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Beethoven: Piano Concertos No 1 & 2 / Vogt, Rattle


Release Date: 02/06/2007 
Label:  Emi Classics   Catalog #: 72462   Spars Code: DDD 
Composer:  Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Lars Vogt
Conductor:  Simon Rattle
Orchestra/Ensemble:  City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1 
Recorded in: Stereo 
Length: 1 Hours 6 Mins. 

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Notes and Editorial Reviews

These performances were awarded Gramophone's "Recording of the Month" for March 1997. 3060320.az_BEETHOVEN_Piano_Concertos_1.html

BEETHOVEN Piano Concertos: No. 1; No. 2 • Lars Vogt (pn); Simon Rattle, cond; City of Birmingham SO • EMI 72462 (66:12)


The first two piano concertos of Beethoven stand apart from the remaining three as works of vigor, humor, and youthfulness. That spirit is brilliantly captured in these Read more recordings from 1995, when Vogt was but 25, and the not-yet-knighted Rattle possessed a mop of still darkened hair (as opposed to the post-Stokowskian explosion he currently sports). You can tell from the opening notes of the Concerto No. 1, delivered in hushed tones that seem to smile like a mischievous child about to pounce with glee upon an unsuspecting passerby, that this is a special performance. Rattle made his name by taking a provincial orchestra and putting them on the map, and they certainly sound world-class here; alert, polished and exuding vivacity. Vogt’s nimble passagework and almost nonchalant excitement are in sync with this appropriately jovial point of view. Of course, there is plenty of competition for Vogt and Rattle in this repertoire, even at this budget-priced level. The Perahia/Haitink recording, on budget Sony, is easy to recommend. I recently heard the incandescent Martha Argerich in the Concerto No. 2, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and that glorious sound still haunts my memory, but her DG recording is expensive. In any case, you are not going to do any better than this current re-release at any price, considering as well that it is captured in bright and realistic sound.


FANFARE: Peter Burwasser
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Works on This Recording

1. Concerto for Piano no 1 in C major, Op. 15 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Lars Vogt (Piano)
Conductor:  Simon Rattle
Orchestra/Ensemble:  City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Period: Classical 
Written: 1795; Vienna, Austria 
 Date of Recording: 10/1995 
Venue:  Butterworth Hall, University of Warwick 
Length: 37 Minutes 15 Secs. 
2. Concerto for Piano no 2 in B flat major, Op. 19 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Lars Vogt (Piano)
Conductor:  Simon Rattle
Orchestra/Ensemble:  City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Period: Classical 
Written: 1793/1798; Vienna, Austria 
 Date of Recording: 10/1995 
Venue:  Butterworth Hall, University of Warwick 
Length: 28 Minutes 47 Secs. 

Sound Samples

Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr.1 C-Dur Op.15: I. Allegro con brio
Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr.1 C-Dur Op.15: II. Largo
Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr.1 C-Dur Op.15: III. Rondo: Allegro
Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr.2 B-Dur Op.19: I. Allegro con brio
Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr.2 B-Dur Op.19: II. Adagio
Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr.2 B-Dur Op.19: III. Rondo: Allegro molto

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review:  ( 1 Customer Review )
 recommend November 2, 2013 By nicholas e. (Farmington, NM) See All My Reviews "Fans of Beethoven’s first two piano concertos will enjoy these performances. This is a good introduction for those lucky ones just discovering them." Report Abuse
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