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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb coupling of two Beethoven concertos, May 10, 2000
This review is from: Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, 'Emperor' / Triple Concerto ~ Fleisher (Audio CD)
Of the five piano concertos composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, the Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" has always been my personal favorite. This is the best version of the "Emperor" concerto I've yet heard. Pianist Leon Fleisher plays the first movement with majestic power, giving it an almost martial feel. The second movement, poignant and tender, gives way to joyful exuberance in the third and final movement. As always, the Cleveland Orchestra, conducted by the legendary George Szell, plays with crisp precision and wonderful musicianship. The second concerto on this CD, Beethoven's "Triple Concerto," is also superb. Eugene Istomin (piano), Isaac Stern (violin), and Leonard Rose (cello), who made such a wonderful team on the Sony Essential Classics CD of Beethoven's "Archduke" and "Ghost" piano trios, are equally impressive here in their musical dialog with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The sound quality for both concertos, recorded in 1961 and 1964 respectively, is excellent. This is a superb coupling of two Beethoven concerto masterpieces. Highly recommended!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the greatest recordings of all time, May 6, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, 'Emperor' / Triple Concerto ~ Fleisher (Audio CD)
Fleisher's recording of the Emperor with the Cleveland Orchestra is one of the most thrilling recordings of any work of music I have heard, and ranks (in my view) with Bruno Walter's electrified recording of the Eroica (Symphony #3) with the New York Philharmonic back in the 50s. What makes this recording so special is the way the pianist and the conductor read each other; the prescience is remarkable. The Cleveland Orchestra was at the top of its form for this, a well-oiled machine perfectly suited to Beethoven, and in the hands of Szell, this machine is driven true to the heart of Beethoven's vision; the music feels right, joyfully right--the perfect balance of the elements when the horns pick up the second theme of the first movement, the palpable tension following this before the main theme is picked up again; in countless places, I listen in awe. To put this in perspective: I have listened to this recording (at least the first movement of the Emperor, though often the full work) over one thousand times (every day for over three years), and I still jump out of my skin when my wife puts it on the stereo, I still drop what I'm doing and listen intently. This recording is that good. For the record: while not a purist, I've listened quite extensively to classical music for almost all of my life and have a sizeable collection of recordings, many chosen on the basis of research into "best" recordings.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply The Finest On Disc, January 6, 2000
This review is from: Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, 'Emperor' / Triple Concerto ~ Fleisher (Audio CD)
Prior to his recording career being limited by the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome, Leon Fleisher was emerging as one of the great U.S. pianists of the century. This is his finest recording, made with Szell & the Cleveland Orchestra (at their peak) in the early '60's. Fleisher plays with hair-raising intensity and the result is thrilling. If you're going to try one disc of Beethoven's piano concertos, start with this one. Fleisher's recordings of the 1st 4 concertos are also excellent.
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