This is a lovely recording to own, Brendel is a real master with Beethoven, and it's good to have his Fifth on a single disc, with a logical coupling of the Piano Fantasia, an underestimated work, the recording is lively and present, it's surprising to realize it's over 35 years old, Haitink seems to have recorded this work with everyone [Perahia, Schiff, Arrau etc], and Brendel himself has also recorded it multiple times [Haitink, Rattle, Levine, Mehta etc], a real favourite of his, i played this recording early in my Blog in 2010 [13th February 2010].
Alfred Brendel is Austrian, yet born in Czechoslovakia, he has been living in London for years, and is a British Citizen, he made this recording in 1976, he's now retired, and has left us with some wonderful recordings, especially Schubert, the front cover photo [by Alecio De Andrade] is a nice portrait, i like these Insignia Series recordings, a clever and wonderful idea, the box with the lettering is always inspired, nicely laid out and clear, and the colour schemes are always great, this one has Brendel leaning up against some porch post, nice and casual, the background and three dimensional-ness is great.
The whole of this Concerto is just fantastic, and yet i found it getting better and better as i listened to it, after the tremendous first movement, the second movement Adagio is so heavenly, delicate and melting, but it was in the last movement, a real tour de force of joy, that things came alive for me, there's a free flowing feel of unbuttoned spontaneity from Brendel,
Here's Daniel Barenboim playing the third movement on YouTube.
