Beethoven: The Piano Concertos
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CD Details
Composer: Ludwig van BeethovenConductor: Georg Solti
Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy
Edition: Music CD
Format: Box set
CD Release Date: 1997-06-24
Music Label: Decca
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- Allegro con brio
- Largo
- Rondo, Allegro scherzando
- Bagatelle No. 1 in G major, Andante con moto cantabile e compiacevole
- Bagatelle No. 2 in G minor, Allegro
- Bagatelle No. 3 in E flat major, Andante cantabile e grazioso
- Bagatelle No. 4 in B minor, Presto
- Bagatelle No. 5 in G major, Quasi Allegretto
- Bagatelle No. 6 in E flat major, Presto - Andante amabile e con moto
- Allegro con brio
- Largo
- Rondo, Allegro
- Allegro moderato
- Andante con moto
- Rondo, Vivace
- Allegro
- Adagio un poco moto
- Rondo, Allegro
- Allegro con brio
- Adagio
- Rondo, Molto allegro
Music reviews of Beethoven: The Piano Concertos
Music Review: Above Average Performances Ruined by Poor Sonics
Rating: 2 Stars
As an admirer of both pianist and conductor, I purchased this inexpensive set with high hopes. Ashkenazy's passionately involving cycle of Beethoven sonatas and Solti's heaven-storming cycle of Beethoven symphonies would seem to augur well for their collaboration in the piano concertos. Alas, this was not the success that it might well have been.
The main problem is the recording, which places the orchestra on top of the listener while the pianist tinkles away in some distant room. Moreover, the tone of Ashkenazy's instrument, as captured by the microphones, is distinctly sour (what one can hear of it); this is not the robust sonority one encounters from this pianist in the concert hall. For comparison's sake I auditioned the original LPs, and found that the balance, though still unduly favoring the orchestra, was much more natural. One wonders what went wrong in the remastering process. Was someone asleep at the controls?
As for the interpretations, they are not quite what one might have expected either. Solti is predictably volatile, if overemphatic at times, while Ashkenazy seems intent on adopting a "Byronic" stance throughout--hearing or overhearing the music as from the midst of a poet's reverie--so that Beethoven comes out sounding too much like Chopin (in slow movements) or Schumann (in fast movements). This juxtaposition of temperaments does not, on the whole convince--except in the slow movement of the Fourth Concerto, where--predictably-- Ashkenazy's dreamy Orpheus is effectively played off against Solti's furious furies. The "Emperor" has its effective moments, too--thanks to Solti's unbuttoned vigor and Ashkenazy's poised, unrhetorical playing. But there are greater "Emperors" in the catalog (try Solomon/Menges or Fleischer/Szell for starters) as well as many better-recorded fourths with equally effective dialogic contrasts in the slow movement (try Barenboim-Klemperer or Kempff-van Kempen). As for the first three concertos, better integrated interpretations abound (try Fleischer-Szell for no. 1, Kapell-Golschmann for no. 2, and Haskil-Markevitch for no. 3--among a host of others).
So, regrettably, and with due respect to two artists (and an orchestra) whose work I have often enjoyed, I must give this set a "thumbs-down." You can do much better-- both sonically and interpretively--in this price range. Recommended sets: Fleischer-Szell, Kempff-van Kempen, Katchen-Gamba, Barenboim-Klemperer, Solomon-Menges, Arrau-Davis, Perahia-Haitink.
Description of Beethoven: The Piano Concertos
Each of these performances has its own profile. The orchestra plays incisively in the First Concerto, but Ashkenazy's plush lyricism doesn't make a good match either with the orchestra or with the music, and he makes one weird ritard in the first movement. The Second Concerto is uneventful, rather bland and pleasant. The Third Concerto seems to be the best performance of the lot, with dramatic playing by soloist and orchestra, but it's sabotaged by blurry recorded sound, the only serious problem with sound quality in the entire set. The Fourth Concerto is enlivened, at least intellectually, by Solti's approach, constantly revealing interesting unfamiliar details in the orchestral score. Ashkenazy's detachment makes this a frosty but fascinating experience. The "Emperor" is a good routine performance, nothing special. The Bagatelles aren't much of a bonus, since they're rather dully played. (Why not the "Choral" Fantasy?) There's nothing actively bad about this set, and it's reasonably priced. But Beethoven deserves better, and gets it from many performers, including the fascinating Uchida-Sanderling collaborations. --Leslie GerberGeneral CDs
- Styles > Classical
- Featured Composers, A-Z > ( B ) > Beethoven, Ludwig van
- Featured Performers, A-Z > ( A ) > Ashkenazy, Vladimir
- Forms & Genres > Concertos > General
- Short Forms > Bagatelles
- Historical Periods > Classical (c.1770-1830) > General
- Instruments > Keyboard > Piano
- Symphonies > General
- Beethoven, Ludwig van - Works by Beethoven
Music Genres
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