Beethoven: Concertos Nos. 2 and 3 (The Rubinstein Collection)

On this CD:

1. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Boston Symphony Orchestra with Artur Rubinstein
Conducted by Erich Leinsdorf

2. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Boston Symphony Orchestra with Artur Rubinstein
Conducted by Erich Leinsdorf

Tracks:

Allegro Con Brio
Adagio
Rondo: Allegro Molto
Allegro Con Brio
Largo
Rondo: Allegro

Tracks:

Allegro Con Brio
Largo
Rondo: Allegro

Tracks:

Allegro Moderato
Andante Con Moto
Rondo: Vivace
Allegro
Adagio Un Poco Moto
Rondo: Allegro, Ma Non Troppo

Amazon.com

Aimard is best-known as an exponent of contemporary music, Harnoncourt, as a Founding Father of the period instrument movement. Both bring elements of their contrasting backgrounds to this provocative set: Aimard, in the lucidity and transparency of his playing, Harnoncourt, by rooting Beethoven within earlier traditions. But such templates don't always apply here, since they also utilize such ultra-Romantic gestures as wide tempo fluctuations, often from one measure to the next, elongated pauses, unexpected accents, among others. Such a diversity of interpretive stances takes getting used to, but the effort's worthwhile as these discs make something fresh and new out of familiar repertory pieces.

The first two concertos fare best, and the "Emperor" is also striking with its blend of clear textures and heroic gestures that likely surprised the composer's contemporaries with their boldness. In No. 3, lyricism sometimes shades into lingering, and the famous dialogue between growling orchestra and poetic piano in No. 4 is tame alongside most versions. Overall, the pair generally favor spacious tempos--the opening Allegro con brios of the first three concertos don't have much brio, and slow movements are slower than the norm, although those fluctuating internal speeds keep total timings within the "normal" range. But then, the goal of these artists is to restore a spirit of adventure and spontaneity to Beethoven, and they've certainly succeeded. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

I'm not quite so convinced........2006-10-28

I was surprised by the universal acclaim on this recording. Whilst there are some moments of real joy and surprise, as a whole the set feels somewhat uneven. The first three concertos are the best of the set, four is OK but five is disappointing. At times liberties are taken with tempi and you find things grinding to a halt abruptly and the performance loses forward momentum as a result, at other times things feel a little too mechanical.

This is particularly apparent in the slow movement of number 5, one of my favourite piece of Beethoven. It is really difficult to tell whether it is intended or a by-product of recording but at times the piano is just too much to the fore and sounds like a mechanical music box. It is somewhat surprising by Aimard seems to be able to combine over use of rubato (the opening phrases in the piano just slow down too much) with overly spiky approaches to passages where the piano accompanies the orchestra.

I have to say though that the orchestra is wonderful throughout under Harnoncourt.

Word of advice - don't listen to this with headphones - you can hear the edits to remove audience noise and also hear someone (wither the conductor or soloist) audibly grunting with the effort in places - quite unnerving.

Stunning recording and a fresh approach.......2006-01-10

Aimard, Harnoncourt, and the COE present a compelling interpretation of these oft-heard piano concertos. I agree completely with the favorable comments made by the spotlight reviewers and would like to add that this set is the best-recorded of the several sets that I own. While the interpretations are very unique, they are also musically quite convincing. I learned this music with the Ashkenazy/Cleveland Orchestra collaboration and have been listening a lot to the Fleisher/Szell set, which is perhaps my all-time favorite, but I would certainly highly recommend this new set to anyone with a fondness for these piano concertos.

Modern...And I Like It!.......2005-03-06

I never would have thought...

Thank you Monsieur Aimard for affirming the tradition of equilibriated emotion and intellection in pianism. Thank you Les Monsieurs Aimard and Harnoncourt for your hard and successful work in making these pieces sound new again.

The Master Beethoven's Piano Concerti have just come out of the shower...They are clean, fresh, and alive again!

recordings at the styriarte festival in Graz.......2003-11-03

I'm glad that other listeners enjoy this recording of Beethoven's piano concertos as much as I do. I just wanted to correct some false information about the recording details: In the booklet of the CD you can read that the 2nd concerto was recorded in Vienna which isn't true. This concerto was recorded in Graz at the styriarte festival 2001 (June-July), whereas the first concerto was recorded in Vienna. In order to complete the series in Graz Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Pierre-Laurent Aimard decided to do the first concerto in 2003, but it was not recorded by Teldec/Warner at the festival 2003. Instead Warner took the older recording from Vienna. What Warner did record in Graz at the festival 2003 was Beethoven's Choral fantasy op. 80 and the Rondo, WoO 6.
Apart from pointing out these technical details of the recording I warmly recommend a live performance of Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Pierre-Laurent Aimard and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe because the CD can not grasp the overwhelming atmosphere which these great artists produce in Nikolaus Harnoncourt's hometown.

A Stunning Collaboration.......2003-08-16

I often like to hear what pianists who specialize in contemporary music have to say about pieces from the established repertoire; they tend to re-think even the old works. This, plus a recommendation from a friend, led me to buy this set featuring Pierre-Laurent Aimard. I had heard him play part of Messaien's 'Vingt Regards' this past season and was knocked out. Then I got his recording of the Ligeti Études and was convinced by them that he is one of the most talented pianists today, at least in modern repertoire. I had heard rumors that Nikolaus Harnoncourt, having recorded a very successful Beethoven symphony set with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, was planning to record the Beethoven Piano Concerti with them as well and I'd heard it was going to be with Martha Argerich. I later read, though, that she refused to participate at least partly because she didn't know all five of the concerti and didn't want to learn the ones she didn't already know. When I heard that the project was going ahead, but with Aimard, I was puzzled but very interested. In the set's booklet, Aimard indicates that although he had never performed with Harnoncourt, the conductor had heard him play a Beethoven sonata in recital and judged that he might make a wonderful collaborator. Aimard was, understandably, a bit surprised at being chosen, but quickly agreed to the project. These recordings, then, were taken, except for the recording of the Second Concerto, from live performances in Harnoncourt's hometown, Graz, Austria; the Second was recorded live in the Vienna Philharmonic's home hall, the Musikverein. The 3-CD set presents the concerti in the order in which they were written: 2, 1, 3, 4, 5.

There are a number of general comments to make about this collaboration. First, it is clear that both Harnoncourt and Aimard have re-thought the pieces from start to finish. There are not simply gazing admiringly at well-known monuments. They are getting up-close-and-personal and making observations, individually and together, that are fresh and new. Further, their cooperation is stunning; Harnoncourt, whose long-standing relationship with the COE is such that he can get anything he wants from them with a flick of the wrist, conducts the pieces as if the music were occurring to him in the now. This means that there are many tempo alterations, pauses, accents, mouldings of phrases that sound spontaneous. And Aimard matches him gesture for gesture. Occasionally this is irritating, but usually it is simply surprising and enlightening. One thing is for sure: you never know what is just around the next corner. And this, of course, makes the music fresh and exciting. Following along with score I noted no flagrant disregard of Beethoven's notated indications, and indeed I saw that Aimard followed quite closely such things as Beethoven's sometimes quirky but always effective pedal markings and accents.

The COE, as a result of Harnoncourt's background in early music, uses minimal vibrato, the winds and brass sound like original instruments (although I don't know whether they actually are), the timpani are crisp (from leather-headed sticks?) as they were in the Harnoncourt/COE symphony set. The sound picture is exceptionally clear and the dynamic range exceptionally wide. The sound of the piano is not nearly as highlighted as it is in most concerto recordings; rather it sounds like it does in a concert hall. This seems particularly so in the latter two concerti. This strikes me as apt, since the Fourth is a rather like a symphonic fantasia with piano obbligato and the Fifth--in distinction to its usual presentation as a grand Romantic concerto with heroic piano solo--is a symphony with piano. For this reason, the Fourth and Fifth are particularly successful.

The slow movements are generally slower than usually heard, and they all feature heavenly string playing from the COE. The muted strings in the slow movement of the Fifth are matched by Aimard's slightly covered sound and the effect is heavenly. One doesn't want it to end, but when the final chord in B major resolves downward to the B flat opening of the final movement it is like waking from a dream to find oneself in a fresh and wonderful new world--one of Beethoven's master-strokes served up perfectly by Harnoncourt and his musicians. The colloquy--one might say 'debate'--between the piano and the orchestra in the middle movement of the Fourth is more genial than in some performances, but this is in the interest of a rather gentler overall approach in that concerto, one that I find attractive.

The Second concerto, usually played as a Haydnesque late-Classic concerto, is more full-blooded than one generally hears; this may be partly due to the rich, warm ambience of the recording venue, the Vienna Musikverein. Whatever the reason, I like this approach; I've often thought other performances have drained this concerto of its fire, focusing rather on its music-box features.

The First concerto in C major is, for whatever reason, my least favorite of the five, but it is given a loving, nuanced, sparkling performance here. The outer movements of the Third, in C minor, are the weakest of the set--although the performances are not at all bad; the sound is a little muddy as well. Its middle movement, though, one of Beethoven's loveliest movements, is perfect. Its stillness foreshadows the slow movements of Beethoven's late sonatas and quartets. Harnoncourt and Aimard are in complete accord on its extremely slow tempo and time seems to stand still.

In summary, then, this is one of the most successful Beethoven Concerto sets I've ever encountered. I would not want to be without Arrau/C. Davis (my favorite over the years), or various recordings by Gilels, Richter, Brendel, Ashkenazy, Kovacevich, Schnabel (that glorious Fifth with the Chicago Symphony!) and others. For new insights, though, and a slightly out-of-the-mainstream approach, as well as a deep satisfaction, I'll reach for this set often, I suspect.

Heartily recommended.

CD1=70;24 (2nd=31:10, 1st=39:14)
CD2=37:50 (3rd)
CD3=75:09 (4th=35:27, 5th=39:42)
TT=183:19

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Affettuoso
III. Allegro
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro Assai
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro Assai
I. Vivace
II. Largo Ma Non Tanto
III. Allegro

Tracks:

Rhapsody No. 2 (Lassu [Moderato] - Friss [Allegro Moderato])
I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Andante Tranquillo
III. Allegro Molto
I. Andante
I. Allegretto (Scherzando)
II. Allegro
II. Adagio

Tracks:

Romance No. 1 In G Major
I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo (Cadenza: Kreisler)
II. Larghetto
III. Rondo (Allegro) (Cadenza: Kreisler)
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio
III. Finale (Allegro Energico)

Tracks:

Romance No. 2 In F Major, Op. 50
I. Allegro Non Troppo (Cadenza: Kreisler)
II. Adagio
III. Allegro Giocoso, Ma Non Troppo Vivace - Poco Piu Presto
I. Allegro Molto Appassionato
II. Andante
III. Allegretto Non Troppo - Allegro Molto Vivace

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro Molto
I. Andante Tranquillo
II. Presto Capriccioso Alla Napolitana & Trio (Canzonetta)
III. Vivace

Tracks:

I. Allegro Moderato (Cadenza: Menuhin)
II. Adagio Molto
III. Finale (Presto) (Cadenza: Menuhin)
I. Allegro
II. Andante Cantabile
III. Rondo (Andante Grazioso - Allegro Ma Non Troppo)
I. Allegro Maestoso
II. Andante
III. Presto

Tracks:

I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Scherzando (Allegro Molto)
III. Intermezzo (Allegretto Non Troppo)
IV. Andante
V. Rondo (Allegro)
I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Andantino Quasi Allegretto
III. Molto Moderato E Maestoso - Allegro Non Troppo
Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28
Havanaise, Op. 83

Tracks:

I. Allegro Maestoso (Cadenza: Emile Sauret)
II. Adagio Espressivo
III. Rondo (Allegro Spiritoso)
I. Andante - Moderato - Cadenza
II. Adagio Religioso
III. Scherzo (Vivace) & Trio
IV. Finale (Allegro)
I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Cadenza
III. Adagio
IV. Allegro Con Fuoco

Tracks:

Serenade Melancolique
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio Di Molto
III. Allegro Ma Non Tanto
I. Praeludium (Largo)
I. Allegro Cavalleresco
II. Intermezzo (Poco Adagio)
II. Rondo (Allegretto Scherzando)

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Largo
III. Allegro
I. Allegro Non Molto
II. Adagio
III. Presto
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro
I. Allegro Non Molto
II. Largo
III. Allegro
I. Vivace - Allegro - Adagio - Vivace - Allegro - Largo Andante
II. Allegro
III. Grave - Andante Largo - Allegro
Fantasia Concertante On A Theme Of Corelli

Customer Reviews:

Mostly Magnificent Menuhin, with a Few Reservations.......2004-01-06

The recent trend toward classical box sets focusing on the performer instead of the composer (see my reviews of the various DG/Decca "Original Masters" sets) continues with EMI's new "Yehudi Menuhin - The Violinist." Sure EMI's past sets have showcased individual performances by Samson Francois, Eugen Jochum and Rudolf Kempe to name a few, but it was always under the heading of a given composer's works, and in the cases mentioned above, to Chopin's piano pieces, Bruckner's Symphonies and Strauss' Orchestral Works respectively. Therefore, this Menuhin collection is the first of EMI's "Budget Box Sets" to showcase a performer playing the works of a variety of composers.

As Menuhin was an EMI recording artist for an incredible 68 years (1931-99), his performances for the label number in the hundreds. With so much music from which to choose, this 10-disc set aims "to highlight some of those alternative versions, including recordings that have not been easily available since the days of LP and others that have never previously appeared on CD." Therefore, the obvious mainstream, easily attainable recordings are omitted here -- for example, the Beethoven/Mendelssohn VCs with Furtwangler, the Elgar VC with the composer conducting, and the Bruch/Mendelssohn VCs with Susskind and Kurtz.

However, a lot of this material has been on disc before on titles which the serious collector most likely already owns. Most of the Bach is currently available as part of the Bach "Budget Box Series" title. The Bruch, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Vivaldi VCs were all available in the now out-of-print 2CD EMI Seraphim series. The Elgar and the Walton are still available in the "British Composers" series. And perhaps most annoyingly, the previously unpublished Beethoven VC and Tchaikovsky "Serenade melancolique" (available as a single disc), and the Beethoven Romance No. 2 (available on an EMI Encore title) were both reissued just a few months back.

But let's focus on the positive, which are the other rare performances, the most significant being the never before reissued 1954 performance of Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 4 with John Pritchard and the Philharmonia. Other elusive recordings include Viuextemps and Paganini VCs with Fistoulari, Lalo and Saint-Saens works with Goossens, and excellent Berg and Bartok accounts with Boulez. Though I'm delighted at their inclusion, of lesser importance is a 1965 Bartok VC No. 2 with Dorati -- his mono EMI with Furtwangler and an earlier account with Dorati on Mercury Living Presence are far superior. Also, neither the Sibelius (Boult, 1955) nor Nielsen (Woldike, 1952) Concertos are truly Menuhin's cups of tea.

My last complaint has to do with the packaging. I know I'm being rather trite but it seems that EMI has taken the "slim" out of slim, paper-sleeved box sets with their latest batch of releases. Both this title and the new box of Liszt Orchestral Works by Masur are noticeably thicker than previous EMI sets featuring a similar number of discs. A minor point, but us serious classical collectors need every centimeter of space on our increasingly crowded CD shelves, not to mention the amount of wasted packaging.

Overall though, despite the fact that "Yehudi Menuhin - The Violinist" is not as essential a reissue as its counterparts in the "Original Masters" series, it is a delightful set that most collectors will thoroughly enjoy.

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25 Classical Heartbreakers

25 Classical Heartbreakers

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0007TFHCA
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Customer Reviews:

25 Classical Heartbreakers.......2006-11-29

Although these are popular and widely heard compositions (that's why I gave it 4 stars) they are very soothing when you want to mellow out. However, I can't understand why the title reads '20 Classical Heartbreakers' when there are 25 pieces.

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5; Choral Fantasia

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Not just a May-December marriage but a high point for Barenboim musically
Among the best Beethoven Concertos, and an interesting contrast of conductor and pianist
Harsh at times
unmissable stuff
Don't miss the two genius together

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5; Choral Fantasia

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002S1J
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

Pno Con No.1 in C, Op.15: I. Allegro con brio
Pno Con No.1 in C, Op.15: II. Largo
Pno Con No.1 in C, Op.15: III. Rondo (Allegro scherzando)
Pno Con No.2 in B flat, Op.19: I. Allegro con brio
Pno Con No.2 in B flat, Op.19: II. Adagio
Pno Con No.2 in B flat, Op.19: III. Rondo (Molto allegro)

Tracks:

Pno Con No.3 in c, Op.37: I. Allegro con brio
Pno Con No.3 in c, Op.37: II. Largo
Pno Con No.3 in c, Op.37: III. Rondo (Allegro)
Pno Con No.4 in G, Op.58: I. Allegro moderato
Pno Con No.4 in G, Op.58: II. Andante con moto
Pno Con No.4 in G, Op.58: III. Rondo (Vivace)

Tracks:

Pno Con No.5 E Flat, Op.73 'Emperor': I. Allegro
Pno Con No.5 E Flat, Op.73 'Emperor': II. Adagio un poco mosso
Pno Con No.5 E Flat, Op.73 'Emperor': III. Rondo (Allegro)
Fant in C for pno, chor and orch, Op.80 - Daniel Barenboim/John Alldis Choir/John Alldis

Customer Reviews:

Not just a May-December marriage but a high point for Barenboim musically.......2006-05-17

Listening to these imaginative and ingratiating performances of the five Beethoven piano concertos, I marvelled at Barenboim's early maturity. He displays uncanny poise and confidence, fully equal to Klemperer's grand manner. Sadly, the mid-Sixties was about the last time I could connect with Barenboim, whose romantic tendencies, so impressively applied here, went off into caricature: he began to channel Furtwangler and hasn't stopped, despite the fact that it caused him to lose his best musical instincts. (His cycle of the Beethoven symphonies with the Berliner Staatskapelle is so stody and dull that it might as well join Furtwangler in the grave.)

That's irrelevant here. The amazing thing for me is that Barenboim proves so successful at making these overly familiar works sound fresh through pure musical insight of the kind Schnabel might have--every movement really speaks under his hands. As for Klemperer, his is simply the greatest condcuting ever found in a complete Beethoven cycle. I got more feeling from these CDs than from his at times ponderous symphony recordings. For example, in the slow movement of Concerto #2, pianist and conductor agree that the style should be mature Beethoven, with full sonority, measured tempos, and weightiness. That may sound like a bad idea in this Haydnesque early work, but by the time they build to the hushed, mysterious coda, we are transported to an inspired world. Throughout there is the same stamp of genuineness.

Barenboim eschews virtuoso gimmicks and never powers his way through the score. I must confess that I waited forty years to buy this set, on the assumption that Klemper would be inattentive and heavy-handed. How very wrong I was. This Beethoven cycle sets the gold standard.

Among the best Beethoven Concertos, and an interesting contrast of conductor and pianist.......2005-11-15

Daniel Barenboim's late 1960s recording of the Beethoven Piano Concertos is one of the best, and an interesting contrast: the young, brilliant pianist Barenboim with the elderly condcutor Klemperer. Klemperer was known for slow tempos by the 1960s, and a sense of granitic structure: like viewing a beautiful rock hewn of granite from a distance, but not something you can get close to, nor call "charming" or "loving." This sense is present in Klemperer's orchestral contribution to these recordings: tempos are never too fast, and there is a sense that something timeless and great is going to happen in every movement. Barenboim's pianism seems awesome: flawless and technically perfect, and the Philharmonia Orchestra plays beautifully in each concerto. Recorded sound is very good: analog stereo from the late 1960s.

Keep in mind, however, these are not "cold" recordings. The music may be calculated under Klemperer's direction to a certain degree, but everything makes perfect musical sense, and Beethoven's titanic greatness shines throughout. If you like a more lean approach to Beethoven's Concertos, avoid Barenboim/Klemperer.

Some listeners may not agree, but I believe Barenboim/Klemperer's Beethoven Concertos to be among the best, along with Ashkenazy/Solti (Decca); Rubinstein/Leinsdorf (RCA/ Boston Symphony); and for a more Classical approach free of Romantic excess, Perahia/Haitink (Sony).

Harsh at times.......2000-01-01

For my taste, these were disappointing. The dynamic range is so great in the recording, you cannot easily find a comfortable volume. Softer passages are either lost or the sound becomes blaring. Yes, Klemperer is a grand master, but the Orchestra often sounds overly romantic and pompous for my ears. I have an Annie Fisher recording of the 3rd Concerto and every moment that makes that CD memorable is missing on this version of the 3rd. For example, there is a passage in the first movement that occurs twice. The piano hits several increasingly powerful octaves slightly behind the orchestra. Annie Fischer's final Octave is so powerful in that the pause leading up to it is greater and the depth of her conviction in solidly ringing it out is profound. On the Klemperer/Barenboim recording this monumental moment passes mostly unnoticed. Also, the piano has an almost harsh ringing sound. Infact, the entire recording has a supercharged high end that can be oppressive. I would also recommend the Ashkenazy, Mehta recording of the 4th and 5th. That recording has a warmth of orchestral sound that seems more natural to me. I also find that Barenboim and Klemperer do not seem to be seeing things eye to eye, especially in the 5th. Don't get me wrong, these are classic performances, I just will not reach for them as often as the others and I simply offer an opinion.

unmissable stuff.......1999-12-15

How lucky we are that Daniel Barenboim began to mature as a great artist with Klemperer enjoying a glorious Indian summer. This is a miraculous recording. The 24-year-old Barenboim is a match for the magisterial Klemperer, who was almost three times the age of his precocious pianist. It's remarkable to find two artists of such different ages cooperating so well. And they're fully equals as well - this is a version of the Beethoven concertos with soloist as primus inter pares (to quote one reviewer). The Emperor has seldom sounded so grand. The orchestral playing is quite something as well.

Don't miss the two genius together.......1998-10-17

Again the power of the old Klemperer bright like a spark in the dark sea of his no-rithm measures. A young and brilliant Baremboim that plays like the angels. Anyway, don't miss the Piano Con. n.5 conducted by Knapertbusch and played by Curzon for taste the glory.

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Itzhak Perlman Collection

Manufacturer: EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00000DOKC
Release Date: 1995-01-01

Beethoven: Concertos Nos. 2 and 3 (The Rubinstein Collection)

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Beethoven: Concertos Nos. 2 and 3 (The Rubinstein Collection)

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rubinstein Collection
Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 59

ASIN: B00000E6A9
Release Date: 1990-10-25

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25 Golden Classics

Manufacturer: Golden Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00013D5DU
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

Four Seasons, Violin Concerto, Op. 8 - I: Allegro, From: Spring, Op. 8 - Rainer Kussmaul, Martin Sieghart, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
Overture from "The Thieving Magpie" - London Festival Orchestra, Alfred Scholz
Faust's Damnation - Hungarian March - Christian Rainer, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Ave Maria, For Organ - Ernst Riedlinger
Coppa, Ballet Suite - Vienna Opera Orchestra
Orpheo and Euridice - Ballo: Andante (Dance of the Blessed Spirits) - Wilhelm Keitel,
Midsummer Night's Dream - Wedding March (Allegro Vivace) - Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Christian Rainer
From "Scenes from Childhood" Op. 15, No. 7 - Dreaming
At the Spring, From "The Moldau" (Excerpt) - Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Libor Pesek
Watermusic, Suite - Allegro - Slovak Philharmonic, Oliver VonDohnanyi
Caro Mio Ben - Ernst Riedlinger
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048 - I: Allegro - Hans Swarowsky

Tracks:

Arlenne-Suite, No. 2 - I: Pastorale - Munich Symphony Orchestra, Alfred Scholz
Orpheus in the Underworld, Overture
Pictures at an Exhibition - Promenade No. 1 - Gerhard Eckle
Danse Macabre, Op. 40
Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Solveig's Song - Libor Pesek, Slovak Philharmonic
Overture from "Fidelio", Op. 72
From: Suite Espa, Op. 47 - Sevilla - Irina Kircher
Slavonic Dance No. 2 in E Minor - The London Symphony Orchestra, Alfred Scholz
Etude in C Minor, Op. 10/12 "Revolution" - Peter Schmalfuss
Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K. 525/"A Little Night Music" - I: Allegro - Libor Pesek, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Carmen Suite No. 2 - Haba (No. 1. Movement) - Loic Bertrand,
Bolero [Short Version, Ed. Durant] - Samo Hubad,

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 2-5; Piano Sonata No. 14

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Watery sound... great recording

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 2-5; Piano Sonata No. 14

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Opp. 90, 101, 106, 109, 110 & 111

ASIN: B000006N42
Release Date: 1995-10-17

Customer Reviews:

Watery sound... great recording.......2003-04-28

Here's an indelible image: a boy in short pants, not yet ten, plays Liszt's Hungarian Fantasia and Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto in front of a well-dressed audience in Queen's Hall. At the end of the performance, the boy is presented with a watch and a tricycle. The boy climbs on the tricycle and pedals offstage, much to the amusement of the audience. That boy was Solomon.

Solomon (born Solomon Cutner, but his family name never caught on with the public) was a child prodigy in the 1910s. A victim of probable exploitation, Solomon suffered the fate of many child prodigies, burned out, and ended up having to relaunch his career in the 20s. Sir Arthur Bliss wrote his Piano Concerto for Solomon, who premiered it at the 1939 New York World's Fair, and HMV recorded Solomon's playing throughout the 40s and 50s. His career ended in 1956, when he was silenced by a major stroke, but he survived until 1988. Fortunately, his recordings have outlasted his body. Harold C. Schonberg called him "one of the most finished pianists the century has had to show."

EMI has reissued Solomon's recordings of four out of the five Beethoven piano concertos - so why did they omit the First Concerto? Solomon and Menges recorded it, in stereo, at the end of the pianist's career. At any rate, the Third was recorded in 1944, the Second and Fourth in 1952, and the "Emperor" in 1955. The "Moonlight," an astonishing interpretation in spite of the watery sound, was recorded in 1945. Here, Solomon illuminates the surface of the lake with a sinister glow, dances clumsily (appropriately so) through the second movement, and erupts in a fury in the final movement - his speed and clarity here are unmatched. As for the concertos, Bryan Crimp (Solomon's biographer) points out that the pianist was dissatisfied with his collaboration with Cluytens (no mean Beethovenian in his own right). Perhaps I'm just a victim of the power of suggestion, but I agree that these two recordings do not shine with the magic that the others on this disc shine with. However, they're still very creditable performances, albeit distantly recorded. The Third is notable for its sinewy qualities, a lovely second movement, and an unusual first-movement cadenza by Clara Schumann - here's a real link with the past! Solomon's playing is too clear, too pure to be described as "muscular," but there's no shortage of power in the Third, and even more so in the "Emperor." The latter is played in a truly heroic (but not militant) manner, with a look backward at Mozart and a look forward at Berlioz. These are among these works' great recordings.

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 2
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Fellner Does Good Job on Beethoven Concertos

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 2

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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J.S. Bach: Das Wohltemperierte Klavier

ASIN: B000005EEL
Release Date: 1995-09-05

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 3 Op. 37 In C Minor: II. Allegro con brio
Piano Concerto No. 3 Op. 37 In C Minor: II. Largo
Piano Concerto No. 3 Op. 37 In C Minor: III. Rondo-Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 2 Op. 19: I. Allegro con brio
Piano Concerto No. 2 Op. 19: II. Adagio
Piano Concerto No. 2 Op. 19: III. Rondo-Molto Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Fellner Does Good Job on Beethoven Concertos.......2003-05-23

The young Austrian pianist Till Fellner teamed with the famous British chamber orchestra Academy of St. Martin in the Fields in 1994 and they recorded the set of two Beethoven's early piano concertos for the French label Erato.

Fellner does a good job, his technique is more than adequate for the pieces and his musicality soars on slower movements. The orchestra under Sir Neville Marriner is as polished as ever, making for an impressive recording, which deserves much more attention than it actually gets. In fact, I got this CD in a local store in Slovakia in 2001 for a very bargain price (about USD2.20!)

Customer Reviews:

Stupendous Schneiderhan.......2005-04-14

The most recent batch of DG's "Original Masters" box sets boasts several titles that will leave classical collectors rejoicing, "Wolfgang Schneiderhan: The 1950s Concerto Recordings" foremost among them. This 5CD set features the then Deutsche Grammophon "house fiddler" in brilliant performances of Vivaldi, Tartini, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Bruch, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Martin Violin Concertos. In some of my previous reviews of box sets in the OM series, I have been critical of what the powers that be at UNI have done in terms of their selection of material, but here they got it almost perfect. Instead of duplicating a title in DG's "Originals" series that couples Schneiderhan's stereo recordings of the Beethoven VC and Mozart No. 5, they reissue his earlier, and better, mono accounts here. By contrast, they reissue the violinist's stereo performance of Mozart's 4th Concerto (1960 with Schmidt-Isserstedt) on this set because his 1956 mono account had already been included in the Hans Rosbaud title in this series. (Thankfully, the duplication lesson seemingly has been learned after they put the very same Dvorak Cello Concerto recording on both the Josef Krips and Zara Nelsova OM boxes!) Also of note here are a magical Mendelssohn VC with Fricsay, brilliant Bach 1041-1043s and an invigorating Four Seasons, the set's only other stereo selection along with the Mozart VC4. This set alas has one minor problem in my opinion. Because DG and Decca are now all part of Universal, Schneiderhan's performance of the Martin Concerto with Ansermet, originally made for Decca and currently available on a "Double Decca" title devoted to the composer, is included here. It is unnecessary duplication for me but others may not care. Personally I would have nixed the Bach Partita included on CD2 (hello, the title is "Concerto Recordings") and the Martin to make this a tidier four disc set. But even as is, "Wolfgang Schneiderhan: The 1950s Concerto Recordings" is one of the true gems in the "Original Masters" series.

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