Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, Otto Klemperer :: Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4; Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2

Wonderful pianist and recording

Stephen Doonan | Portales, NM United States | 03/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recently bought an old vinyl LP that featured Guiomar Novaes on piano, and although a very scratchy record, I was very impressed.



I play piano myself and had never heard of Guiomar Novaes, so I did some research and found that this pianist was a woman, and a person whose fame was overshadowed and almost extinguished by her male counterparts. But thanks to her recordings, Guiomar Novaes lives. She was a brilliant pianist. Her recordings sound timeless and lively, sensitive and insightful.



This particular recording pairs the Beethoven Piano Concerto 4 with Chopin's Piano Concerto 2. Both are performed with great technical precision but more importantly with an artist's special insight into the music. Her Beethoven #4 is currently my favorite recording of this work although I enjoy hearing various interpretations.



The recording, although mono, is splendid, but it is Guiomar Novaes's great pianism and artist's sensitivity that makes this old recording sparkle as though fresh and new, surprising and moving. Highly recommended."