Customer Reviews

Prokofiev: The Five Piano Concertos

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When I bought this recording, the only Prokofiev piano concerto that I was familiar with was number 3, a warhorse that had become too familiar to retain my interest. I wanted to explore the other piano concertos of Prokofiev. I wasn't disappointed. The first piano concerto, a youthful effort, is delightful. But the real gem in this set is the second. This work fits squarely within the Rachmaninoff tradition, and just like the Rachmaninoff 3 has an incredibly difficult cadenza as the centerpiece of the first movement. I went to the music library to look at the score and couldn't believe the millions of notes. The remarkable thing is that Ashkenazy not only hits all the notes but brings out the melancholy magic in this music. On the other hand, concertos 4 and 5 seem lightweight by comparison, but maybe these works will grow on me as time goes on. All in all, three awesome masterpieces out of five is a good percentage.

I have this recording of all five Prokofiev concertos. The rapport between soloist and conductor is first rate. The fact that Andre Previn is an excellent pianist helps mould a great understanding and the fact that both soloist and conductor got on so well helps so much.
Vladimir Ashkenazy played all the concertos very brilliantly.He doesn't overcook the interpretation and it sounds better for it.His recording of the second concerto is amazing. Remember he used that with his New York debut in the fifties with Bernstein. I find this collection to be such an achievement. I thoroughly recommend this CD.

It is not surprising that Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto is widely played, as it provides much excitement for pianist and audience. One of the ultimate Sphinx-like riddles, though, is why the 2nd Piano Concerto does not enjoy similar success. A few lucky people realize the greatness of this Everest of piano concertos. Luckily, music is always being re-discovered, whether it is Bach, Vivaldi, swing jazz, or disco. Hopefully the Internet can speed this process, because more people should get caught up in the whirlwind music of Prokofiev. Almost all of Prokofiev's music for the piano is alternately clever and bombastic. You might accumulate all of Prokofiev's piano music and wonder where to find some similar music. You won't find it. Sergei was a true original and any attempts at imitation would be futile. Luckily, you can come back to much of Prokofiev's music again and again, finding something new every time.

There are relatively few complete sets of Prokofiev's Piano Concertos, and Ashkenazy plays them as well as anybody. Later, you may want to supplement this set with individual works by Argerich or Richter. Rest assured that you don't want to miss out on this set, especially with 2 CDs for the price of one.

This 2 CD set was a favorite of mine since 1990, however after listening to the Guiterrez and Berman recording on the Chandos label, I am going to retire this recording.

The best concertos recorded here are the 1ST and 3RD. They are more lyrical and romantic sounding than the versions on the Chandos set, and so they are fun to listen to as an alternate interpretation. Ashkenazy's lyrical style and Previn's slower tempo does not work at all for the remaining concerti however (2,4,5). In fact, I did not care for concertos 2,4 & 5 (and thought it was the music I didn't care for.) until I heard the Chandos recording.

By any standard this is very good Prokofiev playing. Ashkenazy strikes me as one of the most Westernized of Russian pianists, and his approach here, seconded by Previn's conducting, avoids rawness and astringency in favor of combined lyricism and strength. Perhaps because Decca's sound is so natural, the piano remains limpid and sparkling throughout--don't expect volcanos and thunder a la Argerich and Richter.

The only real shortcoming is that these works can use a lot of what Ashkenazy leaves out: bite, wit, irony, and brash attack. Concerto #2 is a specialty of this pianist and comes off beautifully--its lyricism suits him. Concerto #1 seems too middle-of-the-road, which can also be said of the left-hand concerto #4, but the most familiar work, Concerto #3, is authoritative and strong throughout. Previn seems more alert in this work, too.

I should mention that although Ashkenazy's approach is much less wild than Argerich and Richter, the Gramophone described these recordings as overflowing with 'panache, swagger and firebrand audacity.' I guess it all depends on where you're coming from.

This is an amazing set of this crazy music. The recordings are a bit more lukewarm than mechanical and harsh, but they please me so much. I like his playing of the first the most, but all five are certainly worthy!

This version is really spectacular. Obviously the best known concertos are No 1 and 3. All of them suggest an aura of strangeness and beauty just at the beginning of a century (1900) which is perceived plenty of contradictions and hope though (no matter if after all, finally resulted in one of the more violent centuries out of the human history). Keep in mind that these concerts where ambiented during the pre (or in fact) revolutionary times of former Soviet Union. Vladimir Ashkenazy performs intense, fresh and decisive staccatos, attaccos and ostinatos with dynamic development of the themes not allowing any mannerism or the boring relents of other excessive romantic versions of these concerts (which is not usual in this concerts, that, instead demand the energy and the conciousness that the piano is, the most of the times, another percussion instrument) . The repetition of themes is performed so excellently that you can catch each one with their own personalities and singularities. The development of the themes flows easily and smoothly. Conduction by Andre Previn is simply superb. A perfect mutual synchronism can be appreciated between conductor and soloist even though is not possible to see the moment when these concerts where recorded. The percussion is brilliant and pretty well marked. It is very interesting to appreciate how, in the 3rd concert (First movement), the conversation between piano and orchestra is excellently fashioned. As an example of this, the orchestra convincing the piano to come in initiates the main theme, then it decides to do it with the opportune attacco, and finally later on, the crescendo of the main theme is leaded, now, by the piano instead of by the orchestra. This suggests that the piano is finally convinced of the theme and likes it, reinforcing it with more intensity until reaching the finale. Really it is amazing how this perfect coordination and attainment of this sensation can be carried out. I like usually to listen these concerts together with their counterparts: Violin Concertos No. 1 and 2; it is really a unique experience. The rest of the concertos are excellent too with the same comments of the mentioned, the difference is that the ones more performed in Concert Halls are the first and the third.

I bought this as an after thought (it was listed under the "Customers who bought this also bought . . ." section) while buying Prokofiev's "Classical" symphony (which I also highly recommend). I laid it aside for awhile and forgot about it for several weeks after it arrived, but I left it in my CD changer. One day, as I sat doing my homework, one of my other CD's ended and I was greeted by a powerful pulsing chord on the strings, which immediately caused me to sit up and take notice. This was my introduction to Prokofiev's First Piano Concerto. All five are incredible works, although the First and Second, in my opinion, carry the most weight. They are light hearted and fun, in full modern style, the one exception being the Second, which is intense beyond belief and makes you wonder how it fits with all the others. The Fourth and Fifth are especially quirky (the Fourth is written only for the left hand), but a pleasure to listen too. All in all I couldn't believe what a deal I'd gotten, getting all five of these magnificent works in one set. Ashkenazy does a fabulous job bringing out the feeling and power behind these works, and, when appropriate, the playfulness. Don't miss out!

Ashkenazy showes here that his Prokofiev is second to none. The 1st and 3rd are well performed. But the greatest is the 2nd. Ashkenazy once said that this was the hardest piece that he has ever played! I guess many people buy this set because of 1st and 3rd but I bought it manily because of the 2nd. Don't miss it.

All I wish to say is that I bought this recording only because the NPR guide recommended it for the third concerto. I have thoroughly enjoyed all five. The concerto for the left hand is a gem. That is all I wish to say.