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Who's your favourite performer of Beethoven's 4th?

Claudio Arrau
2 (7.4%)
Vladimir Ashkenazy
0 (0%)
Artur Rubinstein
2 (7.4%)
Wilhelm Backhaus
0 (0%)
Emil Gilels
5 (18.5%)
Alfred Brendel
2 (7.4%)
Maurizio Pollini
2 (7.4%)
Krystian Zimmermann
5 (18.5%)
Wilhelm Kempff
3 (11.1%)
Other (please specify)
6 (22.2%)

Total Members Voted: 27

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Topic: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.  (Read 4581 times)

Offline alejo_90

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The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
on: May 30, 2006, 03:50:39 AM
Hello !

I'm not sure but I think that Beethoven's fourth piano concerto is the most appreciated among the forum, so I opened this thread to see who's your favourite performer of it.

Mine is Gilels with Ludwig 1950's recording.

Cheers
Alex

PD. Has someone got the sheet music for the first movement? I' ve been looking for it on the Internet but I couldn't find it.


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Offline anda

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #1 on: May 30, 2006, 05:34:11 AM
Gilels definitely, and also Clara Haskil has a stunning recording of this concerto.

worst recording (i've ever heard) - Glenn Gould.

best luck
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Offline pianistimo

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #2 on: May 30, 2006, 10:22:35 AM
ashkenazy comes to mind - but it's been a few years.  wish i had a recording of everyone and could compare again. 

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Offline teresa_b

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #3 on: May 30, 2006, 12:32:34 PM
I'm working on becoming my own favorite performer of it.   ;D

Seriously, I am playing the Chamber Version next spring, and it is a huge challenge!  I vote for Gilels.  I think he captures the Romaticism of this piece without losing its subtleties. 

Teresa
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Offline tompilk

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #4 on: May 30, 2006, 01:49:14 PM
i have a vid of Helene Grimaud playing it... she isnt the best but she's very good...
Tom
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Offline presto agitato

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #5 on: May 30, 2006, 03:36:13 PM
Kempff here
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Offline pabst

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #6 on: May 30, 2006, 03:54:48 PM
Nelson Freire without blinking
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Offline sharon_f

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #7 on: May 30, 2006, 09:42:37 PM
Rudolph Serkin and Clifford Curzon.
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Offline rob47

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #8 on: May 30, 2006, 09:48:26 PM
helene grimaud :-[
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Offline jre58591

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #9 on: May 30, 2006, 10:09:20 PM
zimerman, hands down. same goes forn the other beethoven concertos.
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Offline apion

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #10 on: May 31, 2006, 02:59:56 AM
Zimerman
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Offline rohansahai

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #11 on: May 31, 2006, 07:58:43 AM
Arrau owns it ...Gilels a close second.
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Offline anschlag

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #12 on: June 01, 2006, 12:08:06 PM
For me Kempff in the 1950s recording with van Kempen. (His 60s version with Leitner is also fine, but not quite at the same level.)
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Offline da jake

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #13 on: June 01, 2006, 02:44:57 PM
Schnabel w Malcom Sargent.
Gilels from the Russian Archives set
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Offline Kassaa

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #14 on: June 01, 2006, 05:08:35 PM
A bit random: Solomon.
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Offline maxy

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #15 on: June 02, 2006, 01:37:34 PM
not yet listed:  Gieseking has a nice one (early rec).
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Offline tompilk

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #16 on: June 03, 2006, 07:42:42 PM
Quote from: rob47 on May 30, 2006, 09:48:26 PM
helene grimaud :-[
as i said, she isn't the best but decent... i think it could be worse... i only mentioned her because she hadn't been mentioned... michelangeli is good...
My own fav is Zimerman (sorry to follow everyone!)
Tom
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Offline walking_encyclopedia

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #17 on: June 04, 2006, 02:34:29 AM
fleischer
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Offline viking

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #18 on: June 05, 2006, 01:35:05 AM
Believe me, or dont believe me, but after seeing him live yesterday, Hamelin is at the very top of my list.  I will admit that I was very skeptical before the performance, having heard his Busoni Concerto live, I really didn't know how the Beethoven would compare to it.  However, Hamelin's interpretation was quite refreshing, and I have a whole new respect for him.

Sam
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Offline musik_man

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #19 on: June 05, 2006, 02:17:41 AM
I've only hear Grimaud and Fleischer, but I put my vote for Fleischer.
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Offline brahmsian

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #20 on: June 05, 2006, 02:18:47 AM
Quote from: viking on June 05, 2006, 01:35:05 AM
Believe me, or dont believe me, but after seeing him live yesterday, Hamelin is at the very top of my list.  I will admit that I was very skeptical before the performance, having heard his Busoni Concerto live, I really didn't know how the Beethoven would compare to it.  However, Hamelin's interpretation was quite refreshing, and I have a whole new respect for him.

Sam

Did you see him in Edmonton? If so I was at that concert as well.
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Offline viking

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #21 on: June 07, 2006, 03:00:48 PM
HAH!  Yes, wasn't that great?  I drove from Saskatoon to hear him. 
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Offline brahmsian

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #22 on: June 07, 2006, 06:40:23 PM
Quote from: viking on June 07, 2006, 03:00:48 PM
HAH!  Yes, wasn't that great?  I drove from Saskatoon to hear him. 

Wow that's quite the hike. Hamelin's interp was interesting, I definetly enjoyed it. I talked with him for around 5 minutes at the intermission about his upcoming recordings and got some CDs autographed. Apparently his new recording of the Alkan Solo Concerto isn't being released yet becuase he hasn't decided on the filler for the rest of the disc. 
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Offline tompilk

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #23 on: June 16, 2006, 10:46:20 PM
Quote from: brahmsian on June 07, 2006, 06:40:23 PM
Wow that's quite the hike. Hamelin's interp was interesting, I definetly enjoyed it. I talked with him for around 5 minutes at the intermission about his upcoming recordings and got some CDs autographed. Apparently his new recording of the Alkan Solo Concerto isn't being released yet becuase he hasn't decided on the filler for the rest of the disc. 
awww!!! the old alkan concerto sounds so tinny! That disc didnt have any fillers, so why does this one need one? Is it Hyperion policy? lol...
I wish I could meet him, but his UK concerts seem few and far between... wen I'm older ill travel to the USA to see him!
Tom
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Offline xyz2006tor

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #24 on: June 19, 2006, 12:12:18 AM
I'm really surprised only 1 person mentioned Fleisher. And believe it or not, Lang Lang is a great interpreter of this concerto. If it wasn't for Lang Lang, I would not like this concerto...at all.
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Offline repeat

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Re: The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.
Reply #25 on: June 19, 2006, 08:16:37 AM
By chance Rubinstein and Krips was the first version I heard of this concerto. Somehow no other recording has ever made the same impression.
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