The "Beethoven Journey" (and, worse, the "Vision for Humanity") described in the graphics for this Sony Classical release is a pure marketing concept; what you get here are a pair of Beethoven's early piano concertos, recorded with Norwegian Leif Ove Andsnes, conducting the Mahler Chamber Orchestra from the keyboard. Andsnes, who isn't known as a Beethoven interpreter, decided to embark on a Beethoven concerto cycle, believe it or not, when he heard a pair of the concertos playing in a hotel elevator in Brazil. As it ...
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The "Beethoven Journey" (and, worse, the "Vision for Humanity") described in the graphics for this Sony Classical release is a pure marketing concept; what you get here are a pair of Beethoven's early piano concertos, recorded with Norwegian Leif Ove Andsnes, conducting the Mahler Chamber Orchestra from the keyboard. Andsnes, who isn't known as a Beethoven interpreter, decided to embark on a Beethoven concerto cycle, believe it or not, when he heard a pair of the concertos playing in a hotel elevator in Brazil. As it happens, his readings are very strong. He gets the real benefits available from the piano-and-conducting combination; the Mahler Chamber Orchestra seems very closely interwoven with what Andsnes is doing at the keyboard. In the Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15, effects of the historical-performance movement are audible although he is using a modern piano; in the opening movement Andsnes gives his horns and percussion plenty of space in the orchestral exposition and then answers them...
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