Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Neeme Järvi, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra :: Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3

A musical rollercoaster ride

Jeffrey Jones | Northern California, USA | 05/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The two other reviews already given to this disc underline the most prominent quality of this disc: the first movement of the Second Concerto is absolutely breathtaking. A quiet, contemplative mood at the beginning flows into an Allegretto with a spirit of adventure, before returning to the material from the opening. But this time it's also the beginning of an extended, nearly six-minute solo piano cadenza which gradually builds intensity. The writing grows more and more complex, the difficulties pile on top of one another, until finally there is an amazingly powerful moment of release, rightly marked 'colossale' in the score. I'm usually sweating and out of breath by the time Gutierrez has finished! Finally, following a cymbal crash, the quiet mood of the opening returns, signaling the end of the drama and ending the movement in the same sorrowful mood as it began.



From there, it never gets quite as exciting again. The rest of the concerto seems a tad flat, but then again, anything would be a letdown after such a moving outflow of emotion. Furthermore, as the storm of the first movement on the disc fades into the memory, the quality of the playing sinks in that much more. The cooperation between pianist and conductor is almost telepathic. The phrasing matches, the balance is superb, and the rhythms are always exactly in synch. From beginning to end, every performer is flawless. This is an amazingly committed performance of a concerto that is still fresh, and deserves to be played more often.



The Third Concerto is not quite so fresh; there are heaps of recordings out there. My favorite is Prokofiev's own recording, available on the Naxos Historical label, which is about five minutes faster than anyone else and gleefully impetuous. The orchestra can barely keep up with his unpredictable shifts in tempo and mood. By comparison, most other recordings, including this one, sound a bit too straight and predictable. That's not to say that no one else should play it, though. What Gutierrez and Jarvi do best in this recording is underline the Latin flavor of a few specific sections. When the imperative is on the rhythm of the dance, they get it exactly right. And the perpetual-motion feeling of the finale is always a great visceral thrill - the Prokofiev Third is one of the surest ways to thrill and delight an audience, even a stuffy one like myself.



This is near the top of my playlist. Highly recommended."

The Greatest Prokofiev Concerto Coupling in the Catalogue

C. Pontus T. | SE/Asia | 08/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the greatest piano concertos in the repertoire, one of the greatest orchestras in the world, one of the greatest Prokofiev conductors, one of the most perfect combinations of detailed and atmospheric sound, and by far the greatest realisation of the fiendishly demanding piano part--these are the basic ingredients of one greatest piano concerto recordings of the stereo era.



Am I perhaps exaggerating? Of course, this review widely opens itself to such questioning. I am sure the Greatest Piano Concerto accolade can be debated indefinitely. That said, anyone willing to acknowledge the inclusion of the Prokofiev Second in the shortlist would find it hard disputing the greatness of this recording--leaving all others behind with a substantial margin. Perhaps are Krainev/Kitaenko (Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5) almost as idiomatic and Toradze/Gergiev (Prokofiev: The Five Piano Concertos) nearly as exciting. However, it is the combination of both these characteristics, together with all the above-listed traits, that makes Gutierrez and Järvi's Prokofiev Second unforgettable.



Examples are not really needed--just turn on the first track and become instantly bewitched by the magical suspense of the first movement opening, try the first climax of the gargantuan Cadenza (at 8:07) that for once is taken in tempo, switch to the Scherzo where Gutierrez's unison runs are painted with an unusual range of colours, then the perfectly balanced and paced grotesquerie of the Intermezzo (it does indeed help to have the RCO caught in demonstration sound to bring out the beauty of this imaginative near-cacophony), and conclude with the somewhat incoherent Finale (on the other hand, how to possibly match the remarkable first movement?) that is milked for all its worth.



Had Gutierrez/Järvi's Third equaled the greatness of their Second, this disc would have been virtually unbeatable. Unquestionably, they do turn in an exceedingly good performance, even though the impetus, spontaneity and sense of discovery that permeate Argerich/Abbado's 1967 rendition remain unsurpassed. Nonetheless, apart from Toradze/Gergiev's blistering first movement, Gutierrez/Järvi present the closest alternative to Argerich/Abbado--with a particularly beautiful second movement (listen to the poise and tranquility of Variation IV, Andante meditativo, at 3:51--again, the RCO and engineering are glorious).



These performances are also available in a 2-disc set of Prokofiev's five Piano Concertos, with Boris Berman as soloist in the First, Fourth and Fifth (Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 4 & 5). Even if these are miles from Gutierrez's Second and Third, they still provide good enough a contribution to make up the preferred choice for a complete set (recently reissued at 2-for-1 price--Sergey Prokofiev: Piano Concertos). As a coupling of the two greatest Prokofiev Concertos, Gutierrez/Järvi find little, if any, competition from Kissin/Ashkenazy (Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3) or Demidenko/Lazarev (Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos 2 & 3). Again, the sound caught in May 1990 at the Concertgebouw is in the demonstration bracket, with one of the most lifelike reproductions of the piano instrument ever.



Before I acquired this disc some ten years ago, I had never heard of Cuban-born Horacio Gutierrez. However, this record alone is enough to award him a place in the premier league of pianists. His Rachmaninov Third with Maazel confirms he does indeed belong there (Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3).



TIMINGS: Second--10:59, 2:28, 6:40, 10:59; Third--8:59, 8:57, 9:15



REFERENCES: Second--This One; Third--Argerich/Abbado (Prokofiev, Ravel: Piano Concertos, etc / Martha Argerich)"

Gutierrez realization of the Prokofiev piano concertos Nos.

Gary A. Paul | Gainesville, Florida | 05/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although I'm not a musicologist, I have heard several versions of both these wonderful works and in my view, both of these, with the world-class Concertgebouw Orchestra & Horacio Gutierrez as soloist are the best. For one, the accompanying orchestra is simply one of the world's greaest, and for another, Gutierrez understands these pieces like no-one else I've heard play them. Gutierrez' technical mastery of the music is evident throughout and his lyrical and nuanced performances are a revelation. I'm especially pleased by the close mesh between orchestra and piano, with what I'd regard as a perfect synthesis of orchestral parts with those of the soloist. The beautiful and unusual tone colors produced by this synthesis are lost when the dynamic balance between orchestra and soloist is off--which is unfortunately too common in most recordings I've heard of these two works.



I've wanted this recording since I first borrowed it from our local public library years ago and am very happy to have finally obtained it. You will not be disappointed, and in fact, after one--or at most two--hearings of these realizations, other versions will just annoy."