Customer Reviews

Beethoven Piano Concertos

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

 

 

This 4 disc set of Beethoven's Piano Concertos is truly amazing. The 3rd with Rubinstein and Toscanini (their only collaboration) is simply electric. The 2nd with Kapell and Golschmann is arguably the best ever recorded. The two versions of the 5th offer two strikingly differing interpretations by Serkin and Schnabel. On Serkin's (his first of four recordings he made of the 'Emperor'), Bruno Walter takes a pace much faster than he usually employs, resulting in a recording with perfect symmetry between orchestra and soloist. Serkin's trademark nervous energy is in full force here. Schnabel, employing more fluid phrasing and judicious use of rubato is equally compelling. This recording with Galliera, while not as well known as his earlier versions with Sargent (1927) and Stock (1942), is my favorite of the three. Also on display are two excellent versions of the 4th. On the Haskil/Zecchi, Clara's unique style of probing musicality is on full display contrasted by Gieseking's (with Bohm) more classical approach. Finally the No.1 is performed by Ania Dorfmann with Toscanini (she was the first female soloist the Maestro ever used). Typical with Toscanini, the pace is rather brisk, perhaps a bit too much so in this case. Nevertheless, still enjoyable, though not a top choice for most listeners. The transfers by andante are very good, though some tape hiss and surface noise are still present (which is to be expected of recordings from this era).

This is a remarkably well done and very well thought-out set; while some of us can quibble about which recordings should "make it" for a project like this, in my opinion the producers chose quite wisely.

My one complaint is over the Serkin/Walter recording of "The Emperor."

While this recording from an artistic point-of-view is certainly way up there (it's my current, personal favorite) it's the one old recording where I will take issue with the technical quality having had both the 78 rpm album and a late Columbia Lp release of this which was certainly much more muscular in the transfer.

If you're really that much of an audio geek who wants a better transfer I, unfortunately, cannot recommend another one that's out there; if you have one you like, please let me know; this performance is absolutely terrific and judging by the prices of other CD releases of this performance, there are obviously many other people who do agree with me!