Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Sinfonia Varsovia, Sir Yehudi Menuhin :: Beethoven: Piano Concertos no 2 & 6 / Menuhin, Duchable

Interesting, but not convincing

Niall | Dublin, Ireland | 03/02/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Firstly I must say that Beethoven's Violin Concerto is one of my all time favourites. His piano concertos too are a constant wonder to me. So you can imagine my joy at finding a 6th piano concerto by Beethoven, and a transcription of the violin concerto at that. I couldn't resist and as that wonderful quiet opening began, I clapped myself on the back and settled down for an enjoyable hour or so. But it just didn't ring true. I have listened again and again hoping, but the ravishing beauty of the violin concerto just wasn't repeated. I suspect that what was written so miraculously for one instrument cannot be merely switched to another, and the subsequent neglect of this work has been to some extent justified (that any work of Beethoven's should be neglected though!). Nevertheless Duchable and Menuhin must take a large portion of the blame; there is little inspiration here . The playing, though competent, rarely catches fire and the account of the 2nd piano concerto is no more memorable (and no one can complain of a lack of inspiration in the composition of that masterpiece). If you are buying this disc for the 2nd concerto, go elsewhere (Backhaus maybe?). If you want to hear the "6th", well this is an opportunity, but not a persuasive one. It's interesting and even pleasant, but Beethoven should never really be described in terms of the "pleasant"; "miraculous" or "inspiring" but not "pleasant". I look forward to hearing an alternative version in the hope of hearing a new masterpiece I didn't hear this time."