Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, George Szell, Cleveland Orchestra :: Beethoven: Piano Concertos

Finally! Thanks Sony!

SwissDave | Switzerland | 08/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sound quality definitely is improved in this latest remastering of what to me is an obvious must-own recording, combining one each of my top favourite Beethoven 3rd and 4th Concerto recordings (see my current favourites attached below). In fact I'm wondering if this is the first time on CD that the original master tape and not a production master (at least a first or second generation copy) of No. 4 was used. I still own two sets of the original LPs (one run-down, the other near mint), and this is the first CD remastering to surpass the LP reproducing Fleisher's ever-changing dynamic and tonal shadings - wonderful! The master tape may have minor flaws due to age, storage, whatever (e.g. in the beautifully done first movement cadenza - Beethoven's longer and to my mind more attractive one), but there's rather less hiss, and strings and especially winds sound more realistic. One of those recordings I'd buy again and again, when a better remastering becomes available.



Please dear responsibles at Sony Classical: what about the other three Fleisher/Szell Beethoven Concertos? What about a complete Leon Fleisher anthology since we're at it?



Please!!!



- Beethoven/Fleisher; Szell, CO: Piano Cto. 3 (1961) - Epic/Sony

- Beethoven/Rubinstein; Leinsdorf, BSO: Piano Cto. 3 (1967) - RCA

- Beethoven/Solomon; Menges, LPO: Piano Cto. 3 (1956, cadenza by Clara Schumann) - HMV/Testament

- Beethoven/Schnabel; Sargent, LPO: Piano Cto. 3 (1932) - HMV/Pearl & Naxos

- Beethoven/Gould; Karajan, BPO: Piano Cto. 3 (Berlin 1957) - SFB-RBB/Sony

[Beethoven/Arrau; Klemperer, PO: Piano Cto. 3 (London 1955) - BBC/Testament]

[Beethoven/Arrau; Davis, SD: Piano Cto. 3 (1987) - Philips]

[Beethoven/Solomon; Boult, BBCSO: Piano Cto. 3 (1944, cadenza by Clara Schumann) - HMV/Naxos]

[Beethoven/Michelangeli; Giulini, VSO: Piano Cto. 3 (Vienna 1979) - DG Originals]

[Beethoven/Brendel; Rattle, VPO: Piano Cto. 3 (1998) - Philips]

[Beethoven/Rubinstein; Toscanini, NBCSO: Piano Cto. 3 (New York 1944) - RCA]

[Beethoven/Rubinstein; Krips, SOA: Piano Cto. 3 (1956) - RCA]

[Beethoven/Richter; Sanderling, VSO: Piano Cto. 3 - DG Originals]

[Beethoven/Gilels; Szell, CO: Piano Cto. 3 (1968) - Columbia]

[Beethoven/Pollini; Abbado, BPO: Piano Cto. 3 - DG]

[Beethoven/Zimerman; Bernstein, VPO: Piano Cto. 3 (Vienna 1989) - DG]



- Beethoven/Fleisher; Szell, CO: Piano Cto. 4 (1959, long 1st-movement cadenza) - Epic/Sony

- Beethoven/Gilels; L. Ludwig, PO: Piano Cto. 4 (1957, short 1st-movement cadenza) - Columbia/EMI, Philips GPOC & Testament

- Beethoven/Richter-Haaser; Kertész, PO: Piano Cto. 4 (1960, long 1st-movement cadenza) - Columbia/EMI & Testament

- Beethoven/Moravec; Turnovsky: Piano Cto. 4 (1963, short 1st-movement cadenza) - Connoisseur Society/VAI

- Beethoven/Arrau; Davis, SD: Piano Cto. 4 (1984, long 1st-movement cadenza) - Philips 50

- Beethoven/Solomon; Cluytens, LPO: Piano Cto. 4 (1952, long 1st-movement cadenza) - HMV/Testament

- Beethoven/Schnabel; Sargent, LPO: Piano Cto. 4 (1932, long 1st-movement cadenza) - HMV/Philips, Pearl & Naxos

[Beethoven/Brendel; Rattle, VPO: Piano Cto. 4 (1997, short 1st-movement cadenza) - Philips]

[Beethoven/Moravec; Belohlávek, PP: Piano Cto. 4 (2003, short 1st-movement cadenza) - Supraphon]

[Beethoven/Arrau; Klemperer, PO: Piano Cto. 4 (London 1955, long 1st-movement cadenza) - BBC/Testament]

[Beethoven/Rubinstein; Leinsdorf, BSO: Piano Cto. 4 (1964, long 1st-movement cadenza) - RCA]

[Beethoven/Curzon; Knappertsbusch, VPO: Piano Cto. 4 (1954, long 1st-movement cadenza) & 5 (1957) - Decca Legends]

[Beethoven/Schnabel; Stock, CSO: Piano Cto. 4 & 5 (1942, long 1st-movement cadenza in No. 4) - RCA]

[Beethoven/Rubinstein; Beecham, RPO: Piano Cto. 4 (long 1st-movement cadenza) - RCA]

[Beethoven/Pollini; Böhm, VPO: Piano Cto. 4 (1976, long 1st-movement cadenza) - DG]



Greetings from Switzerland, David."

Stellar - Fleischer vitalizes Beethoven's Piano Concertos

William Schmidt, Ph.D. | San Diego, California | 02/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this more than 40 years ago. Wore the record out.

The 3rd Piano Concerto is as heroic as the 3rd symphony.

I have heard many other artists. But Fleischer has always stood

out as the most awe-inspiring. None match his performance of

the 3rd Piano Concerto. Listen just to the beginning and

you will see I am right. But listen to the showering trills,

too. What joy. I am very grateful to be be able to get in digital

format so many years later."

A crisp, classical style in Beethoven, superbly done

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 08/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Although often touted as an automatic classic, I think one's reaction to the Fleisher/Szell Beethoven cycle depends on how you view Beethoven. For me, the most important adjectives are heroic, revolutionary, romantic, and powerful. In those terms, the approach of Fleisher and Szell isn't a perfect fit. For them, Beethoven is classical, precise, organized, and fast-moving. If you think the same, these are flawless readings, and the new remastering does wonders with the thin, hissy sonics heard on Epic LPs in the early Sixties.



For many pianists, Beethoven the classicist becomes an excuse for cautious underplaying, constantly pulling the music back to the world of Haydn. That's not true here. Fleisher remains powerful and large-scaled almost all the time. He doesn't tiptoe. Yet at the same time, he practices a good deal of restraint. Just listen to the "Daniel in the lion's den" slow movement of the Fourth Concerto, or the finale of the same work. Fleisher plays with delicacy and finesse--a trifle too much of both for me--and reduces rubato to a discreet minimum.



My ideal in the Beethoven concertos is Edwin Fischer, Arthur Schnabel, the young Gilels, and Rudolf Serkin. They all combine romanticism and power with Fleisher's great alertness and superb musicality. In the end, these are five-star performances if you are tuned into them more than I am."