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Double double.(THE MUSIC)(Ludwig van Beethoven, Nos. 3 and 4)(Sound recording review)
For this issue, Tom Lyle and I have decided to compare two recordings of two piano concertos of Ludwig van Beethoven, Nos. 3 and 4.. Both are lower-priced releases that feature big names. From Sony Classical, we have legendary pianist Leon Fleisher with the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by the legendary George Szell back in 1959 and 1961 (Sony Classical 82876-78767-2), while on Arte Nova, we have pianist Yefim Bronfman with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich under the baton of David Zinman (Arte Nova ANO 640100), recorded in 2004.
Following our usual practice, Tom and I have refrained from discussing these two recordings with each other and have done both our listening and our writing completely independently. Because this is an odd-numbered issue, I will lead off with my findings and then Tom will close with his perspective on these two recordings.
KWN: It always bugs Tom when I have little to say; this installment will make him go ballistic. All I can say is that these are both truly first-rate accounts of wonderful music, making it is difficult and probably pointless to choose between them. The Sony account is a bit more pointed and tart, the Arte Nova is a bit mellower in both performance and sound. I might lean slightly toward Bronfman in the Third and Fleisher in the Fourth, but not enough to make me choose one recording over the other. I have kept both and intend to keep both for a long, long time.
If I had to choose one to recommend over the other, it would be the Bronfman/Zinman on Pro Arte. Overall, its sound is better, and it is available for about half the price ($5 v. $10). But hey, the price of both combined is about the price of one full-price CD. Why not just get them both and have one you can loan to a friend (a nice alternative to digital piracy) from time to time? That way, everybody wins.
TL: These two CDs couldn't be more different. On the first CD you have two recordings, one made in 1959 and 1961 by a young Leon Fleisher and the esteemed George Szell and his Cleveland Orchestra. The second, a recent recording by the Uzbekistan-born pianist Yefim Bronfman and the esteemed David Zinman and his Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. Fleisher's is an incredible reading - it sounds as if ...
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Source: HighBeam Research, Double double.(THE MUSIC)(Ludwig van Beethoven, Nos. 3 and 4)(Sound...