ANDRÉ MATHIEU (1929-1968): Piano Concerto No. 4 in E Minor, 4 Scènes de Ballet, 4 Chansons for Choir and Orchestra.

Catalogue Number: 11K012
Label: Analekta
Reference: AN 2 9281
Format: CD
Price: $18.98
Description: Collectors who already have Mathieu's Concerto de Québec and Rhapsodie romantique will certainly know what to expect here. Those who don't know the composer will find a full-scale, three-movement concerto lasting 41 minutes fully in the Rachmaninov-Medtner tradition which apparently had already been written by 1947 when Mathieu returned to Canada after a period of study in France with Honegger. No score or parts existed and Canadian conductor Gilles Bellmaire reconstructed the entire orchestral part using four sides of a private LP recording of Mathieu playing portions of it in a piano version and an abridged piano version of the work (it was easier in the second movement since Mathieu adapted it for the Rhapsodie). The disc is well filled-out with four ballet scenes from 1938-45 (Mathieu's own orchestrations) and four chorus-orchestra pieces (transcribed and orchestrated by Bellmaire from autograph manuscripts). French-English texts. Alain Lefèvre (piano), Tucson Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; George Hanson.