Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Piano Concerto No. 1 in D flat major, Op. 10: 1. Allegro brioso
2. Piano Concerto No. 1 in D flat major, Op. 10: 2. Andante assai
3. Piano Concerto No. 1 in D flat major, Op. 10: 3. Allegro scherzando
4. Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16: 1. Andantino - Allegretto
5. Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16: 2. Scherzo. Vivace
6. Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16: 3. Intermezzo. Allegro moderato
7. Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16: 4. Finale. Allegro tempestuoso
8. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26: 1. Andante - Allegro
9. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26: 2. Th�me et variations
10. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26: 3. Allegro ma non troppo

Disc 2:

1. Piano Concerto No. 4 in B flat major (for the left hand), Op. 53: 1. Vivace
2. Piano Concerto No. 4 in B flat major (for the left hand), Op. 53: 2. Andante
3. Piano Concerto No. 4 in B flat major (for the left hand), Op. 53: 3. Moderato
4. Piano Concerto No. 4 in B flat major (for the left hand), Op. 53: 4. Vivace
5. Piano Concerto No. 5 in G major, Op. 55: 1. Allegro con brio
6. Piano Concerto No. 5 in G major, Op. 55: 2. Moderato ben accentuato
7. Piano Concerto No. 5 in G major, Op. 55: 3. Toccata. Allegro con fuoco
8. Piano Concerto No. 5 in G major, Op. 55: 4. Larghetto
9. Piano Concerto No. 5 in G major, Op. 55: 5. Vivo
10. Overture on Hebrew Themes, for clarinet, string quartet & piano, Op. 34
11. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 1. Lentamente
12. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 2. Andante
13. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 3. Allegretto
14. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 4. Animato
15. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 5. Molto giocoso
16. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 6. Con eleganza
17. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 7. Pittoresco
18. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 8. Commodo
19. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 9. Allegretto tranquillo
20. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 10. Ridicolosamente
21. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 11. Con vivacita
22. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 12. Assai moderato
23. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 13. Allegretto
24. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 14. Feroce
25. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 15. Inquieto
26. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 16. Dolente
27. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 17. Poetico
28. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 18. Con una dolce lentezza
29. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 19. Presto agitatissimo e molto accentuato
30. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: 20. Lento irrealmente

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48127 in Music
• Released on: 1992-09-29
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .35 pounds

Customer Reviews

awesome and terrifying
This CD is another example of good price, comprehensiveness, and outstanding quality combining to make a powerhouse recording. I cannot overstate how dazzling Beroff's performance is. To hear pianistic technique at its pinnacle, just listen to the cadenza of the Second Concerto's opening movement--it'll take your breath away (you'll swear that it cannot be played by just a single player--examining the score will compound the disbelief). Beroff's swift hammering, mastery of dynamics, and perfect grasp of both Prokofiev's wit and rage, will have you coming back to this CD set for years. Concerto No. 3, by the way, is the best performance I've heard besides that given by Martha Argerich. With expert performance by Maestro Masur and the Gewandhaus Orchestra, these five neoclassical works have rarely received such musical justice. The second CD also features Prokofiev's delightful ethnographic chamber piece, "Overture on Hebrew Themes," as well as his solo piano work, "Fugitive Visions" (not quite as notable as, say, his late sonatas). I consider this CD set one of the best in my collection, and I recommend it without any reservations.

Sheesh
I'm reading the reviews here because I just adore this recording and wonder why it's so rarely the recommended choice in CD guides, etc... Maybe there are individual moments in other recordings that surpass individual moments here, but as a whole I don't think any of the other sets are nearly as effective.

But anyway - the review below really annoyed me so I just wanted to weigh in: Beroff's is a really lovely rendition of the Visions Fugitives, and the "ppp" in question (that prompted my fellow reviewer to impress us all with his lordly inability to tolerate philistinism by hurling his CDs into the trash like the filth they are) - ahem - the "ppp" in question applies WITHOUT ANY DOUBT only to the inner voice - I don't know what edition Mr. Landkamer has, but the two that I just looked at both make special effort to place the "ppp" on the page in a way that communicates this. It also bears mentioning that this "ppp" does not appear in the first edition at all.

In conclusion: this set is an amazing deal and, regardless of what people say about Ashkenazy or Argerich or Richter or whomever else, is utterly satisfying. It's one of the few recordings of Prokofiev I've heard where the performance is GENUINELY CONVINCED of the idea that this music is utterly coherent and human. Even supposedly "sensitive" Prokofiev performances often underestimate the fluidity of his musical expression and decide to let things seem thorny and chaotic rather than doing the work necessary to clarify the enigmatic elements. Beroff and Masur are so in tune with the spirit of Prokofiev's screwball jokes and whimsically meandering emotions that you feel you're hearing the piece direct from the composer. Very rare thing, that. There are no more and no fewer fireworks in these performances than Prokofiev put in the score - which is plenty! - and I don't know about you but that's how I like my classical recordings.

Piano could stand out a little more
I agree with other reviewers this is a very good recording, of very difficult works. But it is especially good for the orchestral part. I am not saying Beroff is not a good pianist dont get me wrong. I am just saying there is better.
For the piano (and those are PIANO concertos my friends :) I have to say that I like the Ashkenazy/Previn recording better especially for #2 and #3 The piano sounds much clearer and less hesitating. The opening of 4th movement of #2 for example is 100 times better as played by Ashkenazy. Those chords are so much more precisely dropped. The orchestra though in many passages is more overwhelming (as it should be in this piece) in the Beroff/Masur recording.
If you want the complete set. Get both this recording and the Ashkenazy/Previn. They complement one another really well.
Now if you want the best recording of #3. You want to get the Argerich/Abbado recording. It ROCKS its is way above any other. Better rythmic precision , better phrasing, faster tempo. It is just amazing.