Customer Reviews

Beethoven: The 5 Piano Concertos / Choral Fantasy - Melvyn Tan / Roger Norrington / London Classical Players

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I agree with the other reviewer concerning the merits of pianist Melvyn Tan performing the complete Beethoven piano concerti accompanied by Sir Roger Norrington and the London Classical Players. My only reservation is that his fortepiano is overwhelmed by the orchestral accompaniment most of the time. It just seems jarring to hear tinkling notes emitting from Tan's fortepiano only to be answered with gale-force volume blasting from the orchestra in return. Perhaps if smaller orchestral forces had been used along with some restraint, or better miking of the soloist, I would have awarded this set 5 stars. Still, since fortepiano renditions of these masterworks are rare, this is a valuable and worthy edition to any music library.

Melvyn Tan is a superb player, and Norrington (I think) conducts Beethoven appropriately, which means with great feeling and sensitivity, but without syrupy melodrama. This fine recording shows both at their best. But for the life of me, I don't know why they didn't move the mike a little closer to the fortepiano. It's just a little too low in the mix. Fortepianos - good ones - aren't mousy little music boxes. They aren't Bosendorfers, but they can sure hold up their end of the deal. Here, the instrument is just a little too soft. Other than that, it's a spendid recording. And the addition of a "recital" of several of Beethoven's solo piano works on (one of his many) original pianos is a real plus.

Melvyn Tan teams with Sir Roger Norrington in an historic recording of the Beethoven Piano Concerto cycle, with a few excellent bonuses thrown in. Few players can equal Tan on the pianoforte, though he no longer plays it exclusively in concert these days. In 1995 he switched over to the modern piano, which he now plays the majority of the time in recital.

Tan and Norrington were/are a natural pairing. Norrington was at the forefront of bringing period instruments and arrangements back into the concert halls of Europe and America.

The tonality of the concertos definitely does sound different than when played on modern instruments with their greater sonority. The effect here is more muted and sedate. This is especially true in Concerto #2, which always struck me as having a more classical feel to it than #1, even.

The interplay and timing between the London Classical Players and Tan is flawless throughout the set. While there may not be many "fireworks" here, there are no discernable missteps either (at least to this untrained ear).

I would suggest that all Beethoven lovers and collectors snatch this CD set up, quickly, while the price is still right. It really represents an abundance of listening pleasure at a price I would expect to pay for one concerto CD.

Highly Recommended.

BEK

I'm sorry to be the lone dissenting voice (so far) but, like all Norrington's Beethoven recordings, these are ruined by the conductor's all-consuming obsession with speed. He plays virtually every movement too fast, and some far, far too fast. On one occasion - the "slow" movement of the Emperor - the tempo is so fast that the effect is actually comic. There's no grandeur or beauty, just farce. Even movements that are supposed to be fast are faintly ridiculous, like a scene from the Keystone Kops.

I'm familiar, by the way, with Norrington's argument - that Beethoven's metronome markings were accurate and that we should hold to them strictly. But the evidence against is simple - it's the evidence of your ear! Which tells you very clearly that this music does not work at this speed.

In many ways I'm being generous by giving these CDs any stars at all, because my own view is that they are to be avoided at all costs. However, the music itself is wonderful, and the musicians involved are of course first class.

If there was an upside for me, it was that these recordings awakened in me a strong desire to hear the music played properly, which in itself was a reminder of how great these concertos are. Not even Sir Roger can ruin them entirely!