BaL 6.05.17 - Prokofiev: Piano Concerto no. 3

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
Building a Library: Marina Frolova-Walker recommends a version of Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, one of the most engaging examples of Prokofiev’s trademark combination of edgy brilliance and unabashed lyricism. Prokofiev was not only the soloist at its 1921 Chicago premiere but also the first to record it (in 1932) and it has since become his most popular concerto, recorded by some of the greatest pianists of this and the last century.


Available recordings:


Behzod Abduraimov, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Juarj Valcuha
Leif Ove Andsnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Ole Kristian Ruud
Martha Argerich, Berlin Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado
Martha Argerich, Orchestra Della Svizzera Italiana, Charles Dutoit
Martha Argerich, Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra, Carl Melles
Martha Argerich, London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn (DVD)
Nareh Arghamanyan, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Alain Altinoglu
Vladimir Ashkenazy, London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn
Dickran Atamian, Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz
Abdel Rahman El Bacha, The Monnaie Symphony Orchestra, Kazushi Ono
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, BBC Philharmonic, Gianandrea Noseda
Michel Beroff, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Kurt Masur
Yefim Bronfman, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta
John Browning, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf
Van Cliburn, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Walter Hendl
Nikolai Demidenko, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Alexander Lazarev
Samson Francois, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Ancerl
Alexander Gavrylyuk, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Gary Graffman, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Enrique Jorda (download)
Gary Graffman, The Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell
Horacio Gutierrez, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Neeme Järvi
Michael Houstoun, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Janos Furst (download)
Byron Janis, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kyril Kondrashin
Byron Janis (DVD/Blu-ray)
William Kapell, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati
William Kapell, Phillharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski (download)
Yakov Kasman, Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Emmanuel Leducq-Barome (download)
Julius Katchen, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
Julius Katchen, London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész
Freddy Kempf, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Litton
Jon Kimura-Parker, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Andre Previn
Evgeny Kissin, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Evgeny Kissin, Philharmonia Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Mari Kodama, Philharmonia Orchestra, Kent Nagano
Vladimir Krainev, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt, Dmitri Kitaenko
Vladimir Krainev, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Dmitri Kitayenko
Lang Lang, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle (CD/DVD/Blu-ray)
Nikolai Lugansky, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Kent Nagano
Israela Margarlit, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Oleg Marshev, South Jutland Symphony Orchestra, Niklas Willen
Denis Matsuev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Olli Mustonen, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu
Kun Woo Paik, Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Rico Saccani (download)
Kun Woo Paik, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit
Jon Kimura Parker, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Andre Previn
Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovich
Maurizio Pollini, Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma della Rai, Massimo Pradella
Viktoria Postnikova, USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (download)
Sergei Prokofiev, London Symphonic Orchestra, Piero Coppola
Eliane Rodrigues, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Serov
Muza Rubackyte, Lithuanian National Chamber Orchestra, Modestas Pitrenas
Ayano Shimada, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Janos Furst
Alexander Toradze, Kirov Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev
Yuja Wang, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado (DVD/Blu-ray)
Alexis Weissenberg, Orchestre de Paris, Seiji Ozawa
Roger Woodward, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Edo de Waart

[pastoralguy]

This is a work that is very dear to my heart. I remember seeing Matthew Argerich play it on 'Andre Previn's Music Night' in 1977. I'm not sure if that broadcast was a repeat or a first airing. It was preceded by Prokofiev's 'Lieutenant Kije' Suite. In Previn's introduction, he remarked that the work was 'terribly difficult to play! And here to play it is one of the worlds great virtuoso's, Martha Argerich'.

What fourteen year old boy could resist this stunning woman playing this exotic music?! I recorded the programme by dangling my father's microphone in front of the tv's speaker and capturing it on cassette. It probably sounded terrible but I played that tape over and over. The performance was released a couple of years ago on DVD minus Previn's spoken introduction. Just wonderful.

I was delighted to discover that Argerich had recorded it with Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic and so used Birthday money to buy the Lp. To hear the concerto in good sound revealed much detail that the tv/cassette had not registered so it was like discovering the piece over again.

Of course, I've heard many other recordings but it's always the Argerich I use as my benchmark.

[aeolium]

Thanks for this list, EA. I'm surprised to see no recording by Daniel Trifonov who played this work at the Proms a couple of years back or by John Lill who I have seen play Prokofiev very impressively in recital. It'll be good to hear the composer's interpretation. I like the version recorded by Ashkenazy and Previn/LSO as part of a complete set, still available very cheaply.

[BBMmk2]

I have Ashkenazy/Previn, Argerich/Abbado & Argerich/Dutoit. Should be rather good this.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I have only one recording: Israela Margarlit/New Philharmonia Orchestra/Lorin Maazel - a perky performance, marred by horrendous Decca Phase 4 sound.

[mikealdren]

Amongst others, I have the Terence Judd/Lazarev recording (available as a download from Chandos I think) and Kissin with Chistyakov which is possibly NLA.

[Barbirollians]

Argerich/Abbado for me - though I have a lot of time for the Freddy Kempf recording.

[LeMartinPecheur]

My first LP purchase c.1973 was Katchen/ Kertesz, later supplemented by Prokofiev/ Coppola on World Record Club. The CD shelves add the Beroff/ Masur complete set, Argerich/ Dutoit, Argerich/ Abbado, Kapell/ Dorati and a very left-field one, Barry Douglas with the European Community Youth Orch apparently without conductor, live c.1988.

A random charity-shop purchase, CD issued by something called The Digital Classics Collection/ Digital Equipment Corporation. I think they sponsored the orchestra: I have a similar disc of the Symphonie fantastique under James Judd, 1990, bought at the same time.

[gurnemanz]

Masur/Beroff was my LP choice years ago but I never got it on Cd and haven't played it for ages. I'm very happy with Previn/Ashkenazy on a good value concerto threefer. The composer's own performance is well worth hearing - first recording of the work in 1932. It's on the Composers in Person box.

[Petrushka]

Argerich/BPO/Abbado for me. A classic recording if ever there was one.

[rauschwerk]

By the time I came across an enthusiastic review in Gramophone, Janis/Kondrashin was nla in the UK but quite by chance I came across a copy in Lugano in 1965. That LP remained a treasured item in my collection for many years. The recording is one of Mercury's finest and still stands up well. Ashkenazy was in the audience for the performance which preceded this recording and said he had never heard this concerto played so brilliantly.

When I want the finest modern sound I turn to Gutierrez.

[rauschwerk]

As for Ashkenazy, I admire his playing enormously in general, and Previn is always a top notch accompanist. However, on acquiring his set I found him less gripping than Gavrilov in No. 1, Browning in No. 2 and Janis in No. 3. Not caring for the other concertos, I got rid of that box.

[Maclintick]

Argerich/BPO/Abbado for me. A classic recording if ever there was one.

Perfection. Classic DG mid-sixties stereo still sounds excellent 50 years on.

[Pulcinella]

I wonder if this forthcoming issue will get a mention?
Trpceski/RLPO/Petrenko
Should be good!

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Onyx/ONYX4140

(Argerich, Ashkenazy, Beroff, Kun Woo Paik, and Weissenberg here.)

[seabright]

I'm perfectly content with the three versions I already have: Margalit / Maazel / NPO in Phase-4 Stereo ("unfailingly vivid" - 'Penguin Guide') on Decca; Kapell / Stokowski / New York PO from 1949 (on Music & Arts CD-990); and Bolet / Cox / Nuremberg Symphony (not a great orchestra, I fear) on Genesis.