Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Daniel Barenboim, London Philharmonic Orchestra :: Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 77

Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 was actually the first he composed, and its debt to Mozart and Haydn are everywhere evident. The easygoing final movement is here played with verve and grace by the 88-year-old Artur Rubinstein, and the middle movement, so peaceful, is beautifully played (with perhaps a missed note or two). The No. 1 also owes much to Beethoven's Classical forebears, but Rubinstein adds Romantic flourish to the way he uses dynamics--at times a bit drastically, but always for the music. Daniel Barenboim leads without awe but with great respect--he never gets in Rubinstein's (or Beethoven's) way, and the London Philharmonic lends strong support. A good pair of performances. --Robert Levine