Grieg, Schumann – Piano Concertos (APE)

Audio CD
SPARS Code: A-D
Number of Discs: 1
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Philips
Size: 258 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

# Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
Composed by Edvard Grieg
Performed by BBC Symphony Orchestra
with Stephen Bishop Kovacevich
Conducted by Sir Colin Davis

# Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
Composed by Robert Schumann
Performed by BBC Symphony Orchestra
with Stephen Bishop Kovacevich
Conducted by Sir Colin Davis

Amazing

Mr. Kwok said it all, so I’ll try not to reiterate too much. But “fiery, powerful performances” is indeed the adjective phrase to describe this CD. This is the Grieg and Schumann piano concertos on Dexedrine; although these performances have more or less the same tempi and phrasing as other interpretations, the orchestral and solo playing is no-holds-barred, tightly controlled power. I have minor qualms with some small phrases; e.g., there’s much less ritardando at the end of the first movement of the Grieg concerto than I’m used to. However, Davis and Kovacevich made up for this with their brilliant portrayal of the second movement of that concerto, in which the lush piano chords seem suspended almost lovingly in midair. Overall, this CD leaves me with no need to listen to other interpretations of these concertos; in fact, the others I used to listen to sound almost anemic now. An excellent CD that was well worth reissuing and is well worth buying.