COMPOSERS: Beethoven
LABELS: Virgin Veritas
WORKS: Piano Concerto No. 1; Piano Concerto No. 2
PERFORMER: Melvyn Tan (fortepiano); London Classical Players/ Roger Norrington
CATALOGUE NO: VER 5 61296 2
The Tan-Norrington partnership is heard to best advantage here in No. 2. Full of bounce and a lithe, youthful athleticism which suits the music well, the performance never spills over into the kind of ritualised vitality which so often masquerades as style in ‘authentic’ interpretations. There is much to enjoy, too, in No. 1, but for one listener, at least, the middle movement, taken exceptionally fast and with a pervasive disregard for rhythmic coherence, is almost unbearable. A pity, because the good bits are so good. Jeremy Siepmann
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1; Piano Concerto No. 2
The Tan-Norrington partnership is heard to best advantage here in No. 2. Full of bounce and a lithe, youthful athleticism which suits the music well, the performance never spills over into the kind of ritualised vitality which so often masquerades as style in ‘authentic’ interpretations. There is much to enjoy, too, in No. 1, but for one listener, at least, the middle movement, taken exceptionally fast and with a pervasive disregard for rhythmic coherence, is almost unbearable. A pity, because the good bits are so good. Jeremy Siepmann
Our rating
3
Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:07 pm