Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos [Australia] [Import]

Kempff (Artist), Anda (Artist), Schneiderhan (Artist), Fournier (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 12, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Dg Imports
• ASIN: B000024572
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,908 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Piano Concerto No.5 In E Flat Major Op.73 -"Emperor" - Allegro

2. Piano Concerto No.5 In E Flat Major Op.73 -"Emperor" - Adagio Un Poco Mosso

3. Piano Concerto No.5 In E Flat Major Op.73 -"Emperor" - Rondo (Allegro)

4. Concerto For Piano, Violin, And Cello In C, Op.56 - Allegro

5. Concerto For Piano, Violin, And Cello In C, Op.56 - Largo -

6. Concerto For Piano, Violin, And Cello In C, Op.56 - Rondo Alla Polacca

7. Violin Concerto In D, Op.61 - Allegro Ma Non Troppo

8. Violin Concerto In D, Op.61 - Larghetto

9. Violin Concerto In D, Op.61 - Rondo. Allegro

10. Violin Romance No.1 In G Major, Op.40

11. Violin Romance No.2 In F Major, Op.50

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Beethoven, March 3, 2004

By 

Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos [Australia] (Audio CD)

Wilhelm Kempff's cycle of the Beethoven Piano Concertos with Ferdinand Leitner and the Berlin Philharmonic is one of the great achievements of the golden age of stereo. Kempff had already recorded a magnificent mono cycle in the mid-1950s with the same orchestra under Paul Van Kempen (recently reissued on the box set "Wilhelm Kempff: The Complete 1950s Concerto Recordings" in DG's Original Masters series -- see my review), but these new performances maintained his highest playing standards while offering the added dimension of stereo sound. Only the "Emporer" Concerto is featured on this set from DG's "2CD" series, "Beethoven: The Complete Concertos Volume 2" (Concertos 1-4 are available on its companion "Volume 1"), but purchasing all eight concertos at inflated import prices was a better alternative for me than getting only the domestic DG Originals disc of the 4th and 5th Concertos. And on Volume 2, not only do you get the conclusion of Kempff's cycle, but you also get breathtaking performances of the Triple and Violin Concertos, and the two Violin Romances, all in vintage stereo from the early 1960s. The Triple Concerto features the triumvirate of Geza Anda, Wolfgang Schneiderhan and Pierre Fournier with Ferenc Fricsay leading the Berlin RSO. Schneiderhan returns with Eugen Jochum and the Berliners on the Violin Concerto (also available domestically in the DG Originals series on a single disc coupled with Mozart's 5th VC). David Oistrakh, with Sir Eugene Goossens leading the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, performs the Romances. You may pay a little bit more for this set, but it is certainly worth it.