Piano Concerto; Concerto for Two Pianos; Organ Concerto
Pascal Rogé and Sylviane Deferne, pianos; Peter Hurford, organ; Philharmonia Orchestra; Charles Dutoit
Decca 436 546-2
Poulenc’s Piano Concerto is an uneven work, but Pascal Rogé understands its peculiar mixture of sentiment, wit and deliberate vulgarity. His light touch and sly phrasing prevent its sudden changes of direction from sounding merely disjointed. He makes the best possible case for it.
Rogé is joined by Sylviane Deferne in the Concerto for Two Pianos, and their performance is the highlight of the disc. The playing is boisterous, bright and wonderfully alert, with Dutoit and the Philharmonia providing an accompaniment of exceptional lightness. Its combination of Mozart, music-hall comedy and Balinese color sounds completely natural in their hands.
The Organ Concerto brings a dramatic change of atmosphere. Recorded in St Albans Cathedral, it gives Peter Hurford ample opportunity to display the organ’s enormous range. He responds with a performance that can be solemn, violent and theatrical, sometimes within a few minutes. Dutoit holds the work’s abrupt contrasts together while allowing its darker colors their full effect.
The performances are brilliant, the engineering is demonstration quality, and the program captures Poulenc in three of his most characteristic moods. An easy recommendation. Recording details
