WALTER BRAUNFELS (1882-1954): Piano Concerto, Op. 21, Schottische Phantasie for Viola and Orchestra, Op. 47, Ariels Gesang, Op. 18.

Description: Here's another one Hyperion's "Romantic Piano Concerto" series didn't get! An early work (1910-11), Braunfels wrote this for his own use as performer. Other than the fact that sometimes the piano is like an obbligato instrument in a symphony, especially in the slow movement, this is a classic example of late German Romanticism. The Phantasie (1932-33) is really a full-fledged concerto (at 33 minutes, a minute longer than the piano concerto) in one movement but five sections with Ca' the Yowes the major but not only Scottish tune in use while Ariel's Gesang is a calm melodious and lyrical little ten-minute tone-poem after Shakespeare's "The Tempest". Victor Sangiorgio (piano), Sarah-Jane Bradley (viola), BBC Concert Orchestra; Johannes Wildner.