Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Zubin Mehta, Clemens Krauss :: Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor"; Choral Fantasy, Op. 80

The greatest recording ever of the Choral Fantasy

C. Cantello | Whiting, VT United States | 07/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Friedrich Wuhrer was the greatest performing musician who ever recorded, and this recording was typical for him. His style was the same as a pianist (such as here), a violinist, or a conductor: Olympian, magisterial grandeur, calmly riveting, transfixed, mystical with a steady tempo that hypnotizes the listener. He was unfailingly graceful, but also maximally passionate, with a very big piano sound. His interpretation of the Choral Fantasy emphasized this work's calm grandeur, not visceral passion. (If you're seeking visceral passion in this work, I'd suggest you try the Richter-Haaser/Bohm recording instead.)



No performance ever recorded of this work matches this one for grandeur. If, after hearing it, you'd like to hear the best performances that the greatest performer ever recorded, track down Wuhrer as pianist playing the Brahms 1st Piano Concerto, or Wuhrer as conductor and violin soloist in Vivaldi's the Four Seasons, both of which were LP's and haven't yet been issued on CD."