Search - Edvard Grieg, Raymond Leppard, Colin Davis :: The Best of Grieg

Wonderful collection....Plus a superb concerto

kv581 | Durham, NC United States | 08/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like previous reviewers had all said, this is a fine set of CDs to introduce yourself to Grieg. What they failed to state, however, is how fortunate we are to have this particular recording of the piano concerto included among the other works. Why? The Kovacevich/Davic/BBCSO recording of the concerto is one the best performances of this work available. As he does in his distinguished set of Beethoven piano concertos, Kovacevich displays not only great virtuosity but also an excellent understanding of the music. Look elsewhere in the catalog, and you'll see that for the price you pay here you can probably only get the piano concerto coupled with some other concerto and maybe small fillers if you are lucky. Nowhere else will you again encounter this opportunity of getting some of Grieg's most popular works AND one of the most riveting performances of the piano concerto (which is, by the way, a work in the standard piano repetoire). Grab these two CDs as soon as you can. The remastered analog sound is as sumptuous as ever, if the 1970s recording dates are keeping you back."

WAS A GRIEG A PIANO COMPOSER ONLY?

Luke Keppler | 03/18/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This collection is superb for the type of listener who has just been introduced to classical music. If you are, however, an avid classical music fan, in particular - a fan of Grieg - then this is not really the collection for you. The CD's do of course contain the piano concerto, Peer Gynt suites, the Holberg suite. However, it would have been nice to have seen some of Grieg's love songs on the collection. Most of the collection is extremely piano orientated.The piano concerto is given a very fine performance. The soloist in question really gets to grips with the technical brilliance, and the expression of the music itself. Listen in particular to the first movement cadenza. And the ferociously difficult finale. Just to sum up, this collection is a brilliant INTRODUCTION to Grieg. However, if you're already advanced into Grieg's musical output then try something more adventurous. The choice, however, remains yours!"

An Excellent Introductory Set

kv581 | 05/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a classical music neophyte and thoroughly enjoy this compilation. While he is not my favorite composer, many of Grieg's pieces are refreshing and timeless. I'm not an expert on the quality of the orchestral translation, but it sounds good to me. Hopefully the experienced classical reviewers will have mercy on this evaluation, but if you're looking for an intro to Grieg, this is great."