# Emperor Concerto



## Colin M (May 31, 2018)

Looking at the LA Phil schedule for 18/19. They are doing this piece along with the Haydyn London Symphomy. Any suggestions as to best Emperor recordings? I am super grateful.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

That was my first piano concerto I ever had a recording of. Great music. There are many excellent recordings - so many it's hard to pick one. But if I had to, it's got to be a very old one with Leon Fleisher, Georg Szell and the Cleveland orchestra. There is absolutely nothing to complain about - flawless playing, exciting interpretation and despite its age, it still sounds fine. Actually, the entire Szell/Fleisher cycle is top-notch. For a modern set, Aimard/Harnoncourt is excellent. But so are many others.


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## Eusebius12 (Mar 22, 2010)

Nelson Freire is my favourite living performer of this work. He brings quite a bit of fire to the outer movements and perfect repose in the adagio. This is from concert listening.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Kovacevich with Davis is my favourite version.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

The Fleisher/Szell is a favorite of some, though it's quite an old recording. I haven't heard the Freire, but would bet that's a dynamite performance (based on his Brahms).


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Try the Rudolf Serkin (piano)/ New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein recording, Stunning.


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

A couple other recommendations:

Yundi, Daniel Harding, Berlin Philharmonic
Ilana Vered, Kazimierz Kord, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra

If you have a pianist, conductor, or orchestra you like, try their Emperor. The chances are high that you will like it.


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

Walter Gieseking / Artur Rother, Berlin Radio Orchestra, 1944. One of the first stereo recordings.


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## BiscuityBoyle (Feb 5, 2018)

Of the many great renditions I know, the greatest for me is one of Gilels's lesser known recordings with Leinsdorf from Moscow in the 1970s. Sublime and electrifying and pianistically without blemish.


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## Taplow (Aug 13, 2017)

Leif Ove Andsnes: Mahler Chamber Orchestra - Perfect!


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## derin684 (Feb 14, 2018)

I love the Gould/Stokowski one. Gould's interpretions of Beethoven Concertos are wonderful, I suggest you to listen to them all.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Fleisher/Szell is my favorite stereo version, just ahead of Gilels/Szell. Schnabel/Sargent is the golden oldie favorite along with Fischer/Furtwangler.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Another vote for Fleischer.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Another vote for Kovacevich with Colin Davis!

I'd also give a big thumbs up to the more recent of Claudio Arrau's recordings. Oddly enough, same conductor as above.

I should also mention John Lill's CfP recording, my first, still a favourite.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Another vote for Aimard! But actually there are many. How about Gould or Kempff or Sudbin?


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Enthusiast said:


> Another vote for Aimard! But actually there are many. How about Gould or Kempff or Sudbin?


I'm going to investigate the Sudbin recording, thanks for the heads-up! I have a lot of his Russian concertos - Rachmaninov, Medtner, And that wonderful Scriabin concerto - and saw him in concert a couple of years ago doing Rach 3 in a two-piano condensation. Brilliant pianist!!


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Robert Pickett said:


> I'm going to investigate the Sudbin recording, thanks for the heads-up! I have a lot of his Russian concertos - Rachmaninov, Medtner, And that wonderful Scriabin concerto - and saw him in concert a couple of years ago doing Rach 3 in a two-piano condensation. Brilliant pianist!!


I've greatly enjoyed his Beethoven concerto series (and a few others things that he's done. Right now, though, I'm listening to the old Solomon recording of the Emperor. I only intended to sample it to see how the sound is but am still listening and half way through the last movement!


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Enthusiast said:


> I've greatly enjoyed his Beethoven concerto series (and a few others things that he's done. Right now, though, I'm listening to the old Solomon recording of the Emperor. I only intended to sample it to see how the sound is but am still listening and half way through the last movement!


The recording in the EMI Icon box? I'll grant you, that's another pretty decent version (I like understatement!) Solomon's a much under-rated Beethoven pianist. His sonatas in the same box are something really special.


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## JAS (Mar 6, 2013)

I remember a concert many years ago in which all of the Beethoven piano concertos were played, changing soloists for each concerto. It was a real marathon, and a bit taxing. (I can only imagine the challenge for the musicians.) At that point, as I recall, Fleisher was no longer playing. He did conduct, and I think his wife was one of the soloists.

Edit: I note that the feat has apparently been repeated by other groups, and in at least one case with the same pianist for all of the performances: https://www.carthage.edu/live/files/3915-beethoven-5th-concertos-release


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Robert Pickett said:


> The recording in the EMI Icon box? I'll grant you, that's another pretty decent version (I like understatement!) Solomon's a much under-rated Beethoven pianist. His sonatas in the same box are something really special.


No, this was a single CD that I bought decades ago. I have all the concertos in that form which I probably why I never bought to box you mention. But I only have a couple of the sonatas as a result.

Yes, understated ... but it's all there!


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Phil loves classical said:


> Kovacevich with Davis is my favourite version.


Heard Kovacevich play this many, many years ago. He actually signed my programme afterwards: 'Stephen Bishop-Kovacevich'. The performance was superb. His version with Davis takes a lot of beating but there are some stupendous recordings of this concerto I have like:
Serkin
Fleisher
Kempff (1950s)
Istomin
Curzon
Ashkenazy
Gould
Van Cliburn
Solomon

One could go on........


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## Colin M (May 31, 2018)

Just ordered the Kovachevich with Sir Davis... can’t wait to enjoy it. Thanks everyone.


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## Samehada (Aug 10, 2018)

I've mainly listened to the already mentioned Fleisher/Szell recording of all the concertos. A very fine recording, and the standard by which many Beethoven piano concerto performances are judged in my head.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Kempff/Leitner remains my favourite. I´ve got about 26 recordings. Pletnev/dg is interesting too.


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## fliege (Nov 7, 2017)

I find myself listening a lot to the Helene Grimaud recording on DG, but I don't know if that's considered one of the "great recordings".


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

BiscuityBoyle said:


> Of the many great renditions I know, the greatest for me is one of Gilels's lesser known recordings with *Leinsdorf* from Moscow in the 1970s. Sublime and electrifying and pianistically without blemish.


Do you mean MASUR?


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

fliege said:


> I find myself listening a lot to the Helene Grimaud recording on DG, but I don't know if that's considered one of the "great recordings".


You've heard it: what do you think? Do you know others to compare it to?


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## fliege (Nov 7, 2017)

Enthusiast said:


> You've heard it: what do you think? Do you know others to compare it to?


The only other one I've really listened to carefully is the Gould/Stokowski. The Grimaud recording is cleaner and the tempo is a faster. I find Grimaud conveys a greater sense of fragility in the second movement than does Gould.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

fliege said:


> The only other one I've really listened to carefully is the Gould/Stokowski. The Grimaud recording is cleaner and the tempo is a faster. I find Grimaud conveys a greater sense of fragility in the second movement than does Gould.


The Gould is different - but I love it!


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

I liked the Grimaud recording, but thought the orchestral accompaniment a bit bland. I'd politely suggest there are better all round versions out there.

But I like Helene Grimaud. She likes wolves*, that speaks volumes!

* The animals, not the team who play home matches at Molyneux.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Robert Pickett said:


> But I like Helene Grimaud. She likes wolves*, that speaks volumes!
> 
> * The animals, not the team who play home matches at Molyneux.


It depends. Are we talking "cute and cuddly" wolves or the pack predators of wild places?


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Colin M said:


> Just ordered the Kovachevich with Sir Davis...


Sir Colin. The convention is "Sir + Forename", "Lord + Surname". The Attenborough brothers are a good example of this: Sir David Attenborough is referred to as "Sir David", and his late brother Richard Attenborough was referred to as "Lord Attenborough".


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Helene Grimaud Is seriously passionate about wolves, and I believe reintroducing them to the wild. There's a big wolf reserve in the Auvergne region of France - we drive past it every holiday but never have the time to stop! - which I think was very much down to her.

While there are obvious limits, I am all in favour of reintroducing them. Clearly some sheep and their owners might have misgivings, but considering the majority of sheep killings in areas with wolves are caused by domestic dogs, I don't reckon that's really an issue.

We could look into bringing them back in the UK too. Places like the Highlands, Snowdonia, Lewisham.....


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## Colin M (May 31, 2018)

Colin M said:


> Just ordered the Kovachevich with Sir Davis... can't wait to enjoy it. Thanks everyone.


Came today in the mail... both number 4 and 5... I am enthralled Piano versus Sir Colin's orchestra. Absolutely love the interplay


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Colin M said:


> Came today in the mail... both number 4 and 5... I am enthralled Piano versus Sir Colin's orchestra. Absolutely love the interplay


Glad you liked it, so I wouldn't feel guilty for wasting your money. I've heard lots and that one stood out to me. I've never heard his 4th. Mine was paired with one of the last piano sonatas.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

chill782002 said:


> Walter Gieseking / Artur Rother, Berlin Radio Orchestra, 1944. One of the first stereo recordings.


I believe it was the first stereo recording


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## Logos (Nov 3, 2012)

The Fleisher/Szell recording:


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## Eusebius12 (Mar 22, 2010)

Szell: too slow!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Fleisher/Szell. Any recording of it by Rudolf Serkin or Alfred Brendel.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Triplets said:


> I believe it was the first stereo recording


Yeah, and even with war explosions in the background, actually.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

hpowders said:


> Fleisher/Szell. Any recording of it by Rudolf Serkin or Alfred Brendel.


There are some early Serkins including with Bruno Walter from Dec. 1941.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

The Serkin/Ormandy, mono only, was one of the few LPs my father could afford. I grew up with that one. Later I bought the shiny new stereo Serkin/Bernstein LP, but the sound was grainy. That's evidently been fixed on the current CD release.


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## geralmar (Feb 15, 2013)

I've always liked the Rauch; but I doubt it is first in the firmament.


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## Rmathuln (Mar 21, 2018)

Fleisher/Szell
Kovacevich/Davis
Richter-Hasser/Kertesz


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Gilels/Szell please!

This wide variety of choices is clearly making things much more difficult, isn't it :lol: Poor guy just wants a recording of the 5th PC...
Kempff's a good bet. Basically you can't go wrong with people like Serkin, Kempff, Gilels, Gould, Arrau etc. All great. I just happen to like Szell and his lean symphonic machine. Where Mozart and Beethoven are concerned, best to stay away from Abbado, in my opinion.


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Colin M said:


> Came today in the mail... both number 4 and 5... I am enthralled Piano versus Sir Colin's orchestra. Absolutely love the interplay


Well done! The 4th's even better, if you ask me!


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Eusebius12 said:


> Szell: too slow!


Are you referring to the Fleisher recording? Too slow?


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

joen_cph said:


> Yeah, and even with war explosions in the background, actually.


Hey, I just realize that when when I searched for this CD on Amazon, I can stream it using the Prime App, so I'm listening to it now. No explosions yet but it sounds amazing (well, at least in MP3 over Bluetooth)

Just heard them towards the end of I when the Musicquiets before the recapitalization. It's pretty rhythmic, about 60 explosions per minute. If I was listening to vinyl I probably would have mistaken it for skipping on the record.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

There´s an in-depth text on the Gieseking-Rother recording here:

https://www.clearhat.org/2016/11/04/gieseking-in-1944-berlin-first-complete-stereo-tape-recording/

"_How ironic and appropriate that booming anti-aircraft guns in the waning days of World War II are perceptible in the background of this performance. Near the end of the first movement's cadenza, a faint "ta-toom … ka-thoom … brrrooom" faintly, yet distinctly sounds at a great distance, like some ghost timpani. Gieseking's piano playing rolls right along, gently erasing all remembrance of the storms and stresses of war_."


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

joen_cph said:


> There´s an in-depth text on the Gieseking-Rother recording here:
> 
> https://www.clearhat.org/2016/11/04/gieseking-in-1944-berlin-first-complete-stereo-tape-recording/
> 
> "_How ironic and appropriate that booming anti-aircraft guns in the waning days of World War II are perceptible in the background of this performance. Near the end of the first movement's cadenza, a faint "ta-toom … ka-thoom … brrrooom" faintly, yet distinctly sounds at a great distance, like some ghost timpani. Gieseking's piano playing rolls right along, gently erasing all remembrance of the storms and stresses of war_."


That is a great link, thank you for providing that. I had to laugh at the irony of bombing on the recording vs the bombing that Beethoven had to endure during the composition


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