robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) (10/25/84)
References: Sender: Reply-To: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) Followup-To: Distribution: Organization: Exxon Office Systems, Princeton Keywords: I recently required an old but apparently unused recording of William Kappell playing the Prokoviev 3rd piano concerto. The conductor is Antal Dorati, and the recording was made in 1949, I think, not too long before WK died in a plane crash. This is an extraordinary recording; although there are many fine recordings of this concerto, I urge you to hear this one if you can. WK was a fine pianist with extraordinary technique, and fine musical feeling for at least some composers. His repertoire was rather limited, but had been opening up in the last few years of his life. There is terriffic drive and exuberance in this performance. In addition, WK makes the most difficult passages sound exceedingly easy and comfortable to play. (Van Cliburn tends to make things sound remarkably easy also, even more than WK; but VC's interpretations tend to langour, and those of WK's to drive.) This concerto requires a great deal of cooperation between the piano and the orchestra, with a lot of tricky dialog requiring balance, and tossing of themes back and forth. Inevitably in a recording made so soon after the work was written (less than two generations), the orchestra does not understand it all that well, and is often ragged in handling the interplay with the piano. But in many sections the ensemble is very fine, probably as a result of a great understanding between Dorati and WK. There are particularly passages where the piano gradually accelerates, and it is a great triumph of Dorati's to keep the orchestra moving with the piano. The first bassoonist of the orchestra, whose name I do not know, has a particular affinity for the little bassoon solos that spot the work. Altogether the performance is a glorious romp. I acquired my record at a second-hand record store for $14. I was offered (but did not buy) the same recording in the late 1960's for $50. I wonder if it still has a reputation these days. - Toby Robison (not Robinson!) allegra!eosp1!robison or: decvax!ittvax!eosp1!robison or (emergency): princeton!eosp1!robison