JOSEPH RHEINBERGER (1839-1901): Piano Concerto in A Flat, Op. 94, BERNHARD SCHOLZ (1835-1916): Piano Concerto in B, Op. 57*, Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 35*. * - World Premiere Recordings.

Description: Rheinberger’s 1876 concerto gets its third and most prominent recording with its inclusion into this series. It’s kind of halfway between the glitter and virtuosity vehicles of the early Romantic period (think Scharwenka) and the weighty and dense works in the genre by Brahms, Busoni and Reger, managing to be serious and fun at the same time. Scholz was a conductor, member of the Clara Schumann, Joachim and Brahms circle, and major promoter of the music of the latter. His 29-minute concerto was published in 1883 and does not ape Brahms in the way, say Herzogenberg does in much of his chamber music; it is rather lower in energy than the Rheinberger with comfortably melodic content throughout. The earlier, 12-minute Capriccio of 1875 is a foot-tapping throwback to earlier Romantic concertante works of that type. Simon Callaghan (piano), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Ben Gernon.