It has been my lifelong goal, as a pianist to explore and promote the music of neglected composers or music by well known composers which has been overlooked or underestimated. I have found three works for piano and orchestra by American composers which fit this category and it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to record these works in Vilnius, Lithuania with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra (Lietuvos nacionalinis simfoninis orkestras) in late March with conductor John McLaughlin Williams. Two of these works have never been recorded. These will be world premiere recordings. This is why I feel this project should appeal to all lovers of great piano music and piano concertos specifically. As a high schooler, I was obsessed with piano concertos and collected as many different works as I could on LPs. I wasn’t as interested in hearing the same pieces over and over by different pianists. I spent my time listening to as many works as I could, and was a regular listener of our local Cleveland radio station with that goal in mind.

Felix Borowski (1872-1956)

Beryl Rubinstein (1898-1952)

Ernest Bloch (1880-1959)

These three composers share much in common. They served as the directors of prestigious Midwestern music conservatories, and were Jewish immigrants or second generation. Bloch was born in Switzerland and Beryl Rubinstein’s father emigrated from Lithuania. Both of them served on the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music at the same time: Ernest Bloch was the director while Beryl Rubinstein was on the piano faculty. Rubinstein eventually assumed the role of director and remained so for 20 years, until his death.

Felix Borowski was born in England to a Polish father and English mother. He came to Chicago at the age of 24 and became head of the Chicago Musical College (as well as teaching violin). Later he assumed the role as professor at Northwestern University. He was central to the musical life of Chicago, and served as music critic and program annotator for the Chicago Symphony for 48 years.

Their musical styles differ greatly. Bloch is the most celebrated and familiar of the three and his music has a wide range of style characteristics. The Scherzo fantasque was composed in 1949, and premiered by the Chicago Symphony in 1950. It is highly likely Borowski was in attendance because he gave a lecture on Bloch’s music the next day. The piece is characterized by an acerbic drive which at times seems to be devilish, barbaric, if not satirically whimsical. A penchant for the augmented fourth interval creates a sinister backdrop. The central lyrical theme gives a sense of respite from the excitement of the outer sections.

Felix Borowski’s only Piano Concerto in D minor was also premiered by the Chicago Symphony but decades earlier in 1914. It appeared on a concert of all “new American music”. The work is highly romantic and would have sounded a bit outdated for its time. This may account for its neglect. Borowski also wrote three symphonies, and a few symphonic poems for orchestra. These have been preserved in manuscript and have yet to garner the attention of prominent conductors or orchestras. To the modern listener, the Concerto sounds a bit cinematic. In that regard, it actually can be considered ahead of its time. In places the clear influence of Tchaikovsky and Grieg is felt. The structure of the first movement owes much to Grieg, as does the straightforward simplicity of the material. Grieg knew of Borowski’s music and was said to be an ardent supporter. Tchaikovsky’s influence is most evident in the finale, particularly in the handling of the orchestral transitions. The lovely slow movement is a highlight of the piece and the sweeping lyrical melody is memorable and well written.

Beryl Rubinstein’s Piano Concerto in C (1934) presents the opposite approach of Borowski. Rather than look to the past, this work is very much a product of the present. The 1930s can be considered a Golden Age for piano concertos. The masterpieces of the decade include both Ravel Concertos, Bartók 2, the concertos by Khachaturian, Britten, Prokofiev 4 and 5, Poulenc Concerto for two pianos, Shostakovich 1 and Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini. With such masterpieces to compete with, is it any wonder Rubinstein’s Concerto fell between the cracks? In addition, he composed only two works for orchestra. This didn’t help his reputation to expand. However, this should in no way diminish the stature of the work. In fact the great Swiss pianist Rudolph Ganz went so far as to say: “I consider Beryl Rubinstein’s Concerto to be the finest in that combination written by an American before Samuel Barber.”

This is high praise indeed and not hyperbole. The review of the composer’s own premiere performance with the Cleveland Orchestra was equally glowing in its praise. It is quite evident Rubinstein was very aware of the current trends of his time. One can hear deliberate references to Prokofiev, Bartók, Milhaud, Poulenc and his friend Gershwin, to name a few composers. Although Rubinstein was clearly a first class virtuoso pianist, his primary role was that of academician and his work as director of the Cleveland Institute no doubt exhausted most of his time. In fact, Bloch was dismissed from the same position due to his habit of being elsewhere to promote his music, rather than fulfilling his duties at the school.

This is a self funded project. Hiring a professional orchestra is not inexpensive, although doing it in Eastern Europe is definitely more affordable. The additional costs include hiring the conductor, transportation for both of us from the US to Vilnius, hotel costs, and both the conductor and recording engineer are Grammy award winners!

I am in contact with Beryl Rubinstein’s daughter Ellie. She is 92 and lives in the UK. She was three years old when the Concerto was composed. Her picture with her dad is the first image in the video above. I’ve taken snippets of each movement to give you an idea of this worthwhile music. The Borowski and Rubinstein are my own live performances with Jason Klein conducting the Saratoga Symphony. Special thanks to them and to Bob Feigelson for bringing these fantastic pieces to my attention. Enjoy, and thanks again for your generosity in making this personal dream a reality.