall, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; Produced by Various producers; Engineered by Various engineers; Release date: March 2005;