Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh,...

Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, ... | Mstislav Rostropovich, Ludwig van Beethoven, ... | Big, Brooding, Boring Beethoven. Excellent Brahms.

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Great Recordings O...

	Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, ... Mstislav Rostropovich, Ludwig van Beethoven, ... EMI Classics, 1999 average customer review:based on 26 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Among the concertos of Beethoven and Brahms, these two have always been stepchildren. One reason is their extreme difficulty; both composers were pianists, so Beethoven wrote an idiomatic part only for the piano. Brahms's friend Joseph Joachim offered advice for the violin concerto, but not for the Double Concerto, which was written as a peace offering after a falling-out. The Beethoven Triple Concerto demands utmost virtuosity, as well as intimate teamwork among the soloists, and that is exactly what these three supreme masters of their instruments bring to it. Free--indeed unaware--of technical problems, they give it a joyful, sparkling lightness. The piano ripples, the cello sings gorgeously, the violin soars ecstatically, the tone is intoxicatingly beautiful. The Finale is wistful, charming, lyrical, gently humorous; the ending is a big joke, with the cello and piano rumbling in the bass, while the violin whistles forlornly in the dark until they all join together. The Brahms is grand, majestic, dreamy, radiant, triumphant; the slow movement warm as dark velvet, the Finale genial and relaxed. Though the orchestra never covers the soloists, it explodes in the tutti passages, especially in the Beethoven, so you might keep a finger on the volume control. --Edith Eisler

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There can't be any better!

It is not for the names only.
I think it is a performance as Beethoven probably had in mind.

Big, Brooding, Boring Beethoven. Excellent Brahms.

This *should* be an excellent rendition of the triple concerto. But when dealing with such an intricate and sophisticated work, mere virtuosity is not enough. In a *triple concerto*, what is required is synergy, harmony, unity. This recording is virtually devoid of such qualities. Instead, what we have is a big, brooding orchestra, completely lacking in pace, and three virtuousos who seem to be playing perfectly, beautifully...but in their own worlds. The result is, in my view, bland and by no means worthy of this recording's legendary status

Szell, on the other hand, has always known how to play the role of accompanist to perfection. Just check out his Brahms violin concerto with the same violinist as in this recording! It goes without saying that the Brahms Double concerto is fiery, clearly conceived, and generally very satisfying.

I am still searching for a triple concerto that resonates with me profoundly. To date, my absolute favourite is the Fricsay/Schneiderhan/Fournier/Anda recording on DG. I feel that it is much worthier than this overblown, big-name charade.

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Great Brahms and the artists stumble in the Beethoven

Of course, all three soloists are amazing artists. Szell does a splendid job working with them. I am among those who nearly always find Szell's work outstanding, and this is no exception. The Beethoven should have been just as great, but the group just doesn't work well together. Maybe Karajan is to blame. He could turn in performances that sounded very "manufactured"--the sound is "managed," everything is glossy and smooth, and it comes across as seriously lacking in feeling for the values of the music. The triple concerto was listed among the 20 worst recordings or all times in the often amusing "The Life and Death of Classical Music: Featuring the 100 Best and 20 Worst Recordings Ever Made." Richter is quoted there as saying he hated the recording, but he was a pretty gloomy fellow.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Tracks
Triple Concerto For Violin, Cello & Piano In C, Op. 56: I Allegro | Triple Concerto For Violin, Cello & Piano In C, Op. 56: II Largo | Triple Concerto For Violin, Cello & Piano In C, Op. 56: III Rondo alla polacca | Double Concerto For Violin & Cello In A Minor, Op. 102: I Allegro | Double Concerto For Violin & Cello In A Minor, Op. 102: II Andante | Double Concerto For Violin & Cello In A Minor, Op. 102: III Vivace non troppo

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