This recording by pianist Leif Ove Andsnes has been a collaborative project between the celebrated Norwegian pianist and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
Together they have recorded all of the Beethoven Piano Concertos, as well as the Choral Fantasy, with Andsnes not only playing but also directing the orchestra from the keyboard.
The series began with the live recording of Piano Concertos 1 and 3 at the Prague Spring Festival in 2012, and this was followed by the live recording of Piano Concertos 2 and 4 in London in 2013. The final album, which included the Piano Concerto No. 5, was recorded live once again at the Prague Spring Festival in 2014.
The “New York Times” has called Leif Ove Andsnes “a pianist of magisterial elegance, power and insight.”
Personally, I find the tempi that Mr. Andsnes selects to be a bit too fast for my taste. But in fast movements of Beethoven’s music this rapid speed is often quite exciting.
Let me show you some examples: Here is the Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto no. 1 in C major, op. 15, III. Rondo:
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And here is Leif Ove Andsnes in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto number 5:
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