Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 1; Piano Concerto No. 2; Piano Concerto No. 3

This disc gets off to a cracking start; those brass at the opening of the First Concerto really snarl and spit, and the piano seems to leap bodily at you. This marvellously vivid presence is exactly what two recent rival versions lack. Both Rattle and Donohoe on EMI, and Salonen and Bronfman on Sony, sound boxy and unengaging by comparison. The rest of the disc fully measures up to the promise of that arresting beginning. Altogether a thrilling recording. Ivan Hewett

Our rating

5

Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:09 pm

COMPOSERS: Bartok
LABELS: Decca
WORKS: Piano Concerto No. 1; Piano Concerto No. 2; Piano Concerto No. 3
PERFORMER: Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) LPO/Georg Solti
CATALOGUE NO: 448 125-2 ADD/DDD (1980/84)

This disc gets off to a cracking start; those brass at the opening of the First Concerto really snarl and spit, and the piano seems to leap bodily at you. This marvellously vivid presence is exactly what two recent rival versions lack. Both Rattle and Donohoe on EMI, and Salonen and Bronfman on Sony, sound boxy and unengaging by comparison. The rest of the disc fully measures up to the promise of that arresting beginning. Altogether a thrilling recording. Ivan Hewett

This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
© Our Media 2024