Search - Beethoven, Serkin, Bernstein :: Piano Concerto 3 / Choral Fantasy

Spectacular Recording

Thomas C Mills | Denver, CO United States | 05/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Both recordings are classics, suberbly interpretted and recorded. The Westminster Choir is particularly sharp as they perform the choral fantasy, incidentally Sony released this on its Prince Charles series and charges more for the same recording. I listen to this recording regularly."

Serkin and Beethovan - wonderful combo

handerso | Hutchinson, Minnesota USA | 10/20/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love this CD. Beethovan is my favorite classical composer and Serkin plays his piano compositions with power and real joy! The mixture on all the pieces in this recording is a delight to hear, and I love the way the melodies repeat themselves with the orchestra, the piano, and in the Choral Fantasy, the choir. It may be less than one hour, but it is the quality not quantity that I appreciate!"

Serkin, Bernstein, And The Miracle Of Beethoven

Erik North | San Gabriel, CA USA | 12/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the many reasons that Beethoven's music, like that of illustrious predecessors such as Mozart and Haydn, has remained timeless is the fact that so many of them were created by a man who was steadily going deaf (a process that became total by the time he reached his Ninth Symphony), and who also had contemplated suicide on occasion. His works are thus miraculous in nature.



And here on this recording of his Piano Concerto No. 3 (composed in 1803) and the Choral Fantasy (composed in 1808), the miracle is interpreted in exquisite fashion by the great pianist Rudolf Serkin, along with Leonard Bernstein and the great New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Serkin skillfully manages to weave his way through the often-turbulent tapestry of the concerto (in Beethoven's favorite key of C Minor), with Bernstein and the N.Y. Phil in fine form. The moody parallels with Mozart's 24th Piano Concerto, which is also in this same key, are readily apparent.



Equally stunning is Serkin's interpretation of the Choral Fantasy, a work that begins as a stunning virtuosic piece for solo piano, then takes on the feel of a concerto, and then a cantata for piano, orchestra, and chorus. Often ignored in the past, the work really took off as a result of Serkin's recording here. The very presence of a chorus (in this case, the Westminster Choir) and the choral text's similarity in melody to the "Ode To Joy" of the Ninth Symphony make this piece a fascinating experiment, and not only as a dry run for that ground-breaking work to come.



Though these works were recorded, respectively, in 1964 and 1962, they still sound as fresh as the day they were made, thanks to CBS's remastering personnel. And last but not least, kudos should go out to Serkin, Bernstein, and company for having made one of the great Beethoven orchestral recordings of the past half century. Essential listening for music lovers in general, and Beethoven completists in particular."