Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4 [Original recording remastered]

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), George Szell (Conductor), Cleveland Orchestra (Orchestra), Leon Fleisher (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Leon Fleisher
• Orchestra: Cleveland Orchestra
• Conductor: George Szell
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• Audio CD (August 1, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000F6YW6W
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,489 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally! Thanks Sony!, August 19, 2006

By 

SwissDave (Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4 (Audio CD)

Sound quality definitely is improved in this latest remastering of what to me is an obvious must-own recording, combining one each of my top favourite Beethoven 3rd and 4th Concerto recordings (see my current favourites attached below). In fact I'm wondering if this is the first time on CD that the original master tape and not a production master (at least a first or second generation copy) of No. 4 was used. I still own two sets of the original LPs (one run-down, the other near mint), and this is the first CD remastering to surpass the LP reproducing Fleisher's ever-changing dynamic and tonal shadings - wonderful! The master tape may have minor flaws due to age, storage, whatever (e.g. in the beautifully done first movement cadenza - Beethoven's longer and to my mind more attractive one), but there's rather less hiss, and strings and especially winds sound more realistic. One of those recordings I'd buy again and again, when a better remastering becomes available.

Please dear responsibles at Sony Classical: what about the other three Fleisher/Szell Beethoven Concertos? What about a complete Leon Fleisher anthology since we're at it?

Please!!!

- Beethoven/Fleisher; Szell, CO: Piano Cto. 3 (1961) - Epic/Sony
- Beethoven/Rubinstein; Leinsdorf, BSO: Piano Cto. 3 (1967) - RCA
- Beethoven/Solomon; Menges, LPO: Piano Cto. 3 (1956, cadenza by Clara Schumann) - HMV/Testament
- Beethoven/Schnabel; Sargent, LPO: Piano Cto. 3 (1932) - HMV/Pearl & Naxos
- Beethoven/Gould; Karajan, BPO: Piano Cto. 3 (Berlin 1957) - SFB-RBB/Sony
[Beethoven/Arrau; Klemperer, PO: Piano Cto. 3 (London 1955) - BBC/Testament]
[Beethoven/Arrau; Davis, SD: Piano Cto. 3 (1987) - Philips]
[Beethoven/Solomon; Boult, BBCSO: Piano Cto. 3 (1944, cadenza by Clara Schumann) - HMV/Naxos]
[Beethoven/Michelangeli; Giulini, VSO: Piano Cto. 3 (Vienna 1979) - DG Originals]
[Beethoven/Brendel; Rattle, VPO: Piano Cto. 3 (1998) - Philips]
[Beethoven/Rubinstein; Toscanini, NBCSO: Piano Cto. 3 (New York 1944) - RCA]
[Beethoven/Rubinstein; Krips, SOA: Piano Cto. 3 (1956) - RCA]
[Beethoven/Richter; Sanderling, VSO: Piano Cto. 3 - DG Originals]
[Beethoven/Gilels; Szell, CO: Piano Cto. 3 (1968) - Columbia]
[Beethoven/Pollini; Abbado, BPO: Piano Cto. 3 - DG]
[Beethoven/Zimerman; Bernstein, VPO: Piano Cto. 3 (Vienna 1989) - DG]

- Beethoven/Fleisher; Szell, CO: Piano Cto. 4 (1959, long 1st-movement cadenza) - Epic/Sony
- Beethoven/Gilels; L. Ludwig, PO: Piano Cto. 4 (1957, short 1st-movement cadenza) - Columbia/EMI, Philips GPOC & Testament
- Beethoven/Richter-Haaser; Kertész, PO: Piano Cto. 4 (1960, long 1st-movement cadenza) - Columbia/EMI & Testament
- Beethoven/Moravec; Turnovsky: Piano Cto. 4 (1963, short 1st-movement cadenza) - Connoisseur Society/VAI
- Beethoven/Arrau; Davis, SD: Piano Cto. 4 (1984, long 1st-movement cadenza) - Philips 50
- Beethoven/Solomon; Cluytens, LPO: Piano Cto. 4 (1952, long 1st-movement cadenza) - HMV/Testament
- Beethoven/Schnabel; Sargent, LPO: Piano Cto. 4 (1932, long 1st-movement cadenza) - HMV/Philips, Pearl & Naxos
[Beethoven/Brendel; Rattle, VPO: Piano Cto. 4 (1997, short 1st-movement cadenza) - Philips]
[Beethoven/Moravec; Belohlávek, PP: Piano Cto. 4 (2003, short 1st-movement cadenza) - Supraphon]
[Beethoven/Arrau; Klemperer, PO: Piano Cto. 4 (London 1955, long 1st-movement cadenza) - BBC/Testament]
[Beethoven/Rubinstein; Leinsdorf, BSO: Piano Cto. 4 (1964, long 1st-movement cadenza) - RCA]
[Beethoven/Curzon; Knappertsbusch, VPO: Piano Cto. 4 (1954, long 1st-movement cadenza) & 5 (1957) - Decca Legends]
[Beethoven/Schnabel; Stock, CSO: Piano Cto. 4 & 5 (1942, long 1st-movement cadenza in No. 4) - RCA]
[Beethoven/Rubinstein; Beecham, RPO: Piano Cto. 4 (long 1st-movement cadenza) - RCA]
[Beethoven/Pollini; Böhm, VPO: Piano Cto. 4 (1976, long 1st-movement cadenza) - DG]

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stellar - Fleischer vitalizes Beethoven's Piano Concertos, February 14, 2007

By 

William Schmidt, Ph.D. "Doctor Bill" (San Diego, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4 (Audio CD)

I bought this more than 40 years ago. Wore the record out.
The 3rd Piano Concerto is as heroic as the 3rd symphony.
I have heard many other artists. But Fleischer has always stood
out as the most awe-inspiring. None match his performance of
the 3rd Piano Concerto. Listen just to the beginning and
you will see I am right. But listen to the showering trills,
too. What joy. I am very grateful to be be able to get in digital
format so many years later.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Performances Indeed!!, February 28, 2008

By 

Scriabinmahler (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4 (Audio CD)

Sony has done wonderful job of remastering Fleisher's near-miracle great performance of Beethoven concerti. It sounds so vivid and fresh. Orchestra too sounds so alive and powerful. I hope they will remaster other three conceri too, especially the unsurpassed incandescent account of emperor concerto played magnificently with astonishing tonal delicacy and rapt serenity.