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Track(s) taken from CDA67331/2

Valse-Caprice for piano and strings 'Wedding Cake', Op 76

composer

Stephen Hough (piano), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo (conductor)
Recording details: September 2000
Symphony Hall, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Produced by Andrew Keener
Engineered by Tony Faulkner
Release date: September 2001
Total duration: 5 minutes 58 seconds
 

Reviews

‘Marvellous performances, full of joy, vigour and sparkle. The recording is in the demonstration bracket and this Hyperion set includes no fewer than four encores. An easy first choice’ (The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)

‘Superlative’ (The Independent)

‘Superb … Hough’s new set in Hyperion’s outstanding Romantic Piano Concerto series sweeps the board’ (The Guardian)

‘It is unalloyed pleasure to sit through all five at a sitting … the quite outstanding pianism of Stephen Hough makes this an unmissable addition to anyone remotely interested in the barnstorming, physically exhilarating concertos of the late nineteenth century’ (International Record Review)

‘A delightful set that does this underrated composer full credit’ (Classic FM Magazine)
The Valse-Caprice, Opus 76, for piano and strings dates from 1886. Its ‘Wedding Cake’ nickname, while justifiable on account of its origin as a wedding present (for the composer’s pianist friend Caroline de Serres), has unfortunate connotations. Far from being a glitzy confection, the piece is a captivating gem, beautifully written and wholly characteristic of the composer’s art.

from notes by Phillip Borg-Wheeler © 2001

La Valse-Caprice op. 76, pour piano et cordes, date de 1886. Son surnom de «Wedding Cake» (Gâteau de noces), s’il s’explique certes par le fait que ce morceau fut à l’origine écrit pour le mariage d’une pianiste amie du compositeur, Caroline de Serres, a de fâcheuses connotations. Loin de tout clinquant, cette pièce est un véritable joyau, captivant, magnifiquement écrit et entièrement caractéristique de l’art du compositeur.

extrait des notes rédigées par Phillip Borg-Wheeler © 2001
Français: Josée Bégaud

Der Valse-caprice op. 76 für Klavier und Streicher stammt aus dem Jahr 1886. Der Spitzname „Wedding Cake“ ist zwar höchstwahrscheinlich auf seinen Ursprung als Hochzeitsgeschenk (für die Pianistin Caroline de Serres, eine Freundin des Komponisten) zurückzuführen, löst jedoch bedauerliche Assoziationen aus. Dabei ist dieses Stück keineswegs glitzernder Tand, sondern ein betörendes Juwel, wunderbar ausgeführt und absolut typisch für die Kunstfertigkeit des Komponisten.

aus dem Begleittext von Phillip Borg-Wheeler © 2001
Deutsch: Anne Steeb/Bernd Müller

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