Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Piano Concerto No. 5 in E Flat Major 'Emperor'

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

 

 

I found this disc used, and it's been one of my favorites ever since. Ashkenazy's interpretation ranks right up there with Martha Argerich/Sinopoli (Beethoven's Piano Concertos 1 & 2 on DG, now out-of-print) and Perahia/Haitnik (Beethoven's Piano Concerto's 3 & 4 on London, also out-of-print).

Mehta as usual delivers, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra never disappoints. Recorded in the mid-1980's, this DDD recording sounds fantastic. Ashkenazy's injects a sense of energy and passion into both concertos that's rarely matched. If/when you come across this disc, I strongly encourage you to purchase it before it, too, goes out-of-print (like so many great recordings before it).

Take Ashkenazy's sparkling and fresh piano style, Mehta's and the Vienna's youthful and driving, but yet accentuated orchestral push, applied to two of the most great, majestic and eternal concerto's in all of music history... And this in DDD for a bargain price! No more said.

These are beautiful renditions of Beethoven's 4th and 5th concertos, with Ashkenazy's flawless technique and superb interpretations, along with the brilliance of Zubin Mehta and the Vienna Philharmonic, and excellent sound reproduction. My only current comparison is with the 1963 Arrau version, with Haitink conducting the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, which because of its age, has a muddier sound, but a performance of such power that of the two, I would take the Arrau as a "desert isle" disc; nevertheless, this is a marvelous alternate...graceful, a little slower in overall tempi, and a great choice for these two fabulous concertos.

A pianist of my acquaintance asserts that listening to the "Emperor" 5th concerto daily will make you smarter by "awakening brain cells", and it's worth a try. At the very least, it has given me an appreciation of the concerto I never had before, and Beethoven's music in general. The complexity and beauty of it is revealed bit by bit with every hearing, and becomes an adventurous exploration into the extraordinary genius of this giant among composers.

Recorded in Vienna in 1983, the insert has liner notes on the music, and total playing time is 76'15.

Some of the things that other reviewers praise about this CD are a give: the lovely playing of the Vienna Phil., the crystalline Decca recording (which could, however, use a remastering to remove glare in the high treble), and Ashkenazy's clean technique. But form the first lazy bars of the Fourth Concerto it's clear that he and Mehta have nothing to say. Beethoven's rhythms are slicked over in a smooth, suave way that's quite irritating. Both conductor and pianist seem to believe that this is meant to be elegant music in the vein of Chopin, but even by that mistaken standard this reading is glib. The Daniel-in-the-lion's-den slow movement lacks any tension or drama. The finale proceeds agreeably but without incident.

The pianist gets to set the tone at the beginning of the 'Emperor' cncerto, and here Ashkenazy finds some vitamins and opens the work with gusto. I don't hear anything that wasn't done much better by ?Fleisher, Kempff, Edwin Fischer, and Serkin, to name but a few outstanding recordings, but at least Mehta is also galvanized into aciton. The slow movement is too suave, once again, and Ashkenazy turns a trifle ponderous in the finale, abetted by Mehta's so-so rhythmic handling of the accompaniment. In sum, a good, middle-of-the-road CD with starry performers who should be better musically.

As one who only discovered Beethoven's absolutely sublime Fourth Piano Concerto 18 months ago--after almost 40 years of thinking that his "Emperor" was the greatest ever--I hesitate to "diss" this recording, but "diss" I must. Perhaps it's because I've listened to the Perahia/Haitink version for 18 months (dozens of times), but I find this recording to be heavy, mushy, and not crisp or clear. The orchestra seems mired in the mud. Ashkenazy's playing seems to try to tug the orchestra along, to get it moving faster, to little effect. There is none of the bright, brilliant color of Perahia's playing. Perahia moves along with such exuberant joy.

Am I missing something? There's no comparison, in my book. This gets three stars mainly in tribute to Beethoven's unmatched music.