Customer Reviews

Grieg, Schumann: Piano Concertos / Radu Lupu, André Previn

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Radu Lupu, the famously reclusive virtuoso, gives thrilling perfomances of these two concertos, so often paired on LP and CD. The only other recording that comes close is Kristian Zimerman with von Karajan on DG; sonically, it is marginally superior, and Zimerman's flawless technical skill and emotional intensity are beyond reproach. But there's something almost indefinable about Lupu's playing, a sort of barely-controlled passion, that puts his recording in a class by itself. Like Zimerman, he negotiates the most difficult passages with ease, not only hitting the right notes, but giving them just enough of a new interpretation to make you sit up and take notice.

But he goes further, playing familiar phrases and entire passages so that the listener hears the notes more clearly than usual, and he doesn't just do this during the big, dramatic moments. It's more than just engineering or recording balances: Lupu plays the notes with a strength that you can hear, while never seeming to hammer them out. Perhaps it's this combination of powerful playing and extreme sensitivity to the music itself that makes his performances so memorable. Whatever the case, this is a recording you can listen to over and over, each time discovering something you had not heard before, and each time marveling at the sheer beauty of the playing.

Radu Lupu, André Previn, and the London Symphony Orchestra give us two of the finest accounts of these great concertos. Hands down, these are marvelous interpretations.

Radu Lupu's handling of these concertos is very intelligent and passionate. Lupu is in full control of his fantastic technique, which allows him to bring a level of depth to his part that is very deep and thoughtful. Never does he simply "pound" out passages - rather, even during the most dramatic of parts, Lupu is always in total control. His power is wonderful, and he brings a full-bodied approach to the louder passages. But it's his lyric beauty that is truly astounding. Lupu's gentle touch in lighter passages is breathtaking.

Previn brings a level of understanding to his part as conductor. As a pianist himself, Previn's sympathetic and insightful interpretation never drowns out the soloist, but accompanies the piano with a high level of sensitivity. In essence, Previn knows what he is doing here, molding the LSO into the perfect companion for Lupu.

All together, these two performances are wonderful. Highly recommended.

Decca's "Legendary Performances" line continues to mine the impressive depths of the label's back-catalogue, re-issuing timeless gems from its archival vaults. Radu Lupu has already been featured once in this series, with a poetic rendition of the Schubert Impromptus D. 899 and D. 935 from 1983 (Decca 460975). Lupu is notoriously reclusive, with both performances and recordings often few and far between. As a result, his albums are never disappointing, always enlightening, and often brilliant. This impressive disc, initially released on LP in 1973, is no exception. Lupu brings new insight to bear on these staples of the concerto repertoire, delivering the requisite virtuosity, as well as a keen sense of the finer nuances necessary to a truly well-rounded account of these masterworks. The London Symphony under Andre Previn gives a compelling performance in the excellent acoustics of Kingsway Hall; Decca's digital remastering process vividly underscores the palpable energy of the original session. Lupu is a prodigious talent: his recordings are veritable treasures, without which any collection of piano music is unquestionably incomplete.

I purchased five or six recordings of Schumann's piano concerto in A minor before finding this one. I didn't like the tempo or phrasing in the others, but this one seemed perfect. I thought that the version with Cecile Ousset (Marriner/Masur) was pretty good, but the mixing/recording process must have been flawed because the piano was not recorded at a high enough relative volume. But this recording is the best I've heard anywhere.

I bought this CD for another rendition of Grieg's concerto, but now I listen to it again and again for the Schumann; what a wonderful composition! I had not heard of Lupu until I purchased this CD, but I would now seek out other recordings of his. I highly recommend it.

One of the main virtues of Radu Lupu has always been his impeccable fluency, interpretative brio, inexhaustible good taste, crystalline phrasing and expansive sonority.

As a matter of fact my first contact with Lupu was precisely with the Grieg Piano Concerto and I must confess, this version engaged me, because of the profound conviction, and admirable lyricism.

He has remained as one the most renowned pianists around the world, so you should acquire this legendary album that so many praised comments aroused in that decade.

The Schumann's Piano concerto belongs to Ivan Moravec with the Czech Philharmonic; however this is a very solvent and distinguished performance.

I got this CD for Grieg's Piano Concerto, one of my most favorite piano concertos of all. As much as I like it, this concerto can sound very cheap in a mediocre performance. I've got a couple other CDs before this one, and I have to say Lupu's performance is literally *magnificient* compared to others. I think the word magnificient is the most suitable for describing the excellence of Lupu and Previn's performance here.

The recording is superb, too. I come back to this one from time to time even though I must've listened to it hundreds of times, and every time I get impressed.

There are, of course, a huge number of discs with this coupling, but whichever ones you've got, I urge you to add this one (unless you already have it). Lupu's and Previn's approaches are classically oriented, playing the works without fuss or idiosyncrasies. But there are so much to savor here; the loving care Lupu gives to the solo part is truly impressive - every detail seems to shine and stand out as a highlight, yet he doesn't for a moment lose track of the long lines. And the collaboration from the orchestra is no less impressive; soloist and orchestra complement each other with a grace and fluency that is hardly rivaled anywhere else. True, these are not the most dramatically fierce accounts out there, but this is still essential listening. Add a warm and detailed recorded sound and you have a recording to treasure. Strongly recommended.

These two romantic concertos are grandly dramatic exemplars of that era. The playing on this CD appropriately communicates that drama in crystal clear sound. I have heard the Schumann in several versions and consider this the best of the lot. Recommended without reservations.

The reclusive, elusive Radu Lupu makes few recordings, and when one chances to emerge, British critics go into raptures. For the life of me I can't see why. In the opening bars of this Schumann concerto, far from starting out with energy and anticipation, Lupu tiptoes in and brings the tempo to all but a dead halt. Previn is feeling pretty cool on the podium, too, and together they produce one of the most cautious readings I've ever heard.

It's true that Lupu's tone is pearly, gentle, and singing, but where's Schumann's passion? The slow movement fares best, but then with the entry of the finale we are back to hesitant, start-and-stop playing that, for this listener at least, doesn't suit the music at all. My interest in the Grieg wasn't great, but I noticed that after two bars of bravura in the opening, Lupu goes slack again, and Previn picks up on this--his accompaniment, careful and correct, fits the pianist's introverted style to a tee. Can any musician be considered great who plays mainly for himself?