Michael Korstick - Milhaud: Complete Piano Concertos (2007)

Posted By: varrock
Date: Nov. 28, 2019

Michael Korstick - Milhaud: Complete Piano Concertos (2007)
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 604 MB | Tracks: 34 | 134:23 min
Style: Classical | Label: CPO

This two-disc set makes an excellent companion to CPO's fine set of Milhaud symphonies, also conducted (very well, as here) by Alun Francis. If anything, the music for piano and orchestra is even more appealing. For some reason, bitonality works even better with two competing partners, both of which have the ability to make a full mass of harmony on their own. Or maybe Milhaud simply enjoyed this combination. Whatever the reason, there isn't a dull moment here, from the popular Carnaval d'Aix, to the magical Ballade, to the extremely colorful sonorities of the Fifth Concerto.

Pianist Michael Korstick takes all of this music in stride. It ranges from the fairly easy pieces written for Milhaud's own use, to the extremely complex and difficult. All of the music requires plenty of character, a certain insouciant boldness, and no mean degree of poetic sensibility in the slow movements. The main reason we never hear this music probably stems from the fact that most of these concertos are quite short–around 20 minutes or less. This makes them difficult to program in concert, though Ravel's Left Hand Concerto lasts about the same time (but then it's a tour-de-force; Prokofiev's very brief First Concerto doesn't get much play either).

In any event, none of these considerations matters on disc, and I can imagine that many listeners will welcome the music's brevity as much as its vitality and pungent lyricism. Some of these concertos have been recorded previously, but never with such authority (or ready availability) as to challenge the supremacy of this set. The engineering also is very good, letting the music speak with the clarity and brightness that it needs, but without undue hardness. Music like this is a tonic. A little may go a long way, but Milhaud is one of the very few composers who understands that and writes accordingly. Highly recommended.

Tracklist:

CD1:

01. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b: I. Le corso
02. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b: II. Tartaglia
03. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b: III. Isabelle
04. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b: IV. Rosetta
05. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b: V. Le bon et le mauvais tuteur
06. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b: VI. Coviello
07. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b: VII. Le capitaine Cartuccia
08. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b: VIII. Polichinelle
09. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b: IX. Polka
10. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b: X. Cinzio
11. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b: XI. Souvenir de Rio
12. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b: XII. Final
13. Ballade, Op. 61
14. 5 Études, Op. 63: No. 1, Vif
15. 5 Études, Op. 63: No. 2, Doucement
16. 5 Études, Op. 63: No. 3, Fugues. Vif et rythmé
17. 5 Études, Op. 63: No. 4, Sombre
18. 5 Études, Op. 63: No. 5, Romantique. Très animé
19. Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 127: I. Très vif
20. Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 127: II. Barcarolle
21. Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 127: III. Finale
22. Fantaisie pastorale, Op. 188



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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 02. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b_ II. Tartaglia.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 03. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b_ III. Isabelle.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 04. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b_ IV. Rosetta.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 87%
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FILE: 05. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b_ V. Le bon et le mauvais tuteur.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 06. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b_ VI. Coviello.flac
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FILE: 07. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b_ VII. Le capitaine Cartuccia.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 99%
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FILE: 08. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b_ VIII. Polichinelle.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 99%
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FILE: 09. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b_ IX. Polka.flac
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FILE: 10. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b_ X. Cinzio.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 11. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b_ XI. Souvenir de Rio.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 12. Le carnaval d'Aix, Op. 83b_ XII. Final.flac
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FILE: 13. Ballade, Op. 61.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 14. 5 Études, Op. 63_ No. 1, Vif.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 15. 5 Études, Op. 63_ No. 2, Doucement.flac
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FILE: 16. 5 Études, Op. 63_ No. 3, Fugues. Vif et rythmé.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 17. 5 Études, Op. 63_ No. 4, Sombre.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 18. 5 Études, Op. 63_ No. 5, Romantique. Très animé.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 19. Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 127_ I. Très vif.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 20. Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 127_ II. Barcarolle.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 21. Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 127_ III. Finale.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 86%
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FILE: 22. Fantaisie pastorale, Op. 188.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 87%
Signature: 3500FC419A25F7E44A09277AEC3B14893C40E86C


CD2:

01. Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 225: I. Animé
02. Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 225: II. Romance. Lent
03. Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 225: III. Bien modérément animé
04. Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 270: I. Alerte et avec élégance
05. Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 270: II. Lent
06. Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 270: III. Avec esprit et élégance
07. Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 295: I. Animé
08. Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 295: II. Très lent
09. Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 295: III. Joyeux
10. Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 346: I. Alerte
11. Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 346: II. Nonchalant
12. Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 346: III. Joyeux



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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 02. Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 225_ II. Romance. Lent.flac
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FILE: 03. Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 225_ III. Bien modérément animé.flac
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FILE: 04. Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 270_ I. Alerte et avec élégance.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 99%
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FILE: 05. Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 270_ II. Lent.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 85%
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FILE: 06. Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 270_ III. Avec esprit et élégance.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
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FILE: 07. Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 295_ I. Animé.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: F4A0D9E9B3F329FF070FAB885A56371EB7457E8F
FILE: 08. Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 295_ II. Très lent.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: CC4B0361269ACB17413C068DA031320C06DB383A
FILE: 09. Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 295_ III. Joyeux.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: FE3718B490A603BF4B128A4A6150DD0A2DB33792
FILE: 10. Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 346_ I. Alerte.flac
Size: 24968724 Hash: EBB2B499FB4B1872C106C99F2F28E00E Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 4B11F353C52810FE7F36F1B429B4CEE31F6745DB
FILE: 11. Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 346_ II. Nonchalant.flac
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Conclusion: CDDA 58%
Signature: 94FA402EF826C8CE3A08E64D83DA5B08C367C2DB
FILE: 12. Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 346_ III. Joyeux.flac
Size: 29599639 Hash: C00B4D1B14E625E0ABDDA61EDB4AEC37 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 02F022B6D7E8801119DBB341601DCDCEEB0835C4