Medtner Piano Concerto No. 3 "Ballade" (Lugansky)

Piano - Nikolai Lugansky Orchestra - NDR Radio Philharmonie Medtner - PIano Concerto No. 3 "Ballade" 00:00 mov. 1 14:36 mov. 2 16:02 mov. 3 Medtner's Piano Concerto No. 3 in E minor, Op. 60, subtitled Ballade, is his final piano concerto, composed between 1940 and 1943 while in exile in England. It is a large-scale Romantic work that unfolds more like a continuous narrative than a traditional concerto. Though it has three movements, they are played without interruption, creating a single dramatic arc. The movements are titled I. Con moto largamente, II. Interludium (Allegro, molto sostenuto, misterioso), and III. Finale (Allegro molto). The concerto begins with a dark, brooding theme that evolves into a highly intricate and emotionally intense musical journey, rich in counterpoint and thematic transformation. Unlike the virtuoso brilliance of some Romantic concertos, Medtner focuses more on musical substance, developing complex textures and deep philosophical expression. The subtitle Ballade reflects its storytelling character, as if the entire concerto is a spoken tale told through music. It was premiered in 1944 in London and dedicated to the Maharajah of Mysore, who had been a key patron of Medtner's late works. The piece demands immense interpretive depth and stamina from the pianist, with passages that are both technically intricate and emotionally charged. Though not widely performed, it is held in high esteem by connoisseurs of late-Romantic Russian repertoire. #piano #concerto #medtner #lugansky