# Beethoven Piano Concertos: what do you think of these recordings?



## Andres

Hi folks,

As I often do on weekends, I hit up some thrift stores today searching for bargains on CDs and records. Turns out one of the stores I visited was (quite inexplicably) bursting at the seams with CDs of Beethoven Piano concertos (and a few discs of Sonatas), as well as quite a few of Bach's Goldberg Variations. I picked up five separate three-disc sets of all five Beethoven concertos for just $2.42 apiece. The recordings are as follows:

-Rudolf Serkin (cond. Ozawa) 
-Albred Brendl (cond. Levine)
-Wilhelm Backhaus (cond. Isserstedt)
-Maurizio Pollini (cond. Abbado)
-Wilhelm Kempf (cond. Van Kempen)

Does anyone have any thoughts on these? Are they considered strong performances, and is there anything in particular I should be listening for in each one?

Thanks!

Andres


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## mleghorn

Yikes, that is a great deal! I have Serkin / Ozawa doing the 3rd (plus Choral Fantasy). I love the sound of the recording -- but you need high-end audio equipment to fully realize. I used to have Brendel / Levine 5th (Emperor). I believe those are live recordings. I wasn't too impressed with the sound or performance. I have Pollini / Abbado -- not my favorite. Pollini's performance is fine and technically polished. I would love to have the complete Serkin / Ozawa.

My favorite Beethoven 5 Piano Concertos is with Uchida / Sanderling.


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## kv466

My favorite set, without a doubt; and the best recorded is:


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## Andres

Hmm, it occurs to me that I may have posted this in the wrong forum. Let me re-post to the solo forum.


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## UberB

I found Pollini/Abbado to be a bit bland. Haven't heard Brendel but his Beethoven sonatas are so bland and faceless that I wouldn't trust him for the concertos either.

Fleisher/Szell and Arrau/Haitink are great. Haven't personally heard Arrau's later cycle with Davis but have read some very good reviews about it.


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## tahnak

Wilhelm Kempff
If you want a decent DVd , go for the Vladimir Ashkenazy with London and Bernard Haitink. Excellent performance.


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