Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1; Piano Concerto No. 2

This reissue from 1972 is the second of Ashkenazy's three Decca recordings of the Beethoven piano concertos. Mehta may not be at his most subtle or imaginative in this repertoire, but these performances from 1983 benefit from the warmth of the Vienna Philharmonic's playing as well as a fine recording. I find them generally preferable to Ashkenazy's alternative versions with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Solti) and the Cleveland Orchestra (directed from the keyboard) which offer a more aggressive orchestral sound. Misha Donat

Our rating

3

BBC Music Magazine

Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:46 pm

COMPOSERS: Beethoven
LABELS: Decca
WORKS: Piano Concerto No. 1; Piano Concerto No. 2
PERFORMER: Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano)Vienna Philharmonic/Zubin Mehta
CATALOGUE NO: 430 750 DDD

This reissue from 1972 is the second of Ashkenazy's three Decca recordings of the Beethoven piano concertos. Mehta may not be at his most subtle or imaginative in this repertoire, but these performances from 1983 benefit from the warmth of the Vienna Philharmonic's playing as well as a fine recording.

I find them generally preferable to Ashkenazy's alternative versions with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Solti) and the Cleveland Orchestra (directed from the keyboard) which offer a more aggressive orchestral sound. Misha Donat

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