Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra :: Beethoven: Concerto Nos. 4 & 5

One of Reiner's last recordings

kreisleriana16 | Minneapolis, MN USA | 05/28/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There is a bit of irony in the Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto with Reiner, Cliburn and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. At the time of the recording Reiner's health was poor. Word had it that "the old man" - as some of the locals called him - had to be all but helped up to the podium. Oddly enough, over 20 years before that Frederick Stock recorded the Beethoven 4th with Artur Schnabel. That would also be his final recording with Chicago. Both the Stock and Reiner recordings are well done. (I have all ready reviewed the Schnabel recordings which remain today as standards of both the 4th and 5th concertos). Reiner, despite his health problems, still had the ability to make this a good performance. Somehow the chemistry between Reiner and Cliburn resulted in above board performances of the works they collaborated on. The Chicago Symphony was still at its peak during this period and produced some of its best ever recordings. The balance between soloist and orchestra is well done as is the overall sound. While neither performance can be placed in rank with a Schnabel, Brendel or Fleisher they should be most satisfying to the listener. RCA also manages to bring out the excellent ensemble balance that the orchestra had during that period with its wind and brass sections. Those who admired (or still admire) Reiner or Cliburn will not be disapointed with either performance. The recordings that Fritz Reiner made with the Chicago Symphony shall always remain as important musical contributions and - in some ways - definitive performances."

A Pair of Magnificent Performances

John Parker Marmaro | Spring Hill, Florida | 01/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The disparaging review below notwithstanding, Van Cliburn shows in these recordings what a magnificent pianist he was. Indeed: in my estimation, the performance of the G Major concerto is the finest committed to recording, and I have heard scores of them. And the "Emperor" is also on the short list of the best two or three recorded renderings. If the Leon Fleischer/George Szell recording wins the laurels in the "Emperor" category, this version gives it a run for its money. The recording quality is classic RCA, rich and reverberant, rather than the edgy-though-brilliant Columbia style of the Fleischer/Szell performance. How one can belittle Cliburn's playing is beyond me. It must be a personal distaste... and indeed, one can love or NOT love a pianist's style... but that still should not blind one to their ability. I find Kovacevich a little sedate for my tastes; Uchida, always a little too slow in the tempi; but I acknowledge their stature as great pianists. This "Emperor" is big-boned, full-bodied, and powerful; yet never stodgy or pompous. The ravishing slow movement has never been more moving nor more beautiful. The contrasts in the first movement between the kaleidoscopic mood-shifts are expertly negotiated. And the humor is not missed, either: the engaging duet between the piano and timpani in the coda of the finale is wonderful.

But it is the Fourth Concerto, the G Major, that is the gem on this disc. Cliburn's playing is flawless: of the highest caliber of virtuosity yet without a hint of meretriciousness. And Reiner's and the Chicago's orchestral playing is a worthy pairing. From the opening piano section, played with an utter and limpid simplicity, through the hushed orchestral entrance which builds to that remarkable climax, where Beethoven, achieving the seemingly impossible, turns a root-position tonic chord into a dissonance-- and throughout, the dialog between piano and orchestra is a marvel of quiet elation. The rendering of the slow movement is somewhat controversial: instead of extremely short, staccato phrases in the low strings, as has become the performance tradition, Reiner holds the unison strings a heartbeat longer, still in concord with the written score, but instead of making the strings seem nervous or twitchy, they sound heavy and menacing, and every bit as brusque as the "standard" way of playing them; it makes the entreaties of the piano that much more poignant, and the final capitulation of the unison strings that much more amazing; when near the end the strings play their "anger" motif three times, pianissimo, almost reflectively, before melting at last into almost painfully moving chords, it is a miracle, and no other recording captures Beethoven's inspiration better. After a movement of such intensity, the entrance of the rondo finale is perfectly modulated, and the high spirits seem to have a depth they would not have had without the immediate prior experience of the slow movement. Again, Reiner and Cliburn are perfect. There is a quality, despite the largeness of the Chicago orchestra, of chamber music about the performance. And Cliburn's pianism is like a perfectly cut, flawless diamond, crisp, shining, yet having fire within. Either performance on this disc is well worth seeking out, even if you already have half a dozen versions of either concerto. To have both on one disc is a gift, a bargain of the first water, and one should not hesitate. Listen to them without distractions, with the volume turned up, and give them your full attention: you will have an artistic experience of uncommon depth and exhiliration."

My favorite Beethoven pianist.

Petrinapearls | 12/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not a music expert, just a Beethoven fan. I can't make all kinds of clever comments about technique, etc. I can only judge what I like by the way the music makes me feel, and the way Van Cliburn plays the 4th and 5th is exciting and downright sexy!"