Search - Prokofiev, Krainev, Frankfurt Rso :: Prokofiev: Pno Ctos Nos 1 - 5

The finest set

paul best | new orleans | 11/04/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"having heard every complete set, and varoius other famous single releases, as a complete set, this is the finest, more for Kitaeno' s pianistic skills from both tech and poetic-feeling perspectives...and less so for the only adequate orch quality."

Splendid

David Saemann | 03/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a fine set of the Prokofiev piano concerti. I have the sets by Ashkenazy and Kun Woo Paik, and I must say I enjoy this one at least as much. Part of its excellence is due to the wonderful accompaniments by Dimitri Kitaenko. He is one of the foremost Russian conductors at work today, easily in the same league as Gergiev and Temirkanov. With the excellent sound engineering on these discs, one can enjoy the totality of these performances without compromising detail. Krainev is exciting in the First Concerto. In the Second, he deals with the thorny solo writing with eloquence and impact. His Third is viscerally exciting. He makes more sense out of the Left Hand Concerto that anyone else I've heard, emphasizing its Classicism. In the last Concerto, Krainev emphasizes the spiky characteristics of the score, making point after Modernist point. The only pianist I've heard who does Prokofiev better than Krainev is Bronfman, but his disc of 1, 3, and 5 has murky orchestral sound that can't compare with the opulence afforded Kitaenko. Besides, I never have had an easier time listening to all 5 Concertos in a row than with Krainev."