Search - Leif Ove Andsnes, Edvard Grieg, Robert Schumann :: Schumann & Grieg: Piano Concertos; Leif Ove Andsnes

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Johnson Lee | Irvine, CA USA | 10/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can't help questioning the intention of one of the reviewers named Dag Johansen. He is proactively reviewing most of Andsnes' CDs and giving them very poor rating. In fact, all he is reviewing are Andsnes', no other.

I don't mind that if it is truly his honest opinion but there's something fishy here... why does he keep buying Andsnes' CDs if he hates his playing so much? It's as if he is trying to damage the artist's reputation... Shady....



I have not actully heard this CD or any of Andsnes'. Just felt I needed to report on this."

An invaluable collaboration

hjonkers | The Netherlands | 04/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Andsnes is such a pianist who can make a very striking point in his performances without ever doing `too much', a most welcome ability, particularly in pieces that sometimes fall prey to unnecessarily sluggish Romantic interpretations. The Grieg concerto can, in the wrong hands, sound like a shorter version of the saccharine Tchaikovsky B flat minor. No such things in Andsnes' performance, however. He has an impressive and authoritative command of the music and never lacks in lyricism, strength or virtuosity, yet there's nothing at all in his playing that sounds forced, exaggerated or overly aggressive. His wonderful build-up of the climax in the first movement cadenza is simply priceless. And listen to the enthusiasm with which he jumps into the third movement's main theme (also in the recap). It sounds so simple, yet the effect is marvellous. But Andsnes can also play in perfect sympathy with a conductor, as it shows here. This time, I thought the standard picture inside the booklet of pianist-and-conductor-staring-at-score was genuine. Andsnes and Jansons (who conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker) simply collaborate together perfectly. In the final for example, it seems as if both are constantly driving each other further. Jansons' BPhO also has a wonderfully rich and beautiful sound. The flutes and strings in the typically Norse theme that appears after 2'40 in the final, for instance, are marvellous. The other concerto here is the Schumann, a piece that can be treated as merely chamber music (as in the classic Richter recording). But Andsnes and Jansons choose for a more large-scale approach that fits the piece equally well, I think. In fact, it is played so well that you hardly need other performances than this. There's a great feeling for the structure: every phrase in the concerto seems to follow completely logically after the previous one. Even more importantly, the pianist and the orchestra again play as though they're speaking through one mouth. This may be even more important than in the Grieg, because I think it's mainly the *combination* of piano and orchestral sound that can make the Schumann concerto sound so special. One of my favourite moments occurs after 3'30 in the first movement, where the piano starts a rousing melody that ends in an orchestral tutti after 4'00. As played here, it is exactly the way I think it should sound, with all its amazing subtleties and poetry. This is essentially what makes the whole concerto so good: listen closely and you'll hear how precisely Andsnes and Jansons respond to each other. But in the `solo' moments they are equally impressive: listen to Andsnes' thrilling first movement cadenza or the little orchestral fugue three minutes into the final, or the wonderful tutti after 4'30, with great timpani support as well. This all makes a pretty impressive recording and a very strong coupling of the Grieg and Schumann concertos altogether. The sound is very good too, although there's some hiss in the background (may be caused by the fact that it's recorded live). Overall a simply essential disc for those who like piano concertos in general."

Andsnes's Great Grieg and Schumann Concerto Performances

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 11/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Leif Ove Andsnes joins an already crowded field in this splendid CD, coupling the popular Grieg and Schumann piano concertos. This CD is as splendid as classic recordings of the same works by Stephen (Bishop) Kovacevich and Sir Colin Davis, Krystian Zimmerman and Herbert von Karajan and Murray Perahia and Sir Colin Davis. Regrettably, this fine EMI recording lacks the warmth I've heard in the earlier Phillips, Deutsche Grammophon and Sony (CBS) recordings I've mentioned, otherwise it would surely be regarded as the best. Andsnes offers a glowing, lyrical performance of the Grieg piano concerto that is better than his early 1990's recording made with a lesser known Norwegian orchestra and Russian conductor. His vibrant playing is well supported by conductor Mariss Jansons and the Berlin Philharmonic. Their performances can be best described as silky, smooth, rich in atmosphere and sonority. Without question this may be regarded as one of the definitive recordings of the Grieg piano concerto in the 21st Century. The Schumann piano concerto is just as fine, with more of Andsnes' lyrical, graceful playing and warm, vibrant performances from the Berlin Philharmonic; most notably its string and brass sections."