Nikolaus Lahusen, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Halle, Heribert Beissel - Burgmüller, Schumann: Works for Piano and Orchestra (2000) CD-Rip

Who knows how Norbert Burgmüller’s compositional talent may have developed had he not died at 26? Perhaps it’s not fair that his Op. 1 Piano Concerto is sandwiched between two concerted works by his exact contemporary, Robert Schumann. Though the Op. 92 and Op. 134 are not quite prime Schumann, their idiosyncratic beauties ooze genius. Burgmüller’s assured fluency operates within more conventional parameters, with the spirit of Weber and Hummel never far from the writing table. The outer movements sometimes suggest a heavier-gaited Mendelssohn. I’m fascinated, however, by the slow movement, which is a remarkable three-way conversation between the piano, a solo cello, and the orchestra. Bergmüller deploys his forces so that everyone speaks their peace without toppling all over each other. Nikolaus Lahusen’s performance in the concerto is quite fine, but the Schumann readings are deficient in color, poetry, and rhythmic spark, and must yield to the poised sophistication and technical finesse that characterize versions from Perahia/Abbado, Lupo/Maag, and Serkin/Ormandy. Against these paragons, Lahusen and Beissel take a cushioned back seat.