The Best Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto performer.

[alejo_90]

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.

[anda]

Gilels definitely, and also Clara Haskil has a stunning recording of this concerto.

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

best luck

[pianistimo]

ashkenazy comes to mind - but it's been a few years.  wish i had a recording of everyone and could compare again. 

[teresa_b]

I'm working on becoming my own favorite performer of it.   

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

[tompilk]

i have a vid of Helene Grimaud playing it... she isnt the best but she's very good...
Tom

[presto agitato]

Kempff here

[pabst]

Nelson Freire without blinking

[sharon_f]

Rudolph Serkin and Clifford Curzon.

[rob47]

helene grimaud

[jre58591]

zimerman, hands down. same goes forn the other beethoven concertos.

[apion]

Zimerman

[rohansahai]

Arrau owns it ...Gilels a close second.

[anschlag]

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.)

[da jake]

Schnabel w Malcom Sargent.
Gilels from the Russian Archives set

[Kassaa]

A bit random: Solomon.

[maxy]

not yet listed:  Gieseking has a nice one (early rec).

[tompilk]

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

[walking_encyclopedia]

fleischer

[viking]

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

[musik_man]

I've only hear Grimaud and Fleischer, but I put my vote for Fleischer.

[brahmsian]

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.

[viking]

HAH!  Yes, wasn't that great?  I drove from Saskatoon to hear him. 

[brahmsian]

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. 

[tompilk]

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

[xyz2006tor]

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.

[repeat]

By chance Rubinstein and Krips was the first version I heard of this concerto. Somehow no other recording has ever made the same impression.