Piano Protagonists: Music for Piano and Orchestra
BRIDGE 9547

This new studio recording contains three works for piano and orchestra that virtuoso pianist Orion Weiss and conductor Leon Botstein first performed in concert at the Bard Music Festival.  Together, the three works span almost a century of musical Romanticism and are as different from one another as the generations they represent.  In each piece, the virtuoso genre becomes a means by which the composer responds to a specific source of inspiration—in the first case (Korngold), a performer and family friend who had suffered a horrendous tragedy, in the second (Rimsky Korsakov), a venerated old master, and in the third (Chopin) a melody from a beloved opera.

“Orion Weiss performs three very different Romantic works for piano and orchestra by Korngold, Chopin and Rimsky-Korsakov. Thoroughly entertaining.” — BBC Music Magazine

"All the performances on this album, featuring the brilliant pianist Orion Weiss, are excellent." — Anthony Tommasini, New York Times

"The conductor and soloist shine strongest in Chopin’s early ‘Là ci darem la mano’ Variations. Botstein makes the most of the composer’s unprepossessing orchestral backing as he digs into the tutti interludes between variations with uncommon gusto. Weiss positively scintillates in the first variation, creates lovely conversational interplay between the hands in Var 3 and assuredly nails Var 4’s leaps. The Polonaise (Var 6) manages to be boisterous and elegant at the same time: easier said than done. Peter Laki’s well-written and informative booklet notes add to the release’s distinction." - Gramophone

"The Orchestra Now directed by Leon Botstein makes excellent performance partners for Weiss. While the names on the album are famous, these works aren’t. This is a great opportunity to hear some finely crafted and inspired music and music-making." - WTJU91.1FM

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BRIDGE 9547