Customer Reviews

Beethoven: The 5 Piano Concertos

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Several other reviewers seem to be reviewing other sets, for example DG's Complete Beethoven set. My review is for the Brendel/Rattle set of the five piano concertos. Overall it is a good set, and generally better than Brendel's other two recordings of the complete concertos. However, I must admit to a little disappointment with nos. 1 and 5, the Emperor. I think this stems mostly from the recording quality, which is just average. I think the orchestra's contribution cannot be heard as well as some other sets (Zimmerman on DG, and Ashkenazy with Cleveland on Decca), which is a pity since the Vienna Phil. does perform well as usual. I also thought Brendel's playing is a bit sloppy on the Fifth, almost as though he misses some notes. It doesn't seem like he and the orchestra are in perfect sync. The price is too high as others have noted. I'm also surprised by how highly praised this set was by both Gramophone magazine and the new Penguin Guide. I think they missed the boat. If you are buying the complete set, you might try Kempff with the Berlin Philharmonic on DG, Zimmerman with Bernstein on DG (particularly if you like the Vienna sound), or Ashkenazy as pianist and conductor with Cleveland on Decca. Any of these sets will bring lasting listening pleasure.

For anybody who is looking for the best set of Beethoven Concerto Performances on C.D. you would always have to consider Brendel. In matter of fact, if Brendel has recorded it all, whatever it may be, you would have to consider it. Such is the possibility with him that you may get a truly inspired, thought-out and before unheard approach to a work. He has more than his share of recordings that attain that level. He is a musician that can play a piece a hundred times and you would still find something fresh in his playing. These recordings are no different. Even though I own his superlative, re-mastered LIVE performances with the CSO, Levine conducting I eagerly bought the VPO, Rattle collection anxiously waiting to here his latest revelations on these masterworks. After reading the linear notes about how the VPO and Brendel had a special association I thought I was going to here sparks. Unfortunately, most of the sparks come from Brendel with just a few exciting touches from Rattle.

The playing of the VPO was far from what I expected, unclear, not pretty for the most part. Their playing pales next to the CSO's although I was expecting playing of the highest caliber. Plus Brendel's earlier live recording can not be beat for the thrill of hearing superb music making being created live on the spot for generations to come to hear. That recording is truly the one to own and at a steep discount to this one, I would find it incredible if any account mentioned in any other review here or anywhere else will ever be as incredible as those performances are. I personally need to hear none other than the early Brendel set in it's re-mastered format.

These performances only improve on the earlier set in the slow movement of the 4th and the conclusion(after the cadenza) of opening movement of the 3rd. The drama of the slow movement is fully carried out and the excitment of the cadence of the Third's opening movement is more successfully realized than in the CSO version. The only Beethoven Concerto cycle recording Brendel doesn't beat out with this set is his own earlier set.

I was tremendously excited when I heard this set, recorded live, was in the pipeline, but actually listening to it left me somewhat disappointed. On paper, the lineup looks just about perfect: a great orchestra, one of the world's most exciting conductors, and *the* best Beethoven pianist alive. Yet the combination never quite catches fire like it's always promising to. The fact is, Rattle -- whose deeply probing musical mind has made many an old warhorse into a fresh new stallion -- doesn't seem quite at home in the Beethoven concertos. Brendel -- whose intelligence, virtuosity and mordant appreciation of wit eminently suits him to old Ludwig -- plays wonderfully, but in the end his earlier (studio) recordings of the works with Haitink are even finer and I'd recommend them over this newer set. This is surely a complete cycle of the piano concertos that has much fine playing and is extremely listenable. Perhaps it's unfair to expect more than that -- but I was.

I have never been a "fan" of Alfred Brendel's playing, although I respect greatly his integrity, discipline, and musicianship. I remember when he was recording Beethoven on low-priced Vox when I was a kid, and here he is on his third major Beethoven concerto cycle of modern times (with Haitink, then Levine, now Rattle). That said, I must comment that this cycle is extremely fine. All in all, I don't know what more I could ask for. There are numerous sublime and wondrous moments in which structural elements and relationships are made brilliantly clear, phrases are turned with great elegance and musicality, and the empathy between pianist and conductor (and orchestra, really--the Vienna Philharmonic holds Brendel in high regard and affection) are profound. Many fine players do their Beethoven in a lot of different ways, some scintillatingly and some more subtly. My own personal favorite is the Zimerman/Bernstein cycle. This masterful set holds it own with the best of them.

Alfred Brendel has recorded Beethoven's piano concertos numerous times, each time with successful results, so it might be a question to many why he did it again. Look at his co-performers. The Vienna Philharmonic, one of the great Beethoven orchestras, and conductor Simon Rattle, possibly the most desired conductor in the world today. While just the names of this combination is enough to send tingles of euphoria up the spines of true Beethoven fans, this latest take on the 5 concerti simply doesn't have the spark and vigor of Beethoven's Chicago/Levine recording of '83. It's true, Alfred Brendel has refined the concept of Beethoven's concerti to a virtual science, and over the years has taken the position as probably the premier interpreter of the great composer's piano music. And as usual, Brendel's playing captures the thoughtfulness and sensitivity that so few pianists have matched in Beethoven concerti recording history. They don't manage to convey the exhilleration and fire though that his live Chicago recordings though, and the first concerto lacks the youthfulness and vigor that is usually associated with Brendel. On the Vienna Philharmonic though, this is absolutely not the case. The playing throughout is perfunctory and cold, and while marvelously accurate, detailed and crisp, is perhaps, bloodless. You can almost see this orchestra of great virtuosos playing while thinking "God, we have to record this again?"(for a great orchestra, check out the Staaskapelle Dresden in the Arrau/Colin Davis recording). Simon Rattle does a decent job, but some of the little things he does make no sense at all. For example: in the finale of the 1st concerto, the violin articulation is bland and uninsired, and the soaring melodies in the 1st movement of the Emperor are downplayed and seem strangely compressed (perhaps this has to do with the recording). The third concerto though is excellent, and the mystical quality of the third movement is done tremendously. Brendel and Rattle are clearly on the same page throughout all the concerti, and its obvious a great deal of work and collaborative studying of Beethoven's scores went into these performances. Though these recordings are quite good, but just don't seem to catch fire, they are still recommended, especially for Alfred Brendel fans.

Without a doubt, in Simon Rattle, Alfred Brendel found his most engaging, truly colllaborative, partner in his latest - and probably last - traversal of Beethoven's piano concerto cycle. However, the results fall far short of miraculous. Most of the playing is technically perfect, but lacks the passion I've heard from the likes of Kempff, Arrau and Kovacevich. Brendel's best performed piano concerto is the Second (Not surprising since this is the Beethoven concerto which is closest stylistically to Mozart's - and Brendel is noted as a first rate interpreter of Mozart's piano music.); the weakest are the First and Fifth. Much to my amazement I expected better from Brendel since I have enjoyed his previous accounts of the 5th "Emperor" Concerto with Haitink conducting the London Philharmonic and Levine conducted the Chicago Symphony, yet his latest version sounds rather lame by comparison. As a conductor, Rattle seems more engaged than either Haitink or Levine was with Beethoven's scores, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's performances are absolutely first rate (However, the sound quality isn't as good as what you'd expect from the latest generation digital recording.). Those wishing to hear exceptional performances of all of Beethoven's piano concerti played by one soloist have only six or seven alternatives to consider: Arrau as soloist with Haitink conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra, or Arrau's last traversal with Davis conducting the Dresden Staatskapelle (Of the two, I'd give the edge to the Davis/Dresden Staatskapelle cycle.), Kovacevich and Davis conducting the BBC Symphony and London Symphony orchestras, and Kempff with Leitner conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. As a possible fifth choice, I would also strongly endorse Ashkenazy as soloist with Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony. Most of these recordings should still be available on the Philips, Deutsche Grammophon and Decca labels. The finest recorded versions of the Beethoven piano concerto cycle are from Sony and Teldec, with Haitink conducting both versions. Either one is as fine as the others I mentioned; the Sony cycle has Perahia as soloist accompanied by the Concertgebouw Orchestra, while the Teldec cycle has Schiff accompanied by the Dresden Staatskapelle.

Alfred Brendel has no rival when it comes to classical Viennese repertoire. His acclaimed Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart, Haydn renditions made date, both on international stage and disc. His infallible insight combined with his scrupulous knowledge and study over scores seem the most appropriate approach to Beethoven sonatas, concertos, bagatelles, variations. Although Brendel's performances can be seen as rigorous and faithful to composer's intentions up to minute notation, neither the intellectual argument prevails, nor the sentimentality. A fine line in reading those masterpieces is ceaselessly followed. All he plays gains the simplicity of the truth.

This traversal of Beethoven concertos is the third recorded cycle signed Alfred Brendel. This time, it was achieved along with Vienna Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle, in an efficient partnership for the Great Music. The sound quality is excellent, the match between soloist and conductor perfect, the dialogue with the orchestra realised with the balance principle in mind. Yet, if I would be urged no chose between his three complet cycles I would opt for his second realised live with Chicago Symphony under James Levine. The live emotion, the direct communication, the spontaneity of a reaction at spot enriched that version. Here the proceedings seem a little bit clinical, too rigorous and too prepared. The fingertip of Brendel, is however magisterially emphasized in these recordings. My note is four stars and a half.

I think I might be better off with Brendel's first try on Vox, scrappy orchestras, sound and all.

Beethoven's music is miraculous--especially the piano concerti. There is a lot of magic to mine in the 4th, melodies and majesty in the 5th, charm in 1 (LvB charming??), etc.

What do I have here: Rattle and the VPO and Brendel. What should have been a dream version is marked by not that great sound for something recorded in the easy venues of the VPO, pedestrian conducting (AAACK! Rattle pedestrian? What's with THAT?), and piano playing that is fully competent, with some nice touches, but lacks total freshness. That also describes the VPO's contribution. Perfunctory. Give me scrappy playing an poor sound any day if you can play it with freshness. Delight. SOMETHING.

How frustrating. I still don't have THE set of LvB piano concerti. Ashkenazy with Solti and Chicago (NOT Cleveland. What a bore that mess was) is closest, although I'm still not in love with the engineering (seems chilly, and sometimes downright harsh). At least in that set, you have the fire of Solti to goose Ashkenazy.

For No. 1, there is always Richter w/ Munch and the wonderful Bostoners. Save that, I have no other recommendations. Sigh. Maybe I should give Fleisher and Szell a go.

The "tough music critic from New York" summarises his lack of intelligence with his illiterate spelling of "evocative". Brendel, Rattle and the VPO define the performance standards of the late twentieth century. They have a level of insight into the character amd amosphere of Beethoven's music that neither Ashkenazy's clumsiness nor Fleischer's youthful brilliance can approach.

Brendel/Rattle make it seem that one is hearing how Beethoven himself would have played these concertos. It's like hearing them played as they should be played for the first time. What an exciting glimpse of Beethoven's true character and expertise! So glad I bought these CDs. Thanks