Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Eugen Jochum, Claudio Abbado :: Beethoven: Klavierkonzert No. 1

A top-notch No. 1 Concerto; less enticing Choral Fantasy and

Abel | Hong Kong | 05/14/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I wish this Galleria edition had only included Beethoven's No. 1 Concerto and the Choral Fantasy.

As it is, it is a mixed bag - the two choral pieces aren't Beethoven's popular stuff, and to a certain extent, even the Choral Fantasy.

Even so, the CD would probably have worth its price for the No. 1 Concerto for Piano alone, conducted by Eugen Jochum with Pollini at the Piano.

In this No. 1 Concerto, Jochum is NOT lessor than Karl Boehm in the latter's legendary collaboration with Pollini in Beethoven's Nos. 3,4 and 5 concerti .

Then of course, Pollini's interpretation is 'just right' (and this is by no means an easy fait). Many people hold exception to his 'just right' approach, as one can read in the reviews here on Amazon on Pollini's pianism.

Certainly, they have forgotten the motto of 'there being no mean joy of being in the mean'. Pollini is the rare breed of pianists who maintains the 'mean' aspect in his performances with an unique balance. The result is one of utmost beauty. Nor is he a 'cold' pianist. Just listen to the fully nuanced and jubilant playing in the first and third movements, in which vigor and elan abound. This No. 1 Concerto is among the best heard on disc, and one would wonder what Boehm would have made out with Pollini had he lived to record this piece with him.

As for the vocal pieces that are 'fillers', I consider the Choral Fantasy not to be on par with the No. 1 Concerto.

The dynamics are more extreme, and the effect is one of robbing of expressions of many notations that are in the text. The result is a rather bland overall reading."