Prokofiev Ravel Seiji Ozawa - Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 2 Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major (7 tracks) +Album Reviews

Yundi Li, Prokofiev 2, Ravel g minor P Ctos: Fiery, Polished

Dan Fee | Berkeley, CA USA | 12/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This disc caught my eye, for one attractive reason, and provoked anticipatory reservations at the same time.

Having just added Yundi Li's prior concerto album to my shelves, I was happily surprised to find he had released another concerto recording, soon upon the heels of that first success. Catching sight of conductor Seiji Ozawa as leader, I paused a bit. I have never been a fan of his complete Prokofiev symphonies with the Berlin PO, and although I do like some of Ozawa's releases, I find him disappointing at times. He often seems content to skate on the beautiful surfaces of the music, resisting deeper involvements and deeper insights. His mastery sounds too slick to my ears in some past recordings, so I wasn't going to anticipate too much under him even with Yundi Li at the keyboard.

Suffice it to say that this release is worth having, but maybe not the undisputed top-notch Great Recording of the Century that the marketing departments might have been casting in their business mix.

For one thing, the Prokofiev competition is pretty strong. The second piano concerto has already been seriously well-served by Ashkenazy, Demidenko, Kun Woo Paik, Horacio Gutierrez, Toradze, Igor Ardasev, Viktor Krainev, Michel Beroff, and John Browning. On the conducting side, Ozawa has to compete with the likes of Neeme Jarvi, Previn, Masur, Antoni Wit, Lazarev, Dimitri Kitaenko, the superstar Gergiev, Erich Leinsdorf, and the brilliant but unknown Leos Svarosky.

Any of these alternative recordings will do just fine, probably. So it is high marks for Yundi Li to fit in so well with this challenging field of pre-existing musical excellence. He places the second Prokofiev, deftly, smack dab in the early twentieth century's post-wars modernity, right in the continuum with Bartok and Ravel and Stravinsky. Unlike Ozawa's work with Berlin in the complete symphonies set, the conductor at least doesn't work against Yundi Li and the orchestra this time out, which is saying something in this case, considering the sappy failure of the symphonies set.

Audience applause at the end of the Prokofiev put me on alert that this performance was recorded live, and that, in retrospect, raises its class marks. I still could do without live audience applause in most instances.

Then we get to the Ravel g minor concerto. Here Yundi Li does everything just right. Ozawa is just a tad less apt than his younger self, leading a French band to accompany Alexis Weissenberg in a stunning g minor outing. The real gem of this Ravel is the middle movement, a devilish tightrope act to get just right. Tempo, touch, and Olympian simplicities are needed, recalling Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, and guess what? Yundi Li compels in this middle movement. By the frisky, jazz-inflected third, all the players are hi jinks acrobats wearing Gene Kelly top hat and tails.

As the Ravel ends, no audience applause, thank goodness. Neither of these recordings is going to brashly supplant the available alternatives, but Yundi Li is good enough to fit in with the best of the available past artistic and musical company. And that is saying quite a lot, actually. Recommended, as a first recording, or an umpteenth of this repertoire."

Yundi Li Demonstrates His Familiarity with Prokofiev and Rav

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 02/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fans of Chinese pianist Yundi Li - of which I am one - ought to rejoice after hearing his newest Deutsche Grammophon recording, which has him tackle Prokofiev's fiendishly difficult 2nd Piano Concerto with Ravel's jazzy Piano Concerto in G major alongside conductor Seiji Ozawa and the Berliner Philiharmoniker. A recipe for artistic disaster you might ask? Perhaps if Li was less than the truly capable artist that he has demonstrated already in his critically acclaimed Deutsche Grammophon recordings, especially of Chopin and Liszt. If nothing else, Li demonstrates that he has much technical as well as artistic sensibility in both pieces, especially the Prokofiev, since it demands a lot from the soloist in its difficult cadenzas in the first and fourth movements. Indeed, in the liner notes, Li observes how much is required of him in playing these cadenzas, noting especially that "the whole fourth movement is impassioned and aggressive and is incredibly difficult with its wide leaps" (The concerto is organized as follows: Andantino - Scherzo (Vivace) - Intermezzo (Allegro moderato) - Finale (Allegro tempestoso).). Artistically, Li finds himself in more familiar terrain in his exquisitely tranquil interpretation of the Ravel Piano Concerto in G major, allowing his Romantic sensibilities to emerge in his performance of the second movement (This concerto is organized as follows: Allegramente - Adagio assai - Presto.). In the liner notes Li praises conductor Ozawa for acting as a most thoughtful, sympathetic mentor and acknowledges the Berliner Philharmoniker as the world's finest symphony orchestra (Of course the orchestra under Ozawa's direction performs impeccably in both pieces.).

Without question, this new recording from Yundi Li is an important milestone in his artistic career. It demonstrates that he is indeed a serious artist, whose repertoire is not only firmly entrenched in the Romantic tradition emphasized by Chopin's and Liszt's works for the piano. On a more personal note, I had the pleasure of meeting him after his Carnegie Hall solo recital debut. He struck me as a most gracious, and quite humble, person; admirable traits that I have since heard in radio interviews and read in print as well. Admittedly, this may be another reason why I have a lot more respect for him artistically, than I have for another well-regarded young Chinese pianist, who will remain nameless. Fans of Yundi Li's artistry and those seeking fine recordings of the Prokofiev and Ravel piano concertos shouldn't hesitate in buying this superb Deutsche Grammophon CD.

"

Yundi is as appealing as ever, but there's not much genuine

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 11/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Yundi Li, like his compatriot Lang Lang, was born outside Western musical traditions, and even with amazing technical gifts, he is faced with assimilating the various styles of German, French, and Russian style. So far, Yundi has been most successful in Chopin and Liszt, the former becasue Chopin provides a wide latitude of intimate personal expression, the latter becasue Liszt demands virtuosity first and style second.

On this new CD the stylistic is mixed. Yundi's way with the Prokofiev Second is Lisztian -- he gives us overwhelming technical displays first and foremost. Frankly, there's a lot of pounding here, but Prokofiev championed a percussive, not to say Machine-Age style of pianism. Where Yundi is all locomotion, Ozawa's conducting is rhythmically soft. It's not a mismatch, fortunately, and thanks to DG's ultra-detaile piano sound and the Berliners' effortless virtuosity, the end result is about as flashy a Prokofiev Second as one could wish for.

The Ravel G major has become a showpiece for Argerich, Aimard, and Thibaudet, all keyboard dazzlers, and Yundi fits right in. There used to be a true Gallic style of wit, dry sophisticaiton, and boulevard smartness that this concerto fits perfectly. You won't hear those qualities in Ozawa's straight-laced orchestral accompaniment, which is perfectly executed yet devoid of any particular style at all. The pianist is equally divorced from the music's Parisian origins, but nobody could complain about the dazzle factor here.

In all, I don't think this CD marks any advance in Yundi's musicianship, but he's in very good form. That's satisfying enough for an absorbing listen. The fact that the total timing is about 52 min. seems a shame. Yundi could have given us any number of fillers from Prokofiev's Visions fugitives or Ravel's solo keyboard works."

Fools rush in....

Giordano Bruno | Wherever I am, I am. | 05/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...to review performances of piano concertos by "young sensations"! Wow, piano aficionados are almost as passionate in praise and denunciation as film critics. Read the previous reviews of this performance if you care to understand my anxiety about venturing an opinion based on my anachronistic taste.

The three piano concertos by Serge Prokofiev are marvels of bravura. I wrote my PhD thesis in history while listening to various recordings of #1 and #3 played again and again, until the vinyl grooves began to crackle. That was a long time ago, and I didn't have a recording of #2. If I'd had this #2 energizer, I'm sure my thesis would have been published and become a best seller, and I wouldn't feel the urge to write reviews for amazon gratis.

There are people who listen to music without much emotional involvement, hearing only the musical ideas, and they are not all mere idiot savants such as described by Oliver Sacks in his book Musicophilia. That may be how I listen to this disk. I'm told that Prokofiev's music is full of dark forebodings and socio-political angst, but that's not what I hear. I hear thrilling musical athleticism and, in this case, youthful confidence in powers of chromatic orienteering. Yundi Li seems to hear Prokofiev rather similarly, with the result that his interpretation seems beautifully congruent with the music itself. Seiji Ozawa follows Li's lead intuitively, the Berliners play crisply, and that's all to the good. The Ravel concerto is full of its own laid-back charms. Reviewers seem to hear echoes of "jazz" in it, but to my pre-modern ears it sounds more founded in pre-Wagnerian "enjoyment" than in 20th C expressionism - a picnic on the musical lawn, as it were. Yundi Li, once again, plays it as I hear it.

Prokofiev's #2 is an eccentric piece, perhaps almost an "unfinished" piece in terms of the odd imbalance between the movements, the first and fourth so massive, the second almost a gymnast's whimsy, just a minute and a half long. Frankly, it's too exciting bar-by-bar for me to worry about musical unity. It's a young composer's outburst, performed vigorously by a young pianist, and I'm glad I feel young enough to be "down with it.""

'I can play really fast--and very loud at the same time!'

C. Pontus T. | SE/Asia | 06/01/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"--I certainly could not argue against that statement should Yundi Li wish to defend his playing on this disc. What made me dig out this recent but already tragically stuffed away disc is Kissin's newly released coupling of Prokofiev's two greatest Piano Concertos (Prokofiev: Piano Concertos 2 & 3).

So, let's cut to the chase: Prokofiev's Second Piano Concerto is on my shortlist of favourite musical compositions. It goes without saying it is not an easy work to bring off--neither for the soloist nor for the conductor and orchestra. Indeed, it does contain both really fast and very loud passages, where Li seems to feel reasonably at home--and yes, there is some occasional if empty excitement. However, when it comes to its greatest virtues--the unique atmosphere, thrilling suspense and inventional structure and textures--Li sounds entirely oblivious. In short, this is the most unsophisticated version of this masterpiece currently in the catalogue--turned from daring masterpiece into reckless, monochromatic percussion display. As far as my knowledge extends, this is the first live recording of the work. Fiendishly difficult as it is--the first movement Cadenza is the most colossal in the repertoire--Li at least had one thing in his favour (the rather high number of slips in the first movement are surely forgivable). 'Had', indeed, since Kissin's generally preferable rendition (instead demeaned by over-politeness and near-apathy) is also recorded live (unbelievably, without a single slip!).

Let's consider some telling examples: The beginning of the first movement is permeated by hair-raising suspense, which of course is totally absent at near-forte. The second A-minor theme (3:10) is delivered with virtually no contrast in either dynamics or characterisation. The start of the Cadenza (5:32) repeats the same suspense problem, which may explain why Li resorts to purely banging out the melodic line of the first climax (8:17)--not to mention the totally overboard culmination (9:35). The second movement Scherzo is unquestionably Vivace but without any of the colour or panache of Gutierrez/Järvi and Toradze/Gergiev, respectively. The third movement Intermezzo at 5:41 is simply too fast--also too loud ranging between relentless forte and fortissimo. The Finale begins promising with some wildly thrown away leaps from Li (one of the few advantages of his general immaturity), but with the lyrical central section (2:16) the first-movement problems resurface yet again; a well-executed Cadenza and pushed Coda at least provides a proper round off. Ozawa is mostly weak, whereas the Berliners and the sound are serviceable at best. In fact, Li/Ozawa largely resemble Béroff/Masur of 1974, which are equally brisk, if more sophisticated save the harsh sound (Prokofiev: The Five Piano Concertos; Overture on Hebrew Themes).

Ravel's G major Concerto is also a favourite, although I slightly prefer his ingenious Concerto for Left Hand. This Concerto is harder to wreck, which is probably why Li and Ozawa fare far better here (maybe the studio setting also helps). All the notes are in place at good speeds, supported by routinely ravishing BPO playing and good sound. Alas, there is an overall lack of style, wit and above all poetry--although delightful dexterity saves the day in the first and third movements. The disaster comes in the second movement: In the hands of Argerich and Zimerman, the elusively simple E-major tune ascends as the angelic hymn it is; in Li's hands, it becomes grey prose (notice how he struggles to sustain the long phrases and with the noisy sustain pedal that is employed with a level of sophistication resembling a sledgehammer!); Ozawa's inelastic conducting does not help matters either.

As so often on this site, most reviewers are only able to come up with trivial praise along the lines of 'Fine New Recording', 'Great stuff', 'A Great Piece of Music'--generic descriptions commonly used for their most recent purchases. However, they are all partly excused when consulting the supposedly enlightened piano guru, Bryce Morrison of the Gramophone: 'Indeed, his performance of the Prokofiev, in its prodigious, unflagging power and brilliance, far surpasses any other in the catalogue [...] played with an authority that will make lesser mortals pale with envy and admiration.' Even though Mr Morrison already lost a great deal of his credibility--yes, the most proactive and indiscriminative of all 'professional' Hatto fans--he just sank ever further.

As a welcome contrast, Santa Fe aptly writes 'Yundi's way with the Prokofiev Second is Lisztian--he gives us overwhelming technical displays first and foremost. Frankly, there's a lot of pounding here'. And Scriabinmahler's conclusion is no less revealing: 'Li displays amazing texterity [sic] & artistic maturity too, but somehow sounds artificial & shallow. The numbers of second-hand CDs accumulating here tells the story, despite the high praise from critics.'

Six years after his 'Digital Dead End' Chopin recital debut (Chopin Recital), Li's interpretative skills have developed more or less nothing whatsoever. In fact, they may even have regressed as his digital virtuosity has been complemented with an all too often harshly metallic tone production. DG is likely to continue promoting its second politically correct Chinese superstar, just having added a third (Wang); but if this disc represents how he sounds live, a great deal of smart marketing will be needed to keep him busy.

TIMINGS: Prokofiev--11:11, 2:17, 5:41, 10:40; Ravel--8:15, 8:41, 3:52

REFERENCES: Prokofiev--Gutierrez/Järvi (Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3); Ravel--Argerich/Abbado (Prokofiev, Ravel: Piano Concertos, etc / Martha Argerich)"

Search - Prokofiev, Ravel, Seiji Ozawa :: Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No 2; Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major

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