BaL 26.03.22 - Beethoven: Piano Concerto no 4 in G major

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 a.m.
Joanna MacGregor joins Andrew MacGregor with her personal library recommendation for Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto.

Available versions:-

Daniel Adni, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
Daniel Adni, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer (DVD)
Valéry Afanassie, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Hubert Soudant
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Adilia Alieva, Orchestra Sinfonica di Sanremo, Walter Proost *
Leif Ove Andsnes, Mahler Chamber Orchestra
Nicholas Angelich, Insula Orchestra, Laurence Equilbey
Claudio Arrau, Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Leonard Bernstein *
Claudio Arrau, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SDR, Gary Bertini
Claudio Arrau, Staatskapelle Dresden, Sir Colin Davis
Claudio Arrau, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Christoph von Dohnányi *
Claudio Arrau, Philharmonia Orchestra, Alceo Galliera *
Claudio Arrau, Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer *
Claudio Arrau, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Cleveland Orchestra
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Wiener Philharmoniker, Zubin Mehta
Emanuel Ax, New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert *
Emanuel Ax, Wiener Philharmoniker, Bernard Haitink (DVD/Blu-ray)
Emanuel Ax, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, André Previn *
Emanuel Ax, San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas (SACD)
Gina Bachauer, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Gina Bachauer, London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Doráti
Wilhelm Backhaus, RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester, Karl Böhm
Wilhelm Backhaus, New York Philharmonic, Guido Cantelli
Wilhelm Backhaus, Wiener Philharmoniker, Hans Knappertsbusch
Wilhelm Backhaus, Wiener Philharmoniker, Hans Knappertsbusch (DVD/Blu-ray)
Wilhelm Backhaus, Wiener Philharmoniker, Clemens Krauss *
Wilhelm Backhaus, London Symphony Orchestra, Landon Ronald
Wilhelm Backhaus, Wiener Philharmoniker, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt *
Paul Badura-Skoda, Collegium Aureum, Franz Josef Maier *
Paul Badura-Skoda, Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Hermann Scherchen *
Daniel Barenboim, Berliner Philharmoniker
Daniel Barenboim, Berliner Philharmoniker
Daniel Barenboim, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
Daniel Barenboim, Staatskapelle Berlin
Daniel Barenboim, Staatskapelle Berlin (DVD)
Daniel Barenboim, Wiener Philharmoniker (DVD/Blu-ray)
Inon Barnatan, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Alan Gilbert
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Swedish Chamber Orchestra (SACD)
Giovanni Bellucci, Sinfonie Orchester Biel Solothurn, Kaspar Zehnder
Boris Berezovsky, Swedish Chamber Orchestra Örebro, Thomas Dausgaard *
Kristian Bezuidenhout, Freiburger Barockorchester, Pablo Heras-Casado
John Bingham, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Choo Hoey
Idil Biret, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit
Felicja Blumental , Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Robert Wagner
Edwin York Bowen, Aeolian Orchestra, Stanley Chapple
Frank Braley, National Orchestra of Belgium, Ronald Zollman
Ronald Brautigam, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Parrott (SACD)
Ronald Brautigam, Die Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens (SACD)
Monique de la Bruchollerie, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, André Cluytens *
Alfred Brendel, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Alfred Brendel, Wiener Symphoniker, Zubin Mehta
Alfred Brendel, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, James Levine
Alfred Brendel , Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle
Alfred Brendel, Wiener Symphoniker, Heinz Wallberg *
Yefim Bronfman, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, David Zinman *
Rudolf Buchbinder, Sinfonietta Cracovia
Rudolf Buchbinder, Wiener Philharmoniker
Rudolf Buchbinder, Wiener Philharmoniker (DVD/Blu-ray)
Rudolf Buchbinder, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann *
Robert Casadesus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham
Robert Casadesus, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Eduard van Beinum *
Robert Casadesus, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy
Robert Casadesus, Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester, NDR Sinfonieorchster, Günter Wand
Gianluca Cascioli, Ensemble Resonanz, Riccardo Minasi
Van Cliburn, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner *
Clifford Curzon, Wiener Philharmoniker, Hans Knappertsbusch *
Clifford Curzon, Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik
Clifford Curzon, Staatskapelle Dresden, George Szell *
David Deveau, Borromeo Quartet, Thomas van Dyck
Anton Dikov, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Emil Tabakov *
Barry Douglas, Camerata Ireland
Till Fellner, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Kent Nagano
Edwin Fischer, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, Anatole Fistoulari *
Edwin Fischer, Philharmonia Orchestra *
Edwin Fischer, Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Eugen Jochum
Leon Fleisher, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Otto Klemperer
Leon Fleisher, Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell
Mario Galeani, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Grzegorz Nowak
Walter Gieseking, Saxon State Orchestra, Karl Böhm
Walter Gieseking, RIAS Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati *
Walter Gieseking, Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
Emil Gilels, Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Emil Gilels, Philharmonia Orchestra, Leopold Ludwig
Emil Gilels, Leningrad Symphony Orchestra, Kurt Sanderling
Emil Gilels, Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell
Jayson Gillham, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy *
Jayson Gillham , Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Carter
Richard Goode, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Ivan Fischer *
Stewart Goodyear, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Andrew Constantine
Glenn Gould, New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein
Hélène Grimaud, New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur
Maria Grinberg
Cor de Groot, Wiener Symphoniker Willem van Otterloo
Friedrich Gulda, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Hans Müller-Kray
Friedrich Gulda, Wiener Philharmoniker, Horst Stein
Friedrich Gulda, Vienna Symphony Orchestra,
Youra Guller, Orchestre National de France, Désiré-Emile Inghelbrecht *
François-Frédéric Guy , Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Phillipe Jordan *
Hanspeter Gmu¨r, Suddeutsche Philharmonie *
Nino Gvetadze, Phion Orchestra of Gelderland & Overijssel, Benjamin Levy *
Conrad Hansen, Berliner Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Clara Haskil, Orchestre National de France, Andre Cluytens
Clara Haskil, Rias-Sinfonieorchester, Dean Dixon *
Clara Haskil, Wiener Symphoniker, Herbert von Karajan *
Clara Haskil, Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI, Torini, Mario Rossi
Clara Haskil, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlo Zecchi
Jean-François Heisser and Orchestre de Chambre Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Martin Helmchen, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Andrew Manze
Dame Myra Hess, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult *
Josef Hofmann, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Dimitri Mitropoulos *
Stanley Hoogland, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Frans Brüggen *
Mieczyslaw Horszowski , Casals Festival Orchestra, Alexander Schneider *
Stephen Hough, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu
Jos Van Immerseel, Tafelmusik, Bruno Weil *
Diedre Irons, Christchurch Symphony, Marc Decio Taddei *
Eugene Istomin, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy *
Ingrid Jacoby, Sinfonia Varsovia, Jacek Kaspszyk
Julius Katchen, London Symphony Orchestra, Piero Gamba *
Julius Katchen, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Eugen Jochum
Wilhelm Kempff, Breslau Radio Orchestra, Hermann Abendroth *
Wilhelm Kempff, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul van Kempen
Wilhelm Kempff , Berliner Philharmoniker, Ferdinand Leitner
Evgeny Kissin, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis
Evgeny Kissin, MET Orchestra, James Levine *
Mari Kodama, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Kent Nagano
Stephen Kovacevich, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis (SACD)
Lili Kraus, Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Victor Desarzens *
Anton Kuerti, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Davis *
Anton Kuerti, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Ignat Solzhenitsyn *
Min-Jung Kym, Philharmonia Orchestra, Clemens Schuldt
Lang Lang, Orchestre de Paris, Christoph Eschenbach
Alicia de Larrocha, Radio-Symphony-Orchestra Berlin, Riccardo Chailly *
Dejan Lazic, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Richard Tognetti (SACD)
Robert Levin, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, Sir John Eliot Gardiner
Paul Lewis, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jiri Belohlávek *
John Lill, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Jan Lisiecki, Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Jan Lisiecki, Academy of St Martin in the Fields (DVD/Blu-ray)
Eric Lu, Hallé Orchestra, Edward Gardner
Steven Lubin, Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood *
Jean-Marc Luisada, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Mikko Franck *
Radu Lupu, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta *

continued in post 2

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

…continued:

Nikita Magaloff , Berliner Philharmoniker, Rudolf Kempe
Marian Migdal, Cappella Coloniensis, Ulf Bjorlin *
Hannes Minnaar, Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Jan Willem de Vriend
Ivan Moravec, Prague Philharmonia, Jirí Belohlávek
Ivan Moravec, Vienna Musikverein Orchestra, Martin Turnovsky
Olli Mustonen, Tapiola Sinfonietta (SACD)
Branka Musulin, MDR Sinfonieorchester, Hermann Abendroth *
Branka Musulin, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Karl Böhm *
Elly Ney
Guiomar Novaes, Wiener Symphoniker, Otto Klemperer *
Guiomar Novaes, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, George Szell
John O’Conor, London Symphony Orchestra, Andreas Delfs
Gerhard Oppitz, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Marek Janowski *
Jorge Federico Osorio, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Jan Panenka, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Václav Smetácek
Murray Perahia, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Murray Perahia, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner (DVD/Blu-ray)
Joshua Pierce, Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Bystrik Rezucha *
Maria João Pires, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding
Mikhail Pletnev , Russian National Orchestra, Christian Gansch *
Maurizio Pollini, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Maurizio Pollini, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado (DVD)
Maurizio Pollini, Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
Kalle Randalu, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi *
Hans Richter-Haaser, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Erich Bergel
Hans Richter-Haaser, Philharmonia Orchestra, Istvan Kertesz *
Robert Riefling, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Karsten Andersen
John Robilette, New Symphony Orchestra of Sofia, Rossen Milanov *
Eliane Rodrigues, St Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra, Walter Proost *
Peter Rösel, Berliner Symphoniker, Claus Peter Flor *
Carol Rosenberger, London Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz
Arthur Rubinstein, London Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim (SACD)
Arthur Rubinstein, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham
Arthur Rubinstein , Symphony of the Air, Josef Krips *
Arthur Rubinstein, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf *
Arthur Rubinstein, New York Philharmonic, Dimitri Mitropoulos
Arthur Rubinstein, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Alfred Wallenstein
Esteban Sanchez, City of Barcelona Orchestra, Antoni Ros Marbà *
Pietro Scarpini, RAI Roma, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Philipp Scheucher, Webern Kammerphilharmonie, Vladimir Kiradjiev *
Andras Schiff, Staatskapelle Dresden, Bernard Haitink
Ragna Schirmer, Staatskapelle Halle, Ariane Matiakh
Peter Schmalfuss, Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra Pilsen, Jiri Malát *
Artur Schnabel, Philharmonia Orchestra, Issay Dobrowen
Artur Schnabel, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Malcolm Sargent
Artur Schnabel, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Frederick Stock
Oliver Schnyder, Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, James Gaffigan
Arthur Schoonderwoerd, Cristofori Ensemble
Peter Serkin, The Former Harvard Chamber Orchestra, Leon Kirchner *
Rudolf Serkin, Napoli Alessandro Scarlatti Orchestra, Franco Caracciolo
Rudolf Serkin, Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik
Rudolf Serkin, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy *
Rudolf Serkin, NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini *
Vladimir Shakin, New Classical Orchestra, St. Petersburg, Alexander Titov *Lahav Shani, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
Howard Shelley, Opera North Orchestra
Russell Sherman, Monadnock Music Festival Orchestra, James Bolle *
Svilen Simeonov, Sofia Sinfonietta, Per Enflo *
Solomon, Philharmonia Orchestra, André Cluytens
Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia *
Elizabeth Sombart, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Pierre Vallet
Stefan Stroissnig, Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, Heinrich Schiff
Yevgeny Sudbin, Minnesota Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä (SACD)
Shoko Sugitani, Berliner Symphoniker, Gerard Oskamp *
Norie Takahashi, Kölner Kammerorchester, Helmut Müller-Brühl *
Melvyn Tan, London Classical Players, Sir Roger Norrington *
Kiyoko Tanaka, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Hiroyuki Iwaki *
Fou Ts’ong, Polish Chamber Orchestra, Jerzy Swoboda
Mitsuko Uchida, Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle (SACD)
Mitsuko Uchida, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Kurt Sanderling
Mitsuko Uchida, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Kurt Sanderling *
Dénes Várjon, Concerto Budapest, András Keller *
Dinorah Varsi,
Stefan Vladar, Capella Istropolitana, Barry Wordsworth
Stefan Vladar, Wiener KammerOrchester
Lars Vogt, Northern Sinfonia
Galina Vracheva, Kiev Chamber Orchestra, Roman Kofman *
Gottlieb Wallisch, Orchester Wiener Akademie, Martin Haselböck
Amadeus Webersinke, Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, Franz Konwitschny
Elisabeth Westenholz, Collegium Musicum, Copenhagen, Michael Schønwandt
Roger Woodward, Queensland Theatre Orchestra, Georg Tintner *
Maria Yudina, Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Kurt Sanderling
Christian Zacharias, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne (DVD)
Christian Zacharias, Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk *
Krystian Zimerman, Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein
Krystian Zimerman, Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein (DVD)
Krystian Zimerman, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle

(* = download only)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Please note that the list of recordings is extremely long, straddling two posts.

[Lordgeous]

Good luck Joanna!

[pastoralguy]

Wow! Bravo, Sir!

I wonder how many versions Ms. MacGregor will sample. My favourite has always been my first recording which was John Lill with Sir Alexander Gibson conducting the (R)SNO on CfP. Just about wore it out back in 1977.

(Come to think of it, didn’t he record a cycle with Walter Weller and the CBSO?)

[Wolfram]

Wow! Bravo, Sir!

I wonder how many versions Ms. MacGregor will sample. My favourite has always been my first recording which was John Lill with Sir Alexander Gibson conducting the (R)SNO on CfP. Just about wore it out back in 1977.

(Come to think of it, didn’t he record a cycle with Walter Weller and the CBSO?)

He certainly recorded the 5th with CBSO and Walter Weller on Chandos - I have that recording. I don't know about the others though. Playing that's unflashly and totally honest - that's John Lill.

[pastoralguy]

He certainly recorded the 5th with CBSO and Walter Weller on Chandos - I have that recording. I don't know about the others though. Playing that's unflashly and totally honest - that's John Lill.

I knew about the recording of the 5th so I looked up Discogs and, yes, they did record the whole cycle.

[Bryn]

The PB-S with Collegium Aureum was my first 'HIPP' recording of this work. On LP it had an extra track with an alternative first movement cadenza. Unfortunately, that was omitted from its CD release where it was paired with the Triple Concerto. It helped awaken my interest in historically informed performance practice, though I now understand that it was an early attempt in this area and has since been superseded where musicological research is concerned. It was, as it were, a bridge between HUPP and HIPP. I still much enjoy it for what it is. Ms McGregor has an unenviable task. I'm just glad to have many, many fine recordings of the work from a variety of performing traditions. The three Brautigan recordings I have (Hazlewood (BBC television broadast), Parrott (using Barry Cooper's edition of Beethoven's revisions) and Willens are current favourites.

[gradus]

The great John Lill, I do hope someone funds a new Beethoven sonata cycle from him, it is many years since his complete cycle was recorded and it would be wonderful to hear his interpretations at this stage of his life.

[Bryn]

The great John Lill, I do hope someone funds a new Beethoven sonata cycle from him, it is many years since his complete cycle was recorded and it would be wonderful to hear his interpretations at this stage of his life.

Of course, it helped that he had Rosemary Brown to intercede with Beethoven for him. It certainly seemed to hit the spot.

[Darloboy]

Last covered by BaL in September 1992 when David Fanning chose Pollini/Böhm with Fleisher/Szell & Brendel/Wallberg as budget Second Choices. And "if you must have period instruments": Tan/Norrington.

Prior to that, Bryce Morrison covered this concerto in October 1980. The Youtube post of that programme suggests that Ashkenazy/Mehta was first choice on that occasion but the recording of the programme itself is incomplete.

[Barbirollians]

How interesting ? Only two weeks ago I asked BAL why no Beethoven PC apart from the Emperor had been on a BAL for 30 years or so when , Bach Double , Concerto for Orchestra and Serenade for Horn etc were back after 10 years or so .

A depressing choice of reviewer - a rather iconoclastic pianist . I have a few favourites Perahia/Haitink, Gilels/Ludwig , Kovacevich/Davis, Gulda/Stein, Grimaud/Masur and Barenboim/Klemperer being at the top of my personal tree.

[cloughie]

I knew about the recording of the 5th so I looked up Discogs and, yes, they did record the whole cycle.

Available as a download from Chandos from £14.99 for mp3 or £19.99 for FLAC includes Bagatelles and originally on 3CDs!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Prior to that, Bryce Morrison covered this concerto in October 1980. The Youtube post of that programme suggests that Ashkenazy/Mehta was first choice on that occasion but the recording of the programme itself is incomplete.

I’m fairly certain that the Ashkenazy/Mehta was later than 1980, but I may be wrong.

[cloughie]

I’m fairly certain that the Ashkenazy/Mehta was later than 1980, but I may be wrong.

Ashkenazy/CSO/Solti 1972
Ashkenazy/IPO/Mehta 1983
Ashkenazy/Cleveland O 1987