Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5

• Main performer: Georges Pludermacher
• Booklet languages: French, English
• Time: 167:57
• Release Date: 2006

Review

The name Georges Pludermacher is widely recognizable as the primary accompanist for several pillars of the violin community, namely Ivry Gitlis and Nathan Milstein. Many of the skills that made him such a sought-after accompanist translate into many very fine recordings as a solo artist. This recording of the complete Beethoven piano concertos is no exception. Together with the Orchestre de Bretagne under the direction of Moshe Atzmon, Pludermacher offers a highly nuanced, unassuming performance with noticeable attention paid to the details Beethoven wrote into the score. Pludermacher's playing on his specially created Bluthner piano is at once powerful and delicate; inner voices are delightfully present, ornaments sparkle, and voicing within forte sections is full and powerful without becoming forceful. In the first four concertos, Pludermacher's choice of tempos is consistent with what one might expect. The Fifth Concerto, however, deviates somewhat from what listeners might be used to. The second movement (Adagio un poco mosso) clocks in at a mere seven minutes, considerably more brisk than the lugubrious, drawn-out passion that typically characterizes this movement. By contrast, the finale is markedly slower than usual. This has the unfortunate effect of making the entire concerto seem "mezzo everything," with insufficient differences between the movements. Still, the clean, detailed, and unpretentious nature of the first four concertos makes this three-CD set completely worthwhile. ~ Mike D. Brownell, Rovi

Performances

Composer	Title	Time
Ludwig van Beethoven	Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15	32:15
Ludwig van Beethoven	Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19	28:33
Ludwig van Beethoven	Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37	34:22
Ludwig van Beethoven	Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58	32:59
Ludwig van Beethoven	Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major ("Emperor"), Op. 73	39:48

Previous:	Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-4; Piano Sonata No. 14
Next:	Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5 [Hybrid SACD] [Germany]