Gramophone. Danish Piano Concertos Vol.4
Gramophone/ Bendix Piano Concerto/Simonsen Piano Concerto Oleg Marshev (pf) Aalborg Symphony Orchestra/Matthias Aeschbacher Danacord DACOCD 641 69' Two more great, if overshadowed, Danes take centre stage Volume 4 of Danacord's Danish Piano Concertos steals a march on Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series by offering works by Viktor Bendix (1851-1926) and Rudolph Simonsen (1889-1947) od a startling weight and seriousness. Sadly, both composers' romanticism was overshadowed by Nielsen's genius and until the present magnificent issue both concertos languished in obscurity. Intriguingly, Bendix's career was also clouded by scandal and, as he succumbed to one temptation too many, even his most ardent followers retreated in distaste. Comparisons of Bendix to Saint-Saens seem odd for music of such Teutonic cut and Reger-like ambitions,...
