Probably the most extensive biographical information about Danish composer and conductor Emil Hartmann that is readily available is what is included with this release of his three concertos on the DaCapo label. The fact that he was the son of composer J.P.E. Hartmann and brother-in-law of Niels W. Gade overshadowed him even during his lifetime. Sometimes composers rise above that kind of inevitable comparison with talented relatives and end up with the greater reputation, but in the case of Hartmann, this never really happened, and if these concertos are truly representative of his mature style, it isn't hard to see why Hartmann is as obscure today as he is. There is nothing wrong with these concertos, it is just that they are not innovative or progressive for their time, nor are they emotionally profound. Each has a lot of drama in the outer movements, with a calm, lyrical middle movement. The first movements, in particular, are similarly shaped with dark main themes and happier secondary themes. The Cello Concerto has a more melancholy sound than the Violin and Piano Concertos, which are more tensely dark. Hartmann uses long lines of melody and attractive orchestration, but the solo parts are not very virtuosic or flashy. Compared to more contemporary concertos by
Tchaikovsky, Bruch,
Grieg, and
Dvorák, Hartmann's sound like throwbacks to the days of
Mendelssohn and
Schumann. Even though performances in this recording are very well done, it is hard to find anywhere in the music that may hide a deeper, more subtle meaning. The recording's sound is, naturally, very clear, but seems weighted toward the bass, with the soloists sounding more distant than the orchestra. Having them a little closer and fuller might have made Hartmann's music slightly more striking.