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

[Barbirollians]

This seems an almost wilfully perverse choice for a BaL. How do they come up with them? So many more interesting options....

[BBMmk2]

This seems an almost wilfully perverse choice for a BaL. How do they come up with them? So many more interesting options....

With one BaL, the reviewer only talked about recordings in the last twenty years. I’m not too sure which one it was but most certainly very recently. Perhaps this be a good case for similar treatment?

[gurnemanz]

With one BaL, the reviewer only talked about recordings in the last twenty years. I’m not too sure which one it was but most certainly very recently. Perhaps this be a good case for similar treatment?

I don't own so many recordings and note that they are all well over 20 years old. Eg Solomon, Brendel/Haitink, Gulda - all 70s or earlier. Limiting it to recent recordings would suit me - I might even follow the recommendation if it takes my fancy - HIPP maybe.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I started off in the 70s, as did so many, with Kempff/ Leitner. Since then I've added Solomon, Curzon/ Knappertsbusch, Gelber/ Leitner, Horowitz/ Reiner, Serkin/ Ozawa, Levin/ Gardiner. and most recently Gould/ Stoko (Charity shops have a lot to answer for)

Would probably still reach first for the Kempff, now on a CD.

[Stanfordian]

I started off in the 70s, as did so many, with Kempff/ Leitner. Since then I've added Solomon, Curzon/ Knappertsbusch, Gelber/ Leitner, Horowitz/ Reiner, Serkin/ Ozawa, Levin/ Gardiner. and most recently Gould/ Stoko (Charity shops have a lot to answer for)

Would probably still reach first for the Kempff, now on a CD.

Over the years I have amassed some 20+ recordings of the 'Emperor' Concerto and I'm sad to say I still can't settle on one particular recording.

Kempff would be one of my first choices too.

I'm not usually a fan of period pianos in Beethoven.

[Mal]

With one BaL, the reviewer only talked about recordings in the last twenty years. I’m not too sure which one it was but most certainly very recently. Perhaps this be a good case for similar treatment?

It was the Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto no. 2 programme that limited itself to the last twenty years. I don't think there's ever a good case for this. It's like having a programme every week where some expert chooses the "best ever" novel from their country but the Russian decides to choose from the last twenty years. Just pick the best!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

It isn't quite accurate to say that MF-W "only talked about recordings [from] the last twenty years"; several earlier recordings were discussed and illustrated (including the composer's own recording, so "mush earlier") - but, in the last ten minutes or so of the programme she chose to limit her final choices to recordings from the last twenty years.

[Tony Halstead]

HIPP recordings seem fewer than I'd imagined:

Brautigam/Parrott
Glemser/Weil (?)
Immerseel/Lamon
Immerseel/Weil
Levin/Gardiner
Schoenderwoerd
Tan/Norrington
Others?

Recommendations please!

Anthony Newman, Philomusica Antiqua London, Stephen Simon. The orchestra is/was one of the well known London HIPP bands from the mid-1980s, using a different name for contractual reasons.

[Bryn]

Anthony Newman, Philomusica Antiqua London, Stephen Simon. The orchestra is/was one of the well known London HIPP bands from the mid-1980s, using a different name for contractual reasons.

I'd forgotten about that one. I found their 3rd Concert on a market stall a couple of decades ago. More recently I got the other 4 as downloads. I must dig out the 5th and listen again. Just found the 5th on Amazon:



The other concertos may be there too, as separate discs.

[gradus]

This BAL seems like a waste of time given the vast number of recordings. If it must be done I think it better to talk about the work in a Performances on Record-type programme that allows much more time and doesn't focus on a recommended version.

[Barbirollians]

This BAL seems like a waste of time given the vast number of recordings. If it must be done I think it better to talk about the work in a Performances on Record-type programme that allows much more time and doesn't focus on a recommended version.

BAL however is not directed at long term classical music listeners but at people building a library hence it is good that central repertoire is covered.

[Bryn]

A recording which seems to have escaped listing is that with Richard Meyrick, and the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Balasz Kocsar on the Castle label. No chance of it being among the front-runners, but . . .

[BBMmk2]

One idea I have is do this in four programmes. The last programme, you whittled it down to four recordings, and the reviewer does a more in depth review.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

One idea I have is do this in four programmes. The last programme, you whittled it down to four recordings, and the reviewer dies a more in depth review.

I really hope not.

[cloughie]

BAL however is not directed at long term classical music listeners but at people building a library hence it is good that central repertoire is covered.

It may be directed to people building a library but in 2019 how many of those are there? My guess is that most listeners are old fogeys like us.