Grieg and Schumann: Piano Concertos

Leon Fleisher, The Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: August 10, 2004
• Label: Sony Classical
• Copyright: Originally released 1960 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
• Total Length: 1:00:01
• Genres:
• ASIN: B001L5LWUK
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,638 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Fleisher, January 7, 2006

By 

Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Grieg, Schumann: Piano Concertos (Audio CD)

This CD has been out since 2004, but only recently has it started selling here at Amazon. That is because when this new line of Sony "Great Performances" first came out, they were being offered exclusively through Tower Records, but now thankfully they are available anywhere fine music is sold (I sound like a commercial). Of the dozen or so "GP" reissues this title, featuring the Grieg and Schumann Piano Concertos, is easily the best. Pianist Leon Fleisher and conductor George Szell (along with the Cleveland Orchestra of course) formed a memorable partnership before Fleisher's career came to a tragic, but fortunately temporary, halt. Most notably they produced a brilliant pair of Brahms Concerto recordings, and a Beethoven Concerto Cycle (now scandalously out-of-print) that many still regard as definitive. These 1960 Grieg and Schumann performances are no different, and this disc has to be considered the first choice in this repertoire. I'm still fuming mad at Sony for recently deleting so many of their best CDs, but at least they are continuing to make some classics available once again.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awe-inspiring Performance!!, March 2, 2008

By 

Scriabinmahler (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grieg, Schumann: Piano Concertos (Audio CD)

This is another outstanding achievement by Felisher-Szell partnership alongside their Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmaninov (Paganini Rhapsody) recordings. Grieg's Concerto has never been played with such intensity, penetrating tone and depth of feeling since the legendary Praga recording by Richter/Kondashin. Fleisher captures the rapt serenity of the slow movement like no other pianist could.

Schumann Concerto is even better. The limitless range of Fleisher's tonal shading and colours makes the music so fresh and alive! You get the impression that the pianist is completely one with the music. The last movement is totally electrifying.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Szell and Fleisher at the height of their partnership, June 14, 2006

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Grieg, Schumann: Piano Concertos (Audio CD)

I don't know if Columbia Records brought them together, but the young Leon Fleisher made almost all of his classic Sixties concerto recordings with George Szell. Their work shone through the dreary, hissy sonics to be found on the Epic label, but here are two recordings--the Grieg and Schumann concertos--in excellent refurbished sonics, by far the best they've ever enjoyed. The solo piano, placed fairly close, and the Cleveland Orch. both sound full and natural, without any edginess at loud volume.

As for the interpretations, the Grieg is revisionist history. At the time (1960) this old horse was almost dead from over-popularity, so Szell and Fleisher slowed the tempo down and replaced dazzling keyboard attack with thoughtful, considered phrasing. It's awfully low key and serious at times, particuarly compared to the blazing reading that Richter gives on EMI, but the two partners are masters at what they do.

In the Schumann their pacing is close to the norm, but again the overall tone is low key, serious, and more classic than romantic. Dynamics heed close to mezzo forte, and there aren't a lot of passionate exchanges between piano and orchestra. The main thing to admire here is Szell's control over the orchestra and Fleisher's natural, unassuming musicianship. I'm not sure I love this reading, but no American pianist since Fleisher, with the exception of Perahia, has made such accomplished recordings of these two chestnuts.