Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Murray Perahia :: Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4

Perahia's Masterful Beethoven

drdolores | 08/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One is lost for words when faced with music making of this calibre. Perahia's perfect sense of phrasing, his poetry, his wondrous control of tone production, his powerful sense of drama and his lyricism, never resorting to bombast or histrionics, make this without a doubt one of the great recorded couplings of these two works. And Haitink's broad, contemplative readings, while never lacking thrust or impetus, show us both sides of Beethoven's character; not just the virtuosic showman, but also Beethoven the philosopher and poet. A fine example of this is in the 4th's central movement. Nowhere else has Liszt's description of this elusive music, 'Orpheus taming the Furies' seemed more apt then here; the breathtaking purity and transluscent milkiness of Perahia's perfectly shaped lines gradually embue the grave and tragic utterances of the orchestra to leniancy.This is a must. Among the greatest Beethoven recordings of the last 20 years."

I actually like these performances!

08/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Apparently Perahia's crystalline Beethoven is not to everyone's taste. If you're looking for rugged Beethoven, you would do better to look elsewhere. What I find impressive about these Perahia interpretations, however, is their classical restraint, taking the form of carefully molded phrasing, which comes across to some as aloofness. This restraint is necessary in preserving Perahia's crystalline purity of tone. NOBODY can match Perahia in the evenness and leggiero touch of his scales in the Third Concerto, for example. The legendary performances of the past are irreplaceable but these are uniquely special too! As for the sound, there is a definite preference for a concert hall perspective here: the mikes are placed at a reasonable distance in a reverberant acoustic, which INCREASES dynamic range by properly conveying pianissimos in contrast to the tutti moments. Perhaps others prefer close-up recording balances but I like how these recordings convey sonic details in realistic perspective."

Refreshing Variations from Perahia, Concertgebouw

David M. Garrett | San Antonio, Texas USA | 03/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is with good reason that the 2005 Gramophone Guide to Classical CDs lists this among their most praised versions of Beethoven Concertos 3 and 4. Indeed Perahia's entire Beethoven concerto cycle ranks with Kempff as among the best avaialble. (I personally recommend Perahia or Rubinstein for Concertos 1, 2 and 4; Kempff for 1-4; Serkin for 3 and 5; Richter for 5.) The lighter, chamber quality of the Haitink's Concertgebouw offers a nice variation from the standard, more heavy orchestral execution of these pieces. This gives both pieces the more intiment feeling of a recital than a concert hall. Perahia's interpretations are deft and appealing. This is an excellent recording. Perahia perhaps shines most in the Fourth, where power is effectively balanced with appropriate delicacy. While always technically proficient, Perahia's performance does not eschew the emotional investment we've come to expect from his Mozart, Richter's Prokofiev, or Rubinstein's Chopin."