Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4/Overture, Op. 34

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
This is the Prokofiev concerto cycle for the digital age. Yefim Bronfman relishes every steely flourish of this brilliant and angular music. His performance of the Second Concerto, Prokofiev's best but not most popular, really does achieve transcendent greatness. The first movement features a "cadenza from hell"--a solo section comprising almost half the movement--that has to be heard to be believed. Bronfman flies through it, fingers sweeping the keyboard to the point where you fear for the health of his piano. The Fourth Concerto is for left hand only and is the least well known of the five. Bronfman makes the best possible case for it, and the charming overture is a delightful bonus. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 16: I. Andantino
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 16: II. Scherzo. Vivace
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 16: III. Intermezzo. Allegro moderato
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 16: IV. Finale. Allegro tempestoso
Concerto For Piano (Left Hand) And Orchestra No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 53: I. Vivace
Concerto For Piano (Left Hand) And Orchestra No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 53: II. Andante
Concerto For Piano (Left Hand) And Orchestra No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 53: III. Moderato
Concerto For Piano (Left Hand) And Orchestra No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 53: IV. Vivace
Overture On Hebrew Themes For Clarinet, String Quartet And Piano, Op. 34

Amazon.com essential recording

This is the Prokofiev concerto cycle for the digital age. Yefim Bronfman relishes every steely flourish of this brilliant and angular music. His performance of the Second Concerto, Prokofiev's best but not most popular, really does achieve transcendent greatness. The first movement features a "cadenza from hell"--a solo section comprising almost half the movement--that has to be heard to be believed. Bronfman flies through it, fingers sweeping the keyboard to the point where you fear for the health of his piano. The Fourth Concerto is for left hand only and is the least well known of the five. Bronfman makes the best possible case for it, and the charming overture is a delightful bonus. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Prokofiev 2nd - Surprised was not better.......2007-03-11

I purchased this mostly for the Prokofiev 2nd which is one of my favorites. I am not a big fan of the Prokofiev 4th, thus my comments are limited to the 2nd.

Prior to purchasing the CD, I had the chance to hear Bronfman play the Prokofiev 2nd at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC with the National Symphony Orchestra (with whom he also performed the 3rd on another date.) In the live performances, Bronfman's playing was far more vivacious and less studious than on this recording. As others have noted, Bronfman takes the piece too much in stride, and the orchestra also is just going through the paces. On the plus side, the quality of the recording is well balanced between orchestra and piano which is a challenge given the dynamics of the piece.

As for being the best available recording of the 2nd, I would put it behind the Gutierrez/Jarvi/Royal Concertgebouw recording still available on Chandos. Shura Cherkassky's performance with the London Philharmonic (BBC recording)is also available and more satisfying even if he does miss a few notes and invent a few others along the way (he was age 80+ at the time).

As for the best recording of the 2nd, my vote goes for Jorge Bolet's performance with the Cincinnati Orchestra which was issued on a Remington LP in the 1950's and (re-released on Turnabout in the 1970's). Bolet and conductor Thor Johnson provide a whirlwind performance that at times is over the top, but totally engaging from start to finish. I wish someone would rediscover those tapes and reissue it.

Amazon reviewer makes bold statement..........2005-12-10

....and is dead on; while Prokofiev's 2nd concerto lacks the sophistication and compositional genius of the 3rd it is superior for two reasons: 1) it is more idiomatic 2) it is more personal. The audience was utterly baffled at the premiere, the world shocked, why? just listen! who else writes like this? Not only is this a prime example of Prokofiev's iconoclastic style - a romp through a truly gothic sound world -- but it is also one of his most personal, a romantic concerto written by an anti-romantic in response to a friends letter that stated, "I've written to tell you the latest news: I've shot myself. The reasons are unimportant." It lacks sophistication because it is barbaric, raw and utterly tempestuous.

Bromfman is not a risk taker (Pogorelich), a method actor (Richter), nor a character actor (Rubenstein); Bromfman basically plays what's on the page like Ashkenazy albeit in this case with the requisite gravitas. It's unfortunate the demand for this concerto has not fueled more interpretation; for the time being this really is the only worthwhile recording.

Lacklustre, indeed.......2004-12-19

I used to like these performances, but over time it has begun to appear to me that they aren't that good. Bronfman's technique so easily matches Prokofiev's challenges that he sounds almost bored with them. I don't see why Hurwitz thinks Bronfman's piano is in danger, if you consider that he rips through the music so effortlessly and, indeed, with little interest. By contrast, try Alexander Toradze's hyper-furious take on the G minor. He makes things too elephantine perhaps, but it's more interesting than what we get here.

lackluster but well recorded.......2004-04-17

i've admired bronfman's playing primarily through the beautiful series of chamber discs he recorded with mintz; against that standard these prokofiev concertos are a disappointment. the overall approach is surprisingly literal and metronomic, with a lack of lyrical fire or virtuosic ice, and tempos (especially in the outer movements) that are slower than usual. soloist and conductor seem to play in parallel rather than in close partnership. (it's as if bronfman and mehta were thrown into the studio without enough rehearsal time.) all the keyboard notes are perfectly in place, and the orchestral detail is exceptionally clear, but these are recordings better suited for studying the performance score than for encountering the full range of prokofiev's unique poetry.

Best Prokofiev Recording Available.......2001-08-02

Yefim Bronfman & Zubin Mehta have joined forces to produce one of the best recordings of any Prokofiev work. In particular, the 2nd Piano Concerto is as fine a recording as you are ever likely to hear, of anything. Clear, clean, superbly performed and immaculately recorded, it is virtually flawless. Mr. Bronfman's cadenzas are nothing short of spectacular, and the piano as recorded is as clear as if you were playing it yourself. One of the great all-time discs, this is certainly the definitive version of these pieces, majestically paced and emotionally and technically perfect. Highly recommended.