BaL 1.02.14 - Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Building a Library 9.30 a.m.
David Owen Norris makes a personal recommendation from recordings of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor.

Available versions:-

Géza Anda, BPO, Herbert von Karajan
Géza Anda, BPO, Gerge Szell
Leif Ove Andsnes, Bergeb PO, Nmitri Kitayenko
Leif Ove Andsnes, BPO, Mariss Jansons
Claudio Arrau, Philharmonia Orchestra, Alceo Galliera
Claudio Arrau, Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert Menges
Wilhelm Backhaus, Sir John Barbirolli
Idil Biret, Bilkent SO, Antoni Wit
Stephen Bishop, LSO, Sir Colin Davis
Anita Chen, Russian PO, Mnitry Yablonsky
Sa Chen, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Lawrence Foster
Van Cliburn, Moscow PO, Kyrill Kondrashin (DVD)
Van Cliburn, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy
Clifford Curzon, LSO, Anatole Fistoulari (download)
Clifford Curzon, LSO Oivin Fjeldsted
Geoges Cziffra, French National Radio Orchestra, Georges Tzipine
Della Davidovich, Seattle SO, Gerard Schwarz (download)
Love Derwinger, Noorkoping SO, Juni’chi Hirokami
Pascal Devoyon, LPO, Jerzy Maksymiuk
François-René Duchable, Strasbourg PO, Theodor Guschlbauer
Richard Farrell, Hallé Orchestra, George Weldon
Margaret Fingernut, Ulster Orchestra, Vernon Handley
Julia Fischer, Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, Matthias Pintscher (DVD)
Leon Fleischer
Ignaz Friedman, Symphony Orchestra, Philippe Gambert
Walter Gieseking Berlin Deutsches Oper Orchester, Sir Henry Wood
Walter Gieseking BPO, Wilhelm Furtwangler
Walter Gieseking, Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
Emil Gilels, Finnish Radio SO, Paavo Berglund (DVD)
Håvard Gimse, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Bjarte Engeset
Percy Grainger, Rolf Gupta
Percy Grainger, HBO, Leopold Stokowski
Stephen Hough, Bergen PO, Andrew Litton
Josie Iturbi, Bell Telephone Orchestra, Donald Voorhees (DVD)
Jena Jando, Budapest SO, Andras Ligeti
Peter Joblinski, Philharmonia Orchestra, Peter Maag
Julius Katchen, Israel PO, Istvan Kertesz (download)
Cyorien Katsaris, Leipzig Radio Orchestra, Horst Neumann
Evgeny Kissin, BPO, Sir Simon Rattle (Blu-ray/DVD)
Eva Knardahl, RPO, Kjell Ingebretsen
Stephen Kovacevich, LSO, Sir Colin Davis
Miroslav Kultyshev, NDR Radiophilharmonie-Hannover, Eivind Gullberg Jensen
Dinu Lipatti, Philharmonia Orchestra, Alceo Galliera
Nikulai Lugansky, Deitsches SO Berlin, Kent Nagano
Radu Lupu, LSO, André Previn
Amalie Malling, Danish National RSO, Michael Schonwandt
Janne Mertanen, Gävle SO, Hannu Koivula
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, La Scala Milan Orchestra (download)
Benno Moiseiwitsch, Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Ackermann
Eric Morecambe, LSO, André Previn
Yuri Mouraviev, USSR State SO, Karl Eliasberg
Olli Mustonen San Francisco SO, Herbert Blomstedt
Noriko Ogawa, Bergen PO, Ole Krystian Ruud (DVD) & CD versions)
John Ogdon, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Paavo Berglund
Ronan O’Hora, RPO, James Judd
Garrick Ohlsson, ASMF, Sir Neville Marriner
Gulstin Onay, Bilkent SO, Emil Tabakov (DVD)
Antonio Pampa-Baldi, Ohio PO, Domenico Boyagion (download)
Murray Perihia, Bavarian Radio SO, Sir Colin Davis
Roland Pontinen, Bamber SO, Leif Segerstam
Sviatoslav Richter Monte Carlo Opera Orchestra, Lovro von Matacic
Sviatoslav Richter Moscow Sate SO, Kyrill Kondrashin
Santiago Rodriguez, Sofia PO, Emil Tabakov
Arthur Rubinstein, LSO, André Previn (DVD)
Arthur Rubinstein, RCA Victor Orchestra, Alfred Wallenstein
Ilaria Schettini, Compagnia d’Opera Italiano Orchestra, Antonello Gotta
Victor Schiuler, Danish RSO, Erik Tuxen
Howard Shelly, Orchestra of Opera North
Sigurd Slåttebrekk, Oslo PO, Michail Jurowski
Solomon, Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert Menges
Simon Tedeschi, Queensland SO, Richard Bonynge
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Rotterdam PO, Valery Gergiev
Raymond Trouard
Lars Vogt, CBSO, Sir Simon Rattle
Tatyana Zagorovskaya, St Petersburg State SO, Alexander Kantorov
Lilya Zilberstein, Goteborgs SO, Neeme Järvi
Krystian Zimerman, BPO, Herbert von Karajan

[verismissimo]

What a ludicrous task for Prof Norris. Well done, Alpie!

[Petrushka]

Yes, a daunting task for DON. Listening to endless versions of this piece for BaL purposes would be enough to send me crackers so think he deserves a medal for agreeing to undertake it.

The only versions I have are Bishop/Davis and Anda/Karajan and haven't played either for yonks.

[verismissimo]

Yes, a daunting task for DON. Listening to endless versions of this piece for BaL purposes would be enough to send me crackers so think he deserves a medal for agreeing to undertake it.

The only versions I have are Bishop/Davis and Anda/Karajan and haven't played either for yonks.

I'm with you on that Pet. A fine piece that has to be strictly rationed.

My two versions (both on LP) are Lipatti/Galliera and Freire/Kempe (the latter nla?). I would only find room for something new if it had something HIP to say.

[visualnickmos]

Perhaps it has become a bit of a "pot boiler" ergo, underrated; completely without justification. A good white-hot performance or indeed, recording of it is a thing to behold.

I would imagine that the range between the good, the bad and the downright ugly in recordings of this work, must be huge!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Just compiling the list took an age this week, so what must it be like for the reviewer?

[visualnickmos]

Just compiling the list took an age this week, so what must it be like for the reviewer?

As always, you did a great job. I can't even begin to fathom exactly how you do it!

(My money's on Morecambe/Previn )

[gurnemanz]

As always, you did a great job. I can't even begin to fathom exactly how you do it!

(My money's on Morecambe/Previn )

Years ago I used to get the Gramophone Catalogue. Now defunct? Bielefeld lists 155! (excluding Morecambe).

[verismissimo]

As always, you did a great job. I can't even begin to fathom exactly how you do it!

(My money's on Morecambe/Previn )

[LeMartinPecheur]

My money's on Morecambe/Previn

EM's superb balance with the oft-obscured banjo part!

[LeMartinPecheur]

EA: you've listed Bishop/LSO/Davis and Kovacevich/LSO/Davis. Aren't these the same classic 1970s recording?

I thought also that you must be up the creek in listing Julia Fischer: shows how much I know! http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...+fischer+grieg

Can we now look forward to her double-tracked renditions of the complete violin-sonata repertoire? I know Rostropovich recorded as solo cellist and as piano accompanist for his wife, but are there previous examples of a soloist recording concerti on instruments from entirely different 'schools'?

This BaL will do well to sell me a new disc: I have Bishop, Curzon/Fjelstad, Knardahl, Lipatti, Lupu, Moiseiwitsch and Ogdon. These should see me out I reckon...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

EA: you've listed Bishop/LSO/Davis and Kovacevich/LSO/Davis. Aren't these the same classic 1970s recording?

I wondered who would be first to notice. He was Bishop at the time, and i bought the LP.

What about the Morecambe/Previn?

[LeMartinPecheur]

I wondered who would be first to notice. He was Bishop at the time, and i bought the LP.

Fairy nuff, though you could also have included Bishop-Kovacevich

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Fairy nuff, though you could also have included Bishop-Kovacevich

I wish I'd thought of that.

[Richard Tarleton]

Heard Ogdon play it with LSO/Previn in 1972. He was standing in at a few hours notice for an indisposed Gina Bachauer - I reckon we got a pretty good deal. We were sitting near Mia Farrow - John Williams (who played the Rodrigo) came and sat with her to listen to Ogdon. I've never actually got round to owning a recording, happy just to hear it whenever someone plays it.