Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5; Mozart: Piano Sonatas Nos. 11 & 17

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The purity and clarity of Solomon's piano playing are frequently described as "classical." But the power, drama, and emotional warmth of his playing might as easily be described as "romantic." This extraordinary "Emperor" Concerto, which was recorded for EMI in the early 1950s, when Solomon was at his peak, certainly has less in common with the interpretations of such classicists as Rudolf Serkin and Wilhelm Backhaus than with those of romanticists like Benno Moiseiwitsch and Arthur Rubinstein. There is the same physical beauty of the playing--gorgeous tone from top to bottom at all dynamic levels--and a kind of technique that makes playing the piano seem as natural as breathing. Solomon's tone is so lovely that one sometimes forgets--even in so fine an accompaniment as the pianist receives from Herbert Menges and the Philharmonia--that other musicians are present. There are very few pianists on record who have managed to play the solo instrument's final notes in the "Emperor" with such unpercussive brilliance and clarity. But with any genuinely great pianist, labels such as "classicist" and "romanticist" don't matter. Solomon's "Emperor"--all the more for its seeming spontaneity and naturalness--is distinguished by intelligence. When the ear is kept in continual expectation during so frequently performed and recorded a piece as the "Emperor," something special is happening. Solomon's playing in Mozart's Sonatas in A Major (K. 331) and D Major (K. 576) is just as special, filling out a flawless disc. --Stephen Wigler

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5; Mozart: Piano Sonatas Nos. 11 & 17, Music, Solomon, Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert Menges, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Music, Classical Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard, Concerto, Keyboard, Piano Concerto
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5; Mozart: Piano Sonatas Nos. 11 & 17
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Testament has done it again
 Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5; Mozart: Piano Sonatas Nos. 11 & 17
Solomon , Philharmonia Orchestra , and Herbert Menges
Manufacturer: Testament
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by BeethovenAll Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartAll Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
SonatinasSonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
PianoPiano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
SolomonSolomon | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4
  2. Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
  3. Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 26, 27 & 29
  4. Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 17, 18, 21 & 22
  5. Beethoven: Piano Sonatas: No. 7 in D, Op. 10, No. 3; No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 (Pathetique); No. 13 in E Flat, Op. 27, No. 1; No. 14 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 (Moonlight)

ASIN: B00005KCF6
Release Date: 2001-11-13

Amazon.com

The purity and clarity of Solomon's piano playing are frequently described as "classical." But the power, drama, and emotional warmth of his playing might as easily be described as "romantic." This extraordinary "Emperor" Concerto, which was recorded for EMI in the early 1950s, when Solomon was at his peak, certainly has less in common with the interpretations of such classicists as Rudolf Serkin and Wilhelm Backhaus than with those of romanticists like Benno Moiseiwitsch and Arthur Rubinstein. There is the same physical beauty of the playing--gorgeous tone from top to bottom at all dynamic levels--and a kind of technique that makes playing the piano seem as natural as breathing. Solomon's tone is so lovely that one sometimes forgets--even in so fine an accompaniment as the pianist receives from Herbert Menges and the Philharmonia--that other musicians are present. There are very few pianists on record who have managed to play the solo instrument's final notes in the "Emperor" with such unpercussive brilliance and clarity. But with any genuinely great pianist, labels such as "classicist" and "romanticist" don't matter. Solomon's "Emperor"--all the more for its seeming spontaneity and naturalness--is distinguished by intelligence. When the ear is kept in continual expectation during so frequently performed and recorded a piece as the "Emperor," something special is happening. Solomon's playing in Mozart's Sonatas in A Major (K. 331) and D Major (K. 576) is just as special, filling out a flawless disc. --Stephen Wigler

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Testament has done it again.......2004-01-09

Yes, testament has done it again. They released Solomon's wondrous Beethoven Piano Concerto cycle. The performances here are simply amazing. I've never heard anything like that before. I rank it among the very best interpretations of Beethoven's masterpiece I've ever heard. This is no mean statement considering I possess 14 complete Beethoven cycles (including all the famous ones - Pollini, Kempff, Perahia, Ashkenazy... you name it). Solomon was a child prodigy and it's so sad that his career was cut short by his illness. But thank goodness we have these preserved for us. You haven't heard Beethoven's piano concertos if you haven't heard Solomon here at his most incandescent.

Music Review:

  1. Bohemian Boulevard
  2. Brahms: Concerto No. 2
  3. Brahms: Symphony No. 1; Haydn Variations; Hungarian Dances
  4. Bright Sheng: China Dreams; Flute Moon; Postcards
  5. Buried Treasure
  6. Charlotte Gray (2001 Film) [Soundtrack]
  7. Chopin: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3; Scherzo No. 3 in C sharp minor
  8. Colors of Love
  9. DeCca Tear: 1955-1975 [Import]
  10. Dialogues With Double Bass

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Live in L.A. [Live] [Import]

Hanns Eisler: Documents

God in Russia: Chants From Monastery in Zagorsk

Bloom

Good Times [CD-single] [Import]

Holy Light

Juliana [Import]

Greatest Irish Bands [Enhanced]

James at 35

Ian Bostridge - J.S. Bach: Cantatas & Arias / Biondi, Europa Galante

Live at Birdland Neuberg [Live]

Conociendonos

De Parranda Con La Banda

Verdi: Arias, Vol. 1

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]