Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Allegro con brio
2. Largo
3. Rondo, Allegro scherzando
4. Bagatelle No. 1 in G major, Andante con moto cantabile e compiacevole
5. Bagatelle No. 2 in G minor, Allegro
6. Bagatelle No. 3 in E flat major, Andante cantabile e grazioso
7. Bagatelle No. 4 in B minor, Presto
8. Bagatelle No. 5 in G major, Quasi Allegretto
9. Bagatelle No. 6 in E flat major, Presto - Andante amabile e con moto

Disc 2:

1. Allegro con brio
2. Largo
3. Rondo, Allegro
4. Allegro moderato
5. Andante con moto
6. Rondo, Vivace

Disc 3:

1. Allegro
2. Adagio un poco moto
3. Rondo, Allegro
4. Allegro con brio
5. Adagio
6. Rondo, Molto allegro

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9247 in Music
• Released on: 1997-06-24
• Number of discs: 3
• Format: Box set

Amazon.com
Each of these performances has its own profile. The orchestra plays incisively in the First Concerto, but Ashkenazy's plush lyricism doesn't make a good match either with the orchestra or with the music, and he makes one weird ritard in the first movement. The Second Concerto is uneventful, rather bland and pleasant. The Third Concerto seems to be the best performance of the lot, with dramatic playing by soloist and orchestra, but it's sabotaged by blurry recorded sound, the only serious problem with sound quality in the entire set. The Fourth Concerto is enlivened, at least intellectually, by Solti's approach, constantly revealing interesting unfamiliar details in the orchestral score. Ashkenazy's detachment makes this a frosty but fascinating experience. The "Emperor" is a good routine performance, nothing special. The Bagatelles aren't much of a bonus, since they're rather dully played. (Why not the "Choral" Fantasy?) There's nothing actively bad about this set, and it's reasonably priced. But Beethoven deserves better, and gets it from many performers, including the fascinating Uchida-Sanderling collaborations. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews

Unsurpassed after a quarter century
This recording is not only the best set of the Beethoven Piano Concertos I know of, but also represents the peak performances in the history of Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony. For some reason, after the mid-70s, Solti increasingly emphasized power at the expense of musicality, and the sound of the orchestra became more strident and astringent.

But these performances, having all the power and excitement of the later Chicago Symphony recordings, also have warmth, love, and sweetness. Ashkenazy too was at his peak in these recordings. His later cycle, in Cleveland, lacks the bite and depth of involvement that you can find here.

If you want a capsule summary of the performance philosophy of these performances, it is easy to describe: they are unapologetically romantic. In my opinion, the Third and Fourth concertos are particularly fine. Both Ashkenazy and Solti find exactly the right combination of power and beauty in both works, and the quality of the performances is further emphasized by the gorgeous sound.

And speaking of sound, those who believe that a recording has to be DDD in order to have state-of-the-art sound need to listen to these recordings. The subsequent digital recordings of these works that I have heard are all comparatively cold and clinical.

I consider it unfortunate that in the last 25 years music has been more of an intellectual or historical exercise than an emotional experience or an appreciation of beauty. But back in the 70s when this was recorded, Solti and Ashkenazy had not been infected by those negative trends.

Looking at the individual concertos, I have a slight preference for Richter's recording of the First and the Serkin/Bernstein recording of the "Emperor" (Fifth). But if you want a complete set of outstanding performances of all five Beethoven concertos, I don't think there is another set that comes close to these.

Ashkenazy at his best?
As an admirer of these works I have listened to them in many versions. This set is highly recommendable and goes with Kempff/Leitner or Barenboim/Klemperer. No.1,2 and 5 are all well performed but the stars are 3 and 4. I guess that this recording of the 4th is the best I have ever heard (I must say though that I find the transfer to CD not as good as I would like it (I have it on LP)). In all the recordings of the Beethoven concertos I have heard I can always find something that I'd like better the other way but this recording of the 4th is an exception; in my mind it's flawless in every way.

A solid set, the 4th stands out
I agree with the other reviewer who stated the slow movement of the Fourth Piano Concerto is well worth the price of the whole set. In fact, the last note of the slow movement of the Fourth is worth the price of the set! The Chicago Symphony Orchestra brings a wonderfully full sound that brings out the very best in Beethoven. Ashkenazy does great justice to these concertos.