# Beethoven Piano Concerto Sets



## marlow (11 mo ago)

Over the years I have collected many sets of Beethoven piano concertos by distinguished pianists. However the other day I was in the charity shop and saw this one going for next to nothing so I picked it up out of interest. Imagine my surprise on discovering the performances of the relatively unheralded John Lill with Gibson could stand comparison with the very best!









They are unmannered and straightforward but fiery and extremely well played and recorded. Lill was not always at his best in the studio but he certainly is here.

I just wonder whether other performances are lurking in your libraries you would recommend?


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

In my earliest days of classical music listening (the '70s), when budgets were tight and owning multiple recordings of the same music was not in the cards, I listened to Fleisher/Szell over and over. Since 1990 very rarely, as I collected other versions and explored other music. But I turn 70 next month, and I find myself returning to some of the performances I loved when I was in my 20s. They include the Fleisher/Szell set.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Sandy could always get a tune out of the Scottish National Orchestra and John Lill is simply overlooked more often than not - what pleases me is that you have used your own ears and concluded what works for you - the only reliable way.

I keep going back to Stephen Kovacevich with Sir Colin Davis on Philips.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I have not heard Lill but the "dark horse" set, I'd recommend is the (cheap to ultra-cheap in several different incarnations) played by Michael Roll with Howard Shelley conducting the Royal Philharmonic (recorded in the 1990s). Especially the 1st, 5th and Triple are excellent, the rest very good, in a similar way you describe Lill: straightforward, fastish and energetic.
Otherwise I tend to pick and choose but my favorite complete set overall is probably Kovacevich/Davis.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

I agree with the qualities of Roll, especially the Triple Cto for me. 

Some favourites include
- 4th Rubinstein/Mitropoulous (has cases of sound problems)
- 5th Kempff/Leitner

but I'd have to check again.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

I am a big fan of John Lill, as some of you here will already be aware!.......

His Beethoven Piano Sonatas are my go-to set, and I reckon the Concertos are on the same level, although he has more competition here, perhaps surprisingly? Whatever my personal preference, this is a very fine set indeed, and I am so glad to have it, including the lovely Choral Fantasia.

With the Concertos I think I have a slight preference for the Kovacevich recordings on Philips, but other favourites include Paul Lewis, Claudio Arrau, and (expecting derision here, but I don't care....) Melvyn Tan.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

CnC Bartok said:


> I am a big fan of John Lill, as some of you here will already be aware!.......
> 
> His Beethoven Piano Sonatas are my go-to set, and I reckon the Concertos are on the same level, although he has more competition here, perhaps surprisingly? Whatever my personal preference, this is a very fine set indeed, and I am so glad to have it, including the lovely Choral Fantasia.
> 
> With the Concertos I think I have a slight preference for the Kovacevich recordings on Philips, but other favourites include Paul Lewis, Claudio Arrau, and (expecting derision here, but I don't care....) Melvyn Tan.


I notice you didn't highlight Tan's conducting partner


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

Just to say that John Lill record it two sets of Beethoven piano concertos and apparently the one with Gibson is the one to have.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Please allow me to join the chorus of approval for John Lill's set so rightly praised by others above, which I enjoy alongside Fleisher/Szell and other recordings of individual concertos. Lill's "Emperor" in particular is my go-to version.


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

Going back one pianist who introduced me to Beethoven is Rudolf Serkin. if you want his rugged Beethoven this is the set to get before his technique froze with age. Superb.


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## FrankinUsa (Aug 3, 2021)

IMHO,Fleisher/Szell/Cleveland go way beyond. 50 years plus and we are still talking about these recordings.


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## Wigmar (7 mo ago)

marlow said:


> Over the years I have collected many sets of Beethoven piano concertos by distinguished pianists. However the other day I was in the charity shop and saw this one going for next to nothing so I picked it up out of interest. Imagine my surprise on discovering the performances of the relatively unheralded John Lill with Gibson could stand comparison with the very best!
> 
> View attachment 166215
> 
> ...


Complete set: Brendel, London Philharmonic Orchestra / Haitink. Philips 6767002 (5 lp) 
- no 5: Panenka, Prague Symphony Orch. /
Smetacek. Supraphon 11100649 G


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I like this one:


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

SixFootScowl said:


> I like this one:


So do I.
Other fine pianoforte versions are Levin/Gardiner and van Immerseel/Bruno Weil.

For non-HIP my go-to-recordings are Arrau/Galliera, Solomon/Menges - Cluytens, Kempff/van Kempen, Backhaus/Schmidt-Isserstedt and Gilels/Szell (or Ludwig in no.4 and 5).


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

jegreenwood said:


> In my earliest days of classical music listening (the '70s), when budgets were tight and owning multiple recordings of the same music was not in the cards, I listened to Fleisher/Szell over and over. Since 1990 very rarely, as I collected other versions and explored other music. But I turn 70 next month, and I find myself returning to some of the performances I loved when I was in my 20s. They include the Fleisher/Szell set.


We're roughly on the same frequency here. I'll be 79 next month, and I too loved those Fleisher/Szell Beethoven performances in my 20s. Still a top notch set in my book.


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## JB Henson (Mar 29, 2019)

FrankinUsa said:


> IMHO,Fleisher/Szell/Cleveland go way beyond. 50 years plus and we are still talking about these recordings.


That being said... Gilels/Szell is probably the stronger set of the two.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

JB Henson said:


> That being said... Gilels/Szell is probably the stronger set of the two.


I listened to both of these today in Op. 37, and I agree - I prefer the Gilels.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

But then many people seem to prefer Gilels/? (Ludwig, Sanderling, not sure) to Gilels/Szell


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Kovacevitch, Aimard, Solomon, Kempff (with Van Kempen). I've also enjoyed many others including Andsnes and Hough. This is all off the top of my head - there are others.


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## perdido34 (Mar 11, 2015)

marlow said:


> Over the years I have collected many sets of Beethoven piano concertos by distinguished pianists. However the other day I was in the charity shop and saw this one going for next to nothing so I picked it up out of interest. Imagine my surprise on discovering the performances of the relatively unheralded John Lill with Gibson could stand comparison with the very best!
> 
> I just wonder whether other performances are lurking in your libraries you would recommend?


 I heard John Lill in his only performance with the Cleveland Orchestra under Rattle (also his only Cleveland Orchestra concert). They gave a first-rate account of Prokofiev P{iano Concerto 3.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Too many recordings to recall... 
I have different favorites for each concerto, but for complete cycles that I personally really enjoy returning to....

Rubinstein/Leinsdorf (There's just something about Rubinstein's playing that I love and with Leinsdorf he just had a wonderful companion)
Fleisher/Szell (Still one of the finest ever recorded and still amazing to me all these years later)
Ashkenazy/Solti (There's just something "muscular" sounding about these recordings that I love)

Serkin/Ormandy/Bernstein is always worth hearing as are the Serkin/Kubelik live recordings if you can find them. I still very much enjoy Glenn Gould's cycle with Golschmann, Bernstein & Stokowski just to hear Glenn although it won't be everyone's cup of tea. There's others of course if I'm in the mood to hear Kempff or Arrau or some other specific pianist impart there personal touches on these works but overall if I were to just grab a cycle and wanted to hear them all over again I would probably reach for Rubinstein, Fleisher or Ashkenazy.


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## hoodjem (Feb 23, 2019)

JB Henson said:


> That being said... Gilels/Szell is probably the stronger set of the two.


To each his own opinion, but I respectfully disagree.
To me, the Gilels-Szell set always seemed a bit stiff, uninspired, and never "took wing."

Another great set was the Stephen (Bishop) Kovacevich-Colin Davis set on Philips.


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## hoodjem (Feb 23, 2019)

realdealblues said:


> Ashkenazy/Solti (There's just something "muscular" sounding about these recordings that I love)


Yes. One very probable reason for that wonderful, full, rich, "muscular" sound is that the recording engineer was the great Kenneth Wilkinson.

He was certainly one of the very finest (classical) music recording engineers, if not the finest (along with Lewis Layton).


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

hoodjem said:


> Another great set was the Stephen (Bishop) Kovacevich-Colin Davis set on Philips.


Kovacevich's EMI recordings, with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, are even better - but are harder to find.


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