British Piano Concertos Volume 3
Philip Cannon (1929-2016)
Concertino for piano and strings (1951)
John Addison (1920-1998)
Concertino for piano and orchestra (1958)
Francis Chagrin (1905-1972)
Concerto for pianoforte and orchestra (1943, rev. 1969)
John Addison
Conversation Piece (1958)
Simon Callaghan (piano)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales/William Boughton
rec. 2023, Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff, UK
Lyrita SRCD444 [67]
British composer Philip Cannon, born in Paris, was noted for his choral and orchestral music. He studied under Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gordon Jacob at the Royal College of Music, and with Paul Hindemith. His notable works include Lord of Light and the Te Deum dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II to mark the 500th anniversary of St George’s Chapel, Windsor. He also wrote operas, symphonies, vocal and keyboard music.
Cannon’s wrote the Concertino for piano and strings when he was only 22. For a “prentice” effort, this classically balanced work is remarkable. The Allegro molto vivace is predicated on a “crisply rhythmic” theme, balanced by a songlike melody introduced by the strings. The movement is full of vitality. The Andante tranquillo has a Gerald Finzi-like mood about it. The liner notes suggest Poulenc as a model. It is quite lovely. The Presto leggiero finale balances lively “brittle discords”, jazzy passages and a thoughtful episode, smooth and laid back. The concertino concludes with a rumbustious coda.
John Addison may be widely regarded as a composer of film music. He did produce many scores in 1951-1985. Famous examples: A Bridge too Far, Reach for the Sky and The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner. Equally competent were his scores for TV, including Charles and Diana: A Royal Love Story and Dead Man’s Folly. Less well-known are his contributions to the concert hall. Until recently, only a handful were available on recordings, among them the Divertimento for two trumpets, horn and trombone, the Concerto for trumpet, strings and percussion, the Concertino for bassoon and orchestra, and the wonderful ballet suite Carte Blanche.
In 2022, Lyrita issued the first of its series of British Piano Concertos, to present “overlooked” essays given their “first recordings”. John Addison has been represented by the Wellington Suite on SRCD.407 and the Variations for piano and orchestra on SRCD.416. These were well received by reviewers. Here are two more of Addison’s concerted works.
The Concertino for piano and orchestra was was first heard in at the 1959 Festival of School Music. The soloist was the young pianist Philip Jenkins. It is important to note that there is nothing ‘elementary’ about this piece. It has an involved solo part and a demanding orchestral accompaniment. Addison remarked that it was a “real concerto in the full sense of the word”.
The opening bars are raucous but soon a beguiling melody emerges. There are hints of Malcolm Arnold. The aggressive passages reassert themselves before the movement closes casually. The second-movement Andante grazioso is a little set of variations, based on a cheerful tune of genuine 1950s light music vintage. The piano engages with it in one or two brassy interruptions. The booklet explains that the Vivace finale explores three subjects: a self-possessed idea, a whimsical strain on the piano and a carousel-like dance. These themes are surveyed in short order before the Concertino concludes in jazzy mood.
The longest work on this disc is Francis Chagrin’s Concerto for pianoforte and orchestra. The 1943 piece underwent revisions in 1969 and in 1971. The opening Risoluto presents two widely contrasting ideas – a martial, “trudging” theme and a relaxed second subject. This battle of ideas continues to the end of the movement. There are some magical moments in the development that contradict the typically acerbic mood of the movement.
The Lento, molto tranquillo is more introverted, even elegiac. There is much beauty in these pages which eventually works up to an intense climax. The main theme of the finale is “Bolero-like”. This Spanish dance haunts the entire movement, before the concerto closes on a “scrunchy, dissonant” final chord. The liner notes correctly describe the concerto as “richly eclectic, wide ranging” and capturing “the various sides of the composer’s creative personality”. One hopes that more of Chagrin’s catalogue will be recorded to complement the spartan quantity now available on disc. (The booklet says that Chagrin died in 1973. Reference works and Ancestry tell us that it was 1972.)
The liner notes correctly say of Conversation Piece that John Addison “exploits to the full his talent to amuse and divert”. It has been quite some time since I met such a diverse composition. Its single movement is divided into five sections, offering a remarkable blend of styles that may leave the listener bewildered. Opening with a nod to the then-prevalent serialism, it devolves into a Gershwin-like waltz, and then a wistful march tune and a humorous little scherzo. Fauré may be the inspiration for the Adagio, with its long phrases and brooding mood. It concludes with a chipper finale with hints of Malcolm Arnold, or is it Gershwin again, or is it…? Somehow all this diversity produces a satisfying whole.
Conversation Piece was devised for the BBC’s Light Music Festival in 1958, so it is pleasantly tongue-in-cheek, and seems to cock a snoot at certain po-faced concert goers.
British pianist Simon Callaghan is known for his achievement as a soloist, chamber musician and recording artist. He has performed a varied repertoire at top venues globally. He actively promotes classical music through his performances and recordings. He plays all four works with enthusiasm, fluid technical expertise and obvious enjoyment. He has admirable support from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under William Boughton.
It is redundant to note that Paul Conway’s essay-length liner notes are a masterclass in presentation. All the information on the composers and the pieces is present and correct. There is no information about the performers.
Simon Callaghan has clearly found a well-deserved niche for himself in the exploration of rarities of British piano music. This disc is an important addition for all enthusiasts of this genre.
John France
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