Another trip into the Emperor Concerto, this time with Ashkenazy, not a disc i've played a lot, so it's still early days with delving into this version, but i can certainly say that these are robust solid readings, presenting Beethoven as a revolutionary, Solti's ideas sound exactly like Ashkenazy's ideas when he conducts, and again i must admit that i just can't get bored of this work, or seemingly get overexposed to it, in the three years of my Blog [36 months], this is now the fifteenth time this work has appeared, so roughly every two months i guess, but there again it is the greatest Piano Concerto ever written, so it's easily swallowed up in my love for it, the other work on this disc, his Piano Concerto 2 was also surprisingly wonderful too, long live Beethoven.
Vladimir Ashkenazy is Russian, he's now 75, but he made this recording way back in 1972 when he was 35, the booklet cover shows two photographs, the one of Ashkenazy [by Mike Evans], and the other of Solti [by Patrick Lichfield], it's the lettering that creates nice colours, and the whole front cover is pleasing.
And on this listen it was the heavenly slow movement that i found so arresting, it still amazes me that Beethoven had the power to write such music of profound depth, it's one of his greatest slow movements ever, the orchestral introduction sets the scene / mood [0:00-1:50], it creates a mood of relaxation for me, i can feel myself floating away to a better place, the very opening has the deep bass playing pizzicato, a nice little touch, the movement is in B Major, and when Ashkenazy comes in [1:47+], the whole thing is complete, i must admit that Ashkenazy seems to ring those treble notes a little too loud [3:31+], and the mesmerising / hypnotic hold of dreaminess is slightly broken, a more restrained approach would have worked better, and elsewhere he seems a little heavy handed too, there are passages that are just so perfect, where Beethoven can transport us to another world, especially the piano variation of the orchestral opening [5:04-5:47], and later another variation on the same tune, this time the woodwinds play the tune [6:26+], while the piano accompanies with delicious filler notes, and it's in this guise that the whole thing winds down into the bass, getting ready for the exuberant final movement, wow that really transports me for a good 8 minutes, lovely stuff.
Here's the young Vladimir Ashkenazy playing the Beethoven Fifth on YouTube, Bernard Haitink conducting, the slow movement starts at [21:10].
And on this listen it was the heavenly slow movement that i found so arresting, it still amazes me that Beethoven had the power to write such music of profound depth, it's one of his greatest slow movements ever, the orchestral introduction sets the scene / mood [0:00-1:50], it creates a mood of relaxation for me, i can feel myself floating away to a better place, the very opening has the deep bass playing pizzicato, a nice little touch, the movement is in B Major, and when Ashkenazy comes in [1:47+], the whole thing is complete, i must admit that Ashkenazy seems to ring those treble notes a little too loud [3:31+], and the mesmerising / hypnotic hold of dreaminess is slightly broken, a more restrained approach would have worked better, and elsewhere he seems a little heavy handed too, there are passages that are just so perfect, where Beethoven can transport us to another world, especially the piano variation of the orchestral opening [5:04-5:47], and later another variation on the same tune, this time the woodwinds play the tune [6:26+], while the piano accompanies with delicious filler notes, and it's in this guise that the whole thing winds down into the bass, getting ready for the exuberant final movement, wow that really transports me for a good 8 minutes, lovely stuff.
Here's the young Vladimir Ashkenazy playing the Beethoven Fifth on YouTube, Bernard Haitink conducting, the slow movement starts at [21:10].
