![]() | asin: B00000DH4T binding: Audio CD list price: $8.99 USD amazon price: $35.20 USD |
Not many people know that Beethoven actually turned his one and only Violin Concerto into a piano concerto. Most critics and musical scholars have had a good time trashing the arrangement (what other opportunities do you get for dumping on Beethoven, after all?), but the fact is that it's no better or worse than any number of similar things that Bach did routinely, and it's fun to hear it once and a while. And one crucial element--the first-movement cadenza--has actually yielded valuable information to violinists regarding what Beethoven himself would have done with this theoretically improvised passage. Coupled with the not-quite-so-unknown Triple Concerto--both works are played with real eloquence by all concerned--here's a Beethoven disc that deserves a place in most collections. And at the Naxos price, this is a bargain in the best sense. --David Hurwitz
![]() | asin: B000CS85J8 binding: Audio CD |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
(1833-1897).
Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor Op.15:
1 - I. Maestro
2 - II. Adagio
3 - I. Rondo: Allegro non troppo.
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827).
Piano Sonata No.21 in C minor Op.53 "Waldstein":
4 - I. Allegro con brio
5 - II. Introdizione: Adagio molto
6 - III. Rondo: Allegretto moderato Prestissimo.
CLAUDIO ARRAU, piano.
The Philarmonia Orchestra,
BASIL CAMERON.
![]() | asin: B000003CYP binding: Audio CD list price: $9.98 USD amazon price: $22.58 USD |
How many times have you heard a child in the other room playing--or attempting to play--Beethoven's "Für Elise" or Edward MacDowell's "To a wild rose"? Well, here you get these and 16 more all-time favorite little gems, performed to unaffected, unpretentious perfection--a real treat for anyone who's ever labored over piano lessons, and anyone, child or adult, who loves piano music.
![]() | asin: B0001RVQM8 binding: Audio CD list price: $6.98 USD amazon price: $5.97 USD |
Biss, who has been getting much attention in the American music world, makes his recording debut at the age of 23 with a challenging program. He wisely places the Beethoven Fantasy first. To many listeners, this unfamiliar piece, written in the style of an improvisation, will be an arresting introduction to the program. To those familiar with the music, Biss's compelling intensity will demonstrate his credentials: here is a pianist with something to say. Competition in the other two works is stronger, and you can't say Biss blows it away. But his Schumann is strongly and expressively played, with almost the ultimate amount of contrast you want in this wild music. The Beethoven Sonata, performed here with all the necessary repeats, has been recorded by dozens of famous pianists. Biss is already somewhere in the top echelon, bringing drama and excitement to the music. Someday he may play the finale even more powerfully, but he already causes plenty of tingles. At EMI's "Debut" series super-bargain price, this disc would be worth having even if all you want is the Beethoven Fantasy. --Leslie Gerber
![]() | author: Beethoven asin: B000LRYPOY binding: Digital list price: $5.95 USD amazon price: $5.95 USD |
Downloadable sheet music file