Positives Feedback für Matthias Kirschnereit: "Fanfare" veröffentlicht CD-Kritik

Matthias Kirschnereit hat für sein aktuelles Album sehr positive Reaktionen erhalten. Die CD, die im Herbst beim Label cpo erschien, enthält die Klavierkonzerte Nr. 2 op. 18 D-Dur und Nr. 4 F-Dur des deutsch-niederländischen Komponisten Julius Röntgen. Die Aufnahmen entstanden im Mai 2008 mit der NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover und dem Dirigenten David Porcelijn. Die amerikanische Fachzeitschrift „Fanfare“ schreibt über das Album:

“If Julius Röntgen he been born in the early nineteenth century, instead of 1855, his music may still be played today in every concert hall. Alas, that was not meant to be, and Röntgen now lingers in relative obscurity. Over the past few years, the German label cpo has been on a mission to find this German-Dutch composer some new fans by recording a generous portion of his substantial artistic output. (Since Röntgen wrote over 500 works, it is my assumption that cpo’s survey of his music will not be comprehensive.) These commendable efforts hit a high note in this recording, which features two of this composer’s seven piano concertos in superb performances.

Stylistically speaking, these works, which were composed in 1879 and 1906, respectively, typify what we have come to expect from Röntgen’s scores: absolutely gorgeous tunes, an enviable mastery of the classical forms, lush orchestral sonorities, plenty of interesting ideas, and a complete and utter lack of interest in musical innovation. Don’t get me wrong. This is extremely enjoyable music, but unfortunately its greatest virtue is that it reminds us of other composers: Röntgen’s illustrious friend (Johannes Brahms), Brahms’s mentor (Robert Schumann), and Brahms’s and Schumann’s shared idol (Ludwig van Beethoven). Thus, parts of the first movement of the D-major concerto sound very much like Brahms’s symphony in the same key (which had been published a couple of years prior), while much of the thematic content of the concerto’s finale mirrors that of the last movement of Schumann’s piano concerto. Similarly, the first few bars of the opening movement of the F-major concerto bear a striking resemblance to the first few bars of—out of all things!—Beethoven’s ninth symphony. To his credit, Röntgen does little to mask his efforts to emulate his more famous predecessors, and it is indeed remarkable how seamlessly he integrates borrowed thematic content with his own ideas.

Despite my reservations about Röntgen’s music, I am very glad that pianist Matthias Kirschnereit, conductor David Porcelijn, and the NDR Orchestra made this recording. Suffice it to say that these first-rate musicians play Röntgen’s music with enormous skill and dedication, as if it had been written by the aforementioned immortals. Kirschnereit deserves special note for his mastery of Röntgen oftentimes unwieldy and non-pianistic piano parts. Can he be persuaded to record Brahms’s piano concertos?

The quality of the recorded sound is excellent.

Warmly recommended to fans of neglected Romantic composers and those who wish Brahms’s and Schumann’s contributions to the piano concerto repertoire had not been so stingy.”  Radu A. Lelutiu

Julius Röntgen: Piano Concertos 2 & 4; Matthias Kirschnereit, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, David Porcelijn; cpo 777 398-2