Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Ferdinand Leitner, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra :: Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 4 & 5 / Kempff, Leitner

Best Performance of the Concertos Ever !

Walter O. Koenig | San Diego, California, USA | 12/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This incredible recording of Piano Concertos No.4 and No.5 was recorded in 1961 and released as two LP's in 1962. The performances show both Kempff, and the Berliner Philharmoniker under the direction of Ferdinand Leitner, at their best. Fluid, graceful, yet forceful. Absolutely no hesitation. You can feel the confidence of the musicians. Kempff's cadenzas were never equalled. The sound of the LP's was, as I remember, not too good. The remastering of the CD on the other hand is nothing short of a miracle. I do not know how they did it. You would swear that this was recorded in the last few years. Beethoven's Piano Concertos are amazing to hear, especially when you listen to all five in a row. No.1 is already excellent. One hears the infulence of Mozart in the first movement, but by the third movement, Beethoven has entered territory previously unentered, and arguably never entered again. Amazingly, each successive Concerto builds on the previous. I only wish that there were more !This CD, was originally part of a Series that also included Concertos No.1-3 which are excellent as well. Why DG only has made No's 4 and 5 available in the U.S. is a complete mystery to me. No's 1-4 are available in Germany on two CD Set as "The Complete Pano Concertso Vol.1", DG # 459-400-2, and I can really recommend seeking them out, because they are the best recordings ever made of the Piano Beethoven's Concertos. After you buy these Beethoven Concertos, you will not find better. If you do, I'd like to know. Email me."

Excellent performances from Kempff

cdsullivan@massed.net | Cambridge, MA USA | 03/21/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Wilhelm Kempff, a pianist who could at times be very eccentric, is at his most satisfyingly straightforward in these 1962 recordings. He is particularly well-suited to the Fourth Concerto, because it is the most introverted concerto Beethoven ever wrote and thus is well-suited to Kempff's introverted, introspective style of playing. The famous solo opening is wonderfully expressive, and the entire performance is just as satisfying. It is only in the finale that I feel Kempff's playing lacks anything: Kempff's fine performance doesn't have the festive character and rhythmic drive of Pollini, Böhm and the Vienna Philharmonic, also on DG. Overall, though, it is a very fine performance.The E-flat Concerto, the "Emperor," is more problematic. As I mentioned, Kempff has a very introverted style which is not so well suited to the brilliant, heroic works of Beethoven's middle period, such as the "Waldstein" and "Appassionata" Sonatas and this concerto. These works call for a fiery temperament and brilliant sound Kempff doesn't or can't produce. My benchmark in these works, and especially in the "Emperor" Concerto, is Pollini, whose astonishing technique and brilliant playing are ideal for middle-period Beethoven. A simple comparison of the opening cadenza in Kempff's and Pollini's versions will prove my point: Kempff's beautiful tone and clean articulation are topped by Pollini's brilliance and strength. That shouldn't imply that Pollini's performances aren't beautiful or clean, because they are, in the extreme. A comparison of the slow movements of each version will prove this point. Kempff's performance is very flowing and very beautiful, but it misses the stillness and profundity of Pollini's more spacious, spiritual reading. Pollini is undoubtedly helped here by the glorious accompaniment of Karl Böhm, one of the greatest conductors of the twentieth century. Ferdinand Leitner is an excellent accompanist but he's obviously not in Böhm's class. The fabulous finale, with its excruciatingly difficult left-hand part, is given an entirely competent performance by Kempff, but Pollini's astonishing technique, and again, his rhythmic drive and brilliant, festive character completely overshadow Kempff.The snag is that at the moment Pollini's performances are only available in Volume II of the Complete Beethoven Edition, a five-CD set. So if you want excellent versions of the last two Beethoven piano concertos without having to spend sixty dollars, I recommend you invest in these excellent performances from Kempff."

Splendid!

Darryl Roberson | Dallas, Texas | 02/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Outstanding performances of these two favorite piano concerti. Kempff's playing seemed flawless, his instrument sounded great (what do the critics say, "pearly?"), and the orchestral accompaniment was marvellous. Much has been said about the 4th and the Kempff's own cadenzas, so I'll make a few brief comments about the Emporer, and this by way of comparison.



I've always been fond of Szell/Fleisher and Kovacevich/Davis in this repertoire. As much as it pains me to criticize the incomparable Szell, I find Leitner's accompaniment more sympathetic with the soloist. On the other hand, I've always preferred the Szell/Cleveland sound in Beethoven to most others. Kempff's playing sounds more confident and mature than the young Fleisher's. Of particular note was Fleischer's rhythmic articulation in the third movement where he did not come clean.



Kovacevich's Emperor is outstanding, and his pianism is perhaps the most exciting of all. However, I was disappointed with his choice of dynamics in the slow movement--much too soft. I believe the Penguin/Gramophone reviewers (particularly EG) reverently refer to this as "hushed, rapt, intensity," but for me it ruined what would have otherwise been a definitive account. Kempff's slow movement was beautifully pronounced, if perhaps a shade faster than that to which I am accustomed.



All the recordings have pros and cons: Szell--some distortion in a few places but overall very good for its age, Kovacevich--the piano sounded thin (Philips should have put this on the new 24-bit Philips 50 label instead of Arrau's), Kempff--a little fuzzy in a few areas, but the best of the lot.



In sum, all versions discussed are collector's items, with Szell's orchestral sound being my favorite, and Kovavevich's piano the most exhilarating. But all in all, Kempff/Leitner is the favorite."