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

[silvestrione]

I remember; based on your excellent observations, I came across the Arte Nova label version - for a couple of Euros! A fascinating composition, that I am grateful to have been made aware of.
Thank you

Apologies for another OT, but I'd like to add my thanks. On the basis of JLW's recommendation, I got and enjoy the Arte Nova version (came from Japan!)

[Barbirollians]

I was taken with the extracts from the Arrau which lurks in his Icon box . Which was going rather cheaply on Amazon ....

[edashtav]

OT, sorry (Enescu means a lot to me), but Ed - a few months ago I looked at the Octet quite extensively here...scroll along for various reviews/comments etc...
http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...t=enescu+octet

I suspect that thread was active when I was experiencing one of my "Switched-off" For3 periods. Anyway, sadly, I missed your cautionary advice, Jayne, but I enjoyed reading the comments it engendered. I hope the Romanian and Danish Governments give you free holidays in return for your staunch support for their greatest composers.

[edashtav]

I was taken with the extracts from the Arrau which lurks in his Icon box . Which was going rather cheaply on Amazon ....

[silvestrione]

Indeed it was. I’ll stick with the ones I gave. I’m thinking about buying the Maurizio Pollini/Claudio Abbado box set with this concerto included.

NK made an error here? He played a Pollini extract claiming it was from a VPO/Abbado version? But the VPO Pollini is with Bohm...I don't know them well enough to say which he actually played, but on the basis of my knowledge of Pollini's versions of the 4th, I'd go for the VPO/Bohm rather than the BPO/Abbado.

[ardcarp]

Quite early on, NK said that Beethoven's Emperor looked forward to a time of 'the struggle of the Romantic Hero to overcome the power of the orchestra'.

Discuss.

[Bryn]

Quite early on, NK said that Beethoven's Emperor looked forward to a time of 'the struggle of the Romantic Hero to overcome the power of the orchestra'.

Discuss.

I thought that was the second movement of the 4th. Orpheus and the Furies, and all that guff.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I thought that was the second movement of the 4th. Orpheus and the Furies, and all that guff.

IIRC NK was flagging the Emperor as a work leading on to the classic Romantic (sorry!) duel between pf and orch, straight from the opening bars. 'And all that guff'? - seems fair to me.

The 4th is surely more of an integrated poetic exploration of Orpheus and the Furies. And all that guff?

[Barbirollians]

IIRC NK was flagging the Emperor as a work leading on to the classic Romantic (sorry!) duel between pf and orch, straight from the opening bars. 'And all that guff'? - seems fair to me.

The 4th is surely more of an integrated poetic exploration of Orpheus and the Furies. And all that guff?

One performance I really did not like was the opening extract of the Michelangeli/Giulini

[MickyD]

"The Early Piano" was delivered this morning. It will make a fine companion for the Binns survey of the sonatas. Many, if not all, of the instruments from the collection used by Binns, are illustrated in the book.

Really pleased you got hold of that copy, Bryn...it's a lovely book, I treasure it.

[LeMartinPecheur]

One performance I really did not like was the opening extract of the Michelangeli/Giulini

IIRC NK was holding it up as a key example of one approach, but didn't think it was recommendable in toto.

I didn't much like it, but sadly I've never 'got' Michelangeli in most repertoire

[Ein Heldenleben]

Quite early on, NK said that Beethoven's Emperor looked forward to a time of 'the struggle of the Romantic Hero to overcome the power of the orchestra'.

Discuss.

I think it's more about the piano deliciously undermining ( "romantically" if you like )the relentless tonic / dominant heroic style of the orchestra ( particularly in the 1st movement ) with forays into chromaticism and wayward tonality - as well as bringing off a contrasting heroic / playful improvisatory style in the final movement on the keyboard . Combining those two elements is exceptionally difficult .

[ardcarp]

Would anyone cast, for instance, Schumann's A minor piano concerto as 'the struggle of the Romantic Hero to overcome the power of the orchestra'?

[cloughie]

Would anyone cast, for instance, Schumann's A minor piano concerto as 'the struggle of the Romantic Hero to overcome the power of the orchestra'?

Not me, I’ll just enjoy lietening to it.

[Barbirollians]

IIRC NK was holding it up as a key example of one approach, but didn't think it was recommendable in toto.

I didn't much like it, but sadly I've never 'got' Michelangeli in most repertoire

I doubt if there has ever been a more variable performer. His Ravel Rachmaninov 4 coupling from the 1950s deserves all its plaudits and BBC Legends issued a live Grieg Piano Concerto that is sensational but much of what he recorded for DG that I have heard I have found glacial especially Debussy and this Beethoven was horrible - Stephen Plaistow in a review once described his playing of another Beethoven concerto as hateful in its approach I think though he seemed less unimpressed by the Emperor recording.