This second installment completes the cycle of all six Guarnieri piano concertos, and remarkable works they are. Nos. 4 and 5 are thorny, often atonal pieces that will present no problems to anyone who enjoys, say, the first two piano concertos of Bartók, or even Samuel Barber. Driving rhythms fortified by characterful keyboard figuration and colorful percussion sonorities typify the outer movements, while the central slow movements offer a haunting lyricism that somehow manages to remain utterly personal and captivating.
The Sixth concerto is a short piece, a “concertino” really, more obviously influenced by the folk music of the composer’s native Brazil, but it’s no less beautifully crafted. As with the first volume, the performances are totally committed, virtuosic, and remarkably well-played given the music’s novelty. Max Barros negotiates the rambunctious allegros with plenty of dazzle but no trace of hardness to his tone, while the Warsaw Philharmonic under Thomas Conlin does an impressive job of accompanying him. The engineering also is notably clear and well-balanced. [8/18/2010]
