I have recently been obsessively listening to Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto; I’ve had it for years, but for some reason, it’s really getting me now, especially the 2nd movement (adagio), which brings me to the verge of tears. The first movement is almost as good, but the third movement is always a bit of a letdown, as it just doesn’t flow together nearly as well, and it has parts that feel quite unnecessary. I can’t stop listening; I must have heard the whole thing 15+ times in the last week, and the first two movements 25+ times.
I have the Alfred Brendel version with the Vienna Philharmonic; are there any other recordings that I should feed my addiction with?
I still prefer Ashkenazy with Solti and the Chicago Symphony. I had Ashkenazy later with the Concertgebow, but that one drags just a hair.
The key to the third movement is get a nice, rollicking performance of it, that works the subtleties of the variations of the theme in the middle of the movement. It’s also a bitch to play. :eek:
THIS! I came in here to say this and am so happy to see I was beat to the punch by so many. For my money, the 3rd is even better. The orchestral ritornellos are just OUT OF THIS world good. The opening rhythm (bar 3) of the 3rd concerto is executed perfectly- sternly, precisely, yet so human- as only Szell could. Fleisher is plenty good and up to the task, but I suppose you could find other more glamorous, sparkly 'Emperor’s out there.
Szell is quite cerebral and not for everyone, it seems. But he always manages to cut to the bone using the minimum of resources, or the maximum of ‘cool’. He never gets carried away, and fidelity to the score is paramount.
I’ve always loved the Wilhelm Kempff recording on Deutsch Gramaphon, though I wouldn’t kick anybody listed above off the stereo in a hurry.
]Hijack[ Deutsche Gramaphon has just released a classical anthology called 111 Years of DG. It is about 750 tracks which was selling for $10. CAD yesterday. I have lots of these pieces already, but I couldn’t pass up a bargain like that![hijack]
Which one? There’s one with Ferdinand Leitner conducting, and one with Van Kempen conducting, and I see both are on DG. I’ve read both praised as the better one, although I haven’t heard either, other than snippets.
While the 3rd Concerto is good, it is no where near the classical masterpiece that is the Emperor. It does not have the majesty of the 5th’s opening bars, it does not have the sweetness of the 5th’s Adagio, especially the ending with the lovely piano octave playing over the top of it, and it does not have the surprise of the 5th’s third movement opening, or the classically rollicking rondo to finish off with.
The 5th Piano Concerto is a closure of an art form, and at the same time, the exploration of the beginnings of a new approach to concerti. It bridges the classical concerto with the romantic concerto. Its opening is the harbinger of the great 19th century concerti like the Grieg and the Tchaikovsky, which have such grand solo instrument dominated openings before the introduction of the true first theme. But it also follows all the requirements of a classical concerto. It is masterful.
It’s the one with Ferdinand Leitner conducting Berlin Phil. I’ve never heard the other, though I’m now intrigued. The Kempff/Leitner version is on that DG anthology that I mentioned, BTW - that was what brought all that to mind.
Thanks for all the great suggestions; I look forward to listening to them as soon as I’m able.
I managed to hear the Abbado - Pollini version of No. 5, and I was very impressed with its treatment of the 2nd movement. More expressive crescendos and a much better touch on the series of long trills in the middle, which is generally my least favorite part of the movement (at least on the Brendel version). Can’t wait to try the others, if I ever get the chance…
The performance that towers over all other performances and the only one worth listening to is that played by Edwin Fischer and Wilhelm Furtwängler in 1951with the Phiharmonia Orchestra in London. It’s sublime, it’s exquisite and it takes you to unknown heights, where time and space don’t exist.
I’ll certainly give it a listen, but I think it is ridiculous to say that any one recording of a piece in the standard repertoire is the only one worth listening to.