BaL 9.02.19 - Beethoven: Piano Concerto no 5 in E flat "Emperor"

[Mal]

The Fleisher/Szell, is that a Mercury recording, RFG?

I found the following release in a charity shop:

https://www.discogs.com/Beethoven-Le...elease/5781159.

Thought it was excellent, released 1989, so it might have been remastered since then, but it sounded "good enough" to me.

[Barbirollians]

I don’t know how I missed out Fleisher/Szell from my favourites earlier in the thread. Their whole cycle is terrific.

[Barbirollians]

The Ashkenazy-Solti didn’t do much for me. I think it’s the weakest of the set. It probably would have been satisfying in the Hall but compared to the ferocious competition it doesn’t cut it. It’s very deliberate and tentative without much of sparkle. There doesn’t seem to be much give and take; it made me wonder if the parts were recorded separately. Of course the standard of playing is still quite high, and on Blu Ray it’s very detailed, but compared to my long time favorite Fleisher/Szell, it really pales.
I’m listening to the end of Perahia-Haitink now. I don’t know why people have been trashing it here. My only quibble is that the momentum flags a small bit in the finale. Still a real contender.
Another dark horse that I have enjoyed is the Rubinstein \Krips mentioned in the headnote. It’s part of a Living Stereo, Volume II box. Rubinstein takes a few odd retards, otherwise this is Hall of Fame material

When Perahia was interviewed when it came out he was recorded as thinking that the finale may have been too fast . It is a long time since I last played it but I just remember being a bit disappointed - after the 3 and 4 in particular which are just wonderful.

[cloughie]

CBS. My favourite 'modern instrument' recording (although LF was probably playing a New York Steinway made in the 1930s-1940s!)

Available at a reasonable price on Amazon c/w Stern Rose Istomin PhO Ormandy Triple Concerto.

[Bryn]

Today, I took delivery of the Jonathan Del Mar edited Bärenreiter Urtext edition study scores for the Beethoven Keyboard Concertos. It is gratifying to find that the Alla breve time signature is restored to the Adagio un poco moto. However, in the same delivery came the 3 CD + Blu-ray set of the Ashkenazy/CSO/Solti recordings of the concertos. In the booklet notes for those, Burnett James tellingly refers to the second movement of the 5th as simply the Adagio, without the "un poco moto". Ashkenazy and Solti, of course, play the movement in just such terms, taking 8'21" (beautifully played as it is).

[Maclintick]

Today, I took delivery of the Jonathan Del Mar edited Bärenreiter Urtext edition study scores for the Beethoven Keyboard Concertos. It is gratifying to find that the Alla breve time signature is restored to the Adagio un poco moto.

Many thanks for this, Bryn. I thought, listening to the extracts played in NK's BAL, esp. Perahia & Lupu, that their slow tempi, though beautifully articulated, Chopin-ified this movt, turning what should sound as simply melodious and flowing into an over-romanticised adagio formaggio.I often get the same impression with the slow movt of LVB's 9th, that performers are tempted to wring extra meaning from music which is actually very simple, & best played in an unaffected fashion.

[richardfinegold]

Qobuz was officially launched in the States yesterday. Is “the winner” available? When I enter the Soloist name, I get a blank, but they do have a disclaimer that all their albums are not yet available

[jayne lee wilson]

Qobuz was officially launched in the States yesterday. Is “the winner” available? When I enter the Soloist name, I get a blank, but they do have a disclaimer that all their albums are not yet available

Searching "de Vriend Beethoven" I found these....

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/beethoven-piano-concertos-4-5-hannes-minnaar/0889176549366

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/search?q=de+vriend+beethoven&i=boutique

[richardfinegold]

Searching "de Vriend Beethoven" I found these....

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/beethoven-piano-concertos-4-5-hannes-minnaar/0889176549366

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/search?q...ven&i=boutique

Interestingly (?), when I click those links I get sent back to the Qobuz signup page, with a message telling me that it hasn’t come to the States yet. That happened yesterday, but I was able to sign up and start listening via the Qobuz tab on the Bluesound app, which is not loaded on the PC that I am currently using. Does Qobuz always list Concerto recordings by the Conductor, or is it haphazard?

[Barbirollians]

The big Warner Arrau box has arrived . I shall give the Emperor a spin later though I note that RO in Gramophone preferred Arrau's 1980s account largely because of the much better conducting of Colin Davis.

[richardfinegold]

Who is the Conductor in the Warner set?

The big Warner Arrau box has arrived . I shall give the Emperor a spin later though I note that RO in Gramophone preferred Arrau's 1980s account largely because of the much better conducting of Colin Davis.

[Barbirollians]

Alceo Galleira

[vinteuil]

The big Warner Arrau box has arrived . I shall give the Emperor a spin later though I note that RO in Gramophone preferred Arrau's 1980s account largely because of the much better conducting of Colin Davis.

... in the Arrau Icon box, the Beethoven is with Galliera.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004HF0PEU

.

[Barbirollians]

This was an odd BAL - the winner sounded rather ordinary in the extracts played with some pianism that rather drew attention to itself not the music to my ears .

One would never have known until a very passing late reference to Uchida’s apparently new account that any woman had ever played the piece ( which was embarrassing ) indeed Uchida’s account with Sanderling is very fine. Well worth listening to and watching Annie Fischer on You Tube too.

Any BAL of this work that fails to mention Solomon/Menges definitely deserves a black mark.

Glad to see Kovacevich/Davis take high order but I knew I was going to be sceptical when Klemperer’s gloriously heroic account of the opening was declared heavy handed .

I found that the winner Minnaar recording is on Amazon music and have listened to it on Sonos this morning.

Lots of lovely playing but too many agogic hesitations for my liking that would become annoying on repeated hearing and some over enthusiastic timpani in the first movement.