Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos [Box set]
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The super-super-bargain price of this set is only the beginning of the reasons for recommending it. Drahos, a Hungarian flutist with no particular reputation as a conductor, came out of nowhere more than a decade ago with his small band of players from the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra to provide one of the more worthwhile sets of Beethoven symphony recordings. The performances aren't as dramatic or exciting as some of the better-known sets, but they are beautifully played in their mellow way, with pleasing instrumental tone and excellent balances. No important lines are lost here. Drahos is generous with repeats, and the natural, unforced musicality of the playing makes up for any losses in voltage. The Piano Concertos show a somewhat different interpretive style. Vladar doesn't drive the music into the ground, but he's an intense interpreter with a strong point of view. He has the range to differentiate the geniality of the First Concerto from the power of the Third, and then gives us Olympian detachment in the "Emperor" which conveys Beethoven's inentions very well. The excellent Wordsworth and his fine players (members of the Slovak Philharmonic) provide alert support. As in the Symphonies, you can hear every important line in the orchestra even when the piano is playing full blast. The space-saving packaging and informative booklet are further virtues in a set which is overall worth several times its price. Maybe these shouldn't be your only performances of these works, but they illuminate the music in a way that's well worth hearing. --Leslie Gerber
Album Description
The White Box is Naxos’ flagship boxed set series, dedicated to exploring complete areas of a composer’s work. All releases in the White Box series are presented in durable and attractive packaging with the discs enclosed in individual sleeves. From the beginning, Naxos has sought to let these masterpieces speak for themselves and in designing these boxes, the music is presented with minimal fuss. Such minimalism does not apply to the generously sized booklets, which offer full essays on each work plus a biography of the composer and artists. The booklets also contain a specially created chronology for this series, which sets events in the composer’s own life into a wider musical and overall historical context.
Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos, Music, Ludwig van Beethoven, Barry Wordsworth, Bela Drahos, Capella Istropolitana, Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia, Ruxandra Donose, Stefan Vladar, Hasmik Papian, Manfred Fink, Box Sets (Audio Only), Classical, Classical Composers, Concerto, Orchestral & Symphonic, Piano Concerto, Romantic Symphony, Symphonic
Music Review:
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