Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer: Gina Bachauer
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Antal Dorati, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Mercury
Size: 307 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58: I. Allegro moderato
02. Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58: II. Andante con moto
03. Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58: III. Rondo. Vivace
04. Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 “Emperor”: I. Allegro
05. Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 “Emperor”: II. Adagio un poco mosso
06. Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 “Emperor”: III. Rondo. Allegro
excellent
These performances join hallowed company. They are pianistically pellucid and sonically sensational, I think. Bachauer articulates every note. Try the orchestral re-entry after in coda of #4/1 in which Bachauer’s left hand is as audible as that of Arrau with Haitink and Munch. She plays with appropriate delicacy and power in both concerti, entering the rarefied ether of Serkin/Ormandy/Sony 1965 and Curzon/Knappertsbusch/Decca. The fourth concerto sounds flawless, as do the first two movements of the Emperor. I would prefer the finale about one minute quicker,however. Both Dorati and Skrowaczewski are excellent, and the clarity/presence of the acoustic is extraordinary. I heard Bachauer in concert only once, in the Prokofiev concerto #3 with Szell/ Cleveland ca. 1963 in Boston, memorable also for the Mozart Divertimento kl31, with Szell repeating the first three movements for latecomers, and a buoyant/vernal Schumann Spring. Unfortunately Bachauer died at age 63 and left too few recordings, including Mozart concerti #s 9, 17, 24 and 26 and a Brahms second concerto also with Skrowaczewski and the LSO. Like a fellow reviewer, I await reissues.