Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2
Yevgeny Sudbin (piano)
Tapiola Sinfonietta, Osmo Vänskä
For pianist Yevgeny Sudbin and conductor Osmo Vänskä it’s playfulness that prevails in the outer movements [of the Second Concerto]…Sudbin’s cadenzas are highlights: hints of jazz harmonies...
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2
Yevgeny Sudbin (piano)
Tapiola Sinfonietta, Osmo Vänskä
Purchase product
For pianist Yevgeny Sudbin and conductor Osmo Vänskä it’s playfulness that prevails in the outer movements [of the Second Concerto]…Sudbin’s cadenzas are highlights: hints of jazz harmonies...
About
On two previous discs, Yevgeny Sudbin and Osmo Vänskä have released Beethoven’s three last piano concertos to critical acclaim. Distinctions include Editor’s Choice in Gramophone and the performances have been described as ‘electrifying’ (classicfm.com), ‘absolutely stunning’ (Fanfare) and ‘a Beethoven experience you will not want to miss’ (ClassicsToday.com).
For the final disc in their cycle, Sudbin and Vänskä have travelled to Helsinki to team up with Tapiola Sinfonietta, one of the top Nordic ensembles, and well suited for these earlier and more classical of Beethoven’s concertos. Of the two, the one we now know as the Second was actually begun several years before Concerto No. 1, and indeed even before Beethoven left Bonn for Vienna. During the following decade, Beethoven returned to the score repeatedly and made substantial revisions – including composing a new final movement – and ultimately the C major concerto reached publication first. Both concertos were conceived long before Beethoven's involvement with the symphonic genre, and the influence of Mozart and Haydn is evident in the interaction between the orchestra and the soloist – but Beethoven's individual spirit is nevertheless unmistakeable.
Contents and tracklist
- Yevgeny Sudbin
- Tapiola Sinfonietta
- Osmo Vänskä
- Recorded: September 2014
- Recording Venue: Tapiola Concert Hall, Finland
Spotlight on this release
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Awards and reviews
June 2017
For pianist Yevgeny Sudbin and conductor Osmo Vänskä it’s playfulness that prevails in the outer movements [of the Second Concerto]…Sudbin’s cadenzas are highlights: hints of jazz harmonies and the later Romantics, but all done with a light ironic touch that sits elegantly with the performance of a whole
May 2017
It is impossible to hold back from admiration for Sudbin in whatever he plays, thanks to his brilliance and hallmark exuberance. He has much to say and he wants us to listen...Carl Czerny remarked that [Beethoven] ‘brings out difficulties and effects on the piano that we could never have imagined’. Yvgeny Sudbin at his best is an artist capable of reminding us of that and there is plentiful evidence in these rondo finales
September 2017
The Concerto No 1 here has the requisite muscular, big boned impact, as it takes the late- Mozart concerto format and stretches it to bursting point. The finale in particular has invigorating, impulsive energy. A splendid conclusion to the cycle.
Pianist Magazine July 2017
The Tapiola Sinfonietta make a fantastic sound, crisp and clean as a Nordic summer’s day, and match the soloist’s sense of fun and freedom.
Classical Ear May 2017
there are many moments of great beauty, and the performing standards are excellent.
