Barber: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra*; Die Natali, Op.  37; Medea's
Meditation and Dance of Vengeance, Op.  29A; Commando March

*Stephen Prutsman, piano
Marin Alsop, Royal National Scottish Orchestra
Naxos 8.559133

Summary: Naxos/Alsop continues its excellent Barber series

Marin Alsop and the Royal National Scottish Orchestra appear to be
continuing their complete traversal of Samuel Barber's orchestral works
with the fourth volume of the Naxos set.  There have been some quibbles
about tempi in the earlier volumes, particularly of the School for Scandal
overture, but there is no such problem here.

The centerpiece of this CD is the Piano Concerto.  This concerto was
written for John Browning and he has played it literally hundreds of
times over the past four decades; he has recorded it several times.  I
listened to his most recent recording with Leonard Slatkin and the St.
Louis Symphony in order to compare it with the present recording, and I
have to say that Stephen Prutsman, the pianist on this disc, has nothing
to apologize for.  Whereas Browning's treatment seems a bit more settled,
a bit more sedate, Prutsman's playing is more brilliant, somewhat more
percussive, and equally satisfying.  The piano is recorded rather more
forward on this Naxos disc.  I would have to give Browning the edge in
the poetic second movement, but in the more vigorous sections Prutsman
seems more energized.

The Die Natali is a Christmas piece, written at about the same time
as the Piano Concerto.  It treats such familiar Christmas carols as O
come, O come, Emmanuel; Lo, how a rose e'er blooming; God rest ye merry,
Gentlemen; We three kings; Good King Wenceslas.  There is even a section
where O come, O come, Emmanuel is played over an ostinato taken from
Adeste fideles.  The biggest climax is based on Joy to the world, and
then Silent Night closes the piece quietly.  Do not mistakenly believe
that this is simply a medley of Christmas tunes--far from it; it is an
extremely skillful piece that utilizes all manner of contrapuntal and
harmonic devices to create a satisfying symphonic whole.

Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance had a classic recording by
Leonard Bernstein and this performance does not compete very well with
it, but it must be said that no one has ever come close to Bernstein's
incandescent reading.  This performance is certainly more than adequate.

The collection ends with Barber's delightful Commando March, originally
written for military band in 1943, and later orchestrated; this is the
version we hear.  It is all one could ask of a stirring military march.

The performances here are quite good.  The sound is also very clear and
lifelike, although in the Concerto the piano, as mentioned, seems a bit
spotlighted, which may not be all bad.

Recommended to those who do not have these particular pieces in their
collections or who want several versions of, say, the Concerto or the
Medea.

Scott Morrison