Sergei Lyapunov (1859-1924)
Piano Concerto No.1 in E flat minor, Op.4 (1890)
Rhapsody on Ukrainian Themes, Op.28 (1907)
Piano Concerto No.2 in E major, Op.38 (1909)

Hamish Milne, Piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Bernhard Docherty, Leader
Martyn Brabbins, Conductor
Recorded City Hall, Glasgow, June 2002
Hyperion 67326 [59:06]

Comparison (Op. 38) - Shelley/Sinaisky (Chandos 9808), coupled with
Symphony Op. 12 and Polonaise Op. 16

Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series has now reached Volume 33, so
I'm backtracking a little in reviewing Volume 30 which is devoted to the
music of Segei Lyapunov who was born in Yaroslav in 1859 and studied at
the Moscow Conservatory under Tchaikovsky and Taneyev from 1878 to 1883.
Although Sergei Lyapunov wasn't a musical reactionary, his music is very
much in the grand romantic tradition.  Whether listening to the Hyperion
or Chandos discs, you will hear the voices of Borodin, Tchaikovsky,
Brahms, Liszt, and Balakirev.

Lyapunov was most influenced by Mily Balakirev and the nationalistic
style of composition.  Along with Lyadov, Balakirev and Lyapunov researched
Russian folk songs.  All told, over 300 songs were eventually published,
and 30 of them now constitute Lyapunov's Opus 10 collection.  Lyapunov's
most well known work is his set of 12 Transcendental Etudes, an obvious
homage to Franz Liszt.  Lyapunov also composed other solo piano pieces,
two symphonies, and two piano concertos.

Lyapunov's music has some sterling attributes.  Most impressive,
the flow of his music unfolds naturally and never sounds contrived.
He develops his themes expertly and has that inherent balance between
piano and orchestra that the greatest composers of piano concertos
possess.  If Lyapunov is lacking at all, it is in not offering the
wonderful melodies of a Rachmaninov or Liszt and perhaps not finalizing
his thoughts efficiently.

The Hyperion and Chandos discs share one work in common: Piano Concerto
No. 2 in E major.  This is a one movement work of essentially six
sections that will remind listeners of the Liszt's Piano Concerto No.
2.  It begins with a tender and magnanimous first section but does heat
up often as the piece progresses.  Lyapunov was not a consise composer,
and the work perhaps outlasts its welcome slightly.  Still, it is a
pleasure to encounter a work where the blending and contrasting of piano
and orchestra is written so clearly and with inevitability.

There isn't much to choose between the Hyperion and Chandos versions.
As one would expect, both Milne and Shelley are appropriately elegant
and tasteful, and each conductor takes his forces through the work with
assurance and fine pacing.  I do think that I would want to hear this
symphony with more of a primitive and wild delivery than either version
conveys, but that's likely just a personal preference.  Concerning sound
quality, I prefer the more detailed and natural Hyperion sound to the
highly integrated and rich soundstage of the Chandos recording.  On
balance, the Hyperion version is slightly preferred.

I wish I had started with Lyapunov's Concerto in E flat minor, which I
find a signicant improvement over the E major.  The E flat minor offers
a consistent dose of tension and angst that is thoroughly invigorating
after the rather restricted emotional range of the E major.  Also, I
think that Lyapunov creates more compelling melodies when reaching into
the darker side of life.

Particularly enjoyable are the 1st and 3rd Movements of the five-movement
concerto.  The 1st Movement begins with a vigorous salute, and Lyapunov
keeps the action moving throughout.  A myriad of themes are encountered,
most of them presented in tense and angry declamations.  As a result,
those times when the composer switches to more uplifting thoughts are
especially stunning.  There is a drive  and abandon in this 1st Movement
that is infectious and preferable to the E major Concerto.  This is music
to sink your teeth into.

The 3rd Movement begins with a surprising and heroic brass fanfare that
is mighty impressive and one of the highlights of the disc.  The music
continues strongly with great drive and confidence.  The work also has
two lovely Adagios that represent an appealing respite from the high-energy
declarations surrounding them.

Overall, I'd say that Lyapunov's Concerto in E flat minor isn't a far
distance from being a masterpiece of the piano concerto literature.  As
with the E minor Concerto, Milne and Brabbins give excellent performances.
I can imagine that a Richter/Kondrashin team would make the music even
more incisive and exciting, but the Hyperion forces are much better than
a stop-gap alternative.

Rounding off the program is the seventeen minute Rhapsody on Ukranian
Themes in ABAC form with the serious first subject returning again
in the coda.  The second subject is on the exuberant side but takes
a backseat to the third subject which is giddy with excitement and
possesses memorable tunes.

Don's Conclusions: What we have here are three substantial works for
piano and orchestra in that old-fashioned romantic vein loved by the
majority of classical music enthusiasts.  Two of the works are quite
appealing, and the Concerto in E flat minor is good enough to be programmed
regularly at concerts and on record.

Segei Lyapunov is no '2nd Rate Russian' composer.  There are frequent
times when his music is on an exalted plane, and he always exhibits
a natural affinity for the combination of piano and orchestral forces.
The performances are appealing and presented with ample depth and detail
emanating from the soundstage.  I'm sure that fans of Hyperion's Romantic
Piano Concerto series already have this fine volume.  Those who are
skeptical that Hyperion could come up with so many obscure but worthy
romantic concertos need no be concerned with the Lyapunov release which
fully lives up to the exceptional reputation of the series.

Coming up on the review agenda are two Chandos recordings of
Kabalevsky Concertos.  We are fortunate to have on record the Cello
Concerto No.  2 and the Violin Concerto conducted by the composer himself,
and I'll be using these readings for reference purposes.  Not only are
composer/performer recordings typically full of insights, they also take
us magically back in time to partake of a performance with the composer.
A listener can't get much better than that.

Don Satz
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