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Beethoven: Piano Concertos (Haochen Zhang)

Haochen Zhang (piano); Philadelphia Orchestra/Nathalie Stutzmann (BIS)

Our rating

3

Published: December 27, 2022 at 9:00 am

Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos 1-5 Haochen Zhang (piano); Philadelphia Orchestra/Nathalie Stutzmann BIS BIS-2581 (CD/SACD) 175:29 mins (3 discs)

Since winning the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition Haochen Zhang has built an impressive career. In recording Beethoven’s five piano concertos, he again faces fierce competition. While his accounts have plenty to recommend them, the recording has some downsides.

Zhang offers some breathtakingly beautiful moments – such as the rapt opening of the Fourth Concerto and the deft creation of its otherworldly atmosphere. He produces strong characterisation in the rugged Third and in the ‘Emperor’ Concerto’s bright-toned beginning, and a pleasing breadth of phrasing in the slow movement of the First.

The Philadelphia Orchestra, here conducted by Nathalie Stutzmann, is one of those rare musical juggernauts that has its own distinctive sound. Although that is generally a wonderful thing, the sleekness and shininess of the resulting textures can prove a touch relentless, and Stutzmann does not reveal quite enough of the nuances, differentiation, imagination and character that a lither, more idiomatic approach to Beethoven can discover. The recording places the piano rather forward – maybe to combat the sheer scale of the orchestral sound.

Jessica Duchen

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