Image: ©️ Marco Borggreve
Pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout and the Freiburger Barockorchestrer have collaborated twice previously on classical piano concertos, recording Mozart and Mendelssohn. Here we get the first two of a full cycle of Beethoven, beginning with concertos two and five, with Pablo Heras-Casado at the helm. Bezuidenhout and the Freiburg ensemble both perform on period instruments, carrying the historically-informed resurgence well into its third generation of artists. This disc adds a new dimension to the available period performances of Beethoven, and contrasts quite interestingly with Ronald Brautigan’s recent, similarly pleasing Beethoven cycle (reviewed here).
The album opens with the stately strains of Eb Major from Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto. The first movement, clocking in just under 20’00”, is a mammoth not-quite-sonata form, with short and long episodes interwoven throughout. Beethoven restricts much of the thematic presentation to the orchestra, leaving the magic to arise from the interplay between soloist and the orchestra. Indeed, Bezuidenhout and co. craft a compelling narrative together. One senses alternations between sublime, grand views and detailed miniatures, perhaps paintings or sculptures. Bezuidenhout doesn’t play with Brautigan’s muscle or sense of forward motion; he plays with finely calibrated fingers, with many small Rubatos or accents in each phrase. Heras-Casado matches him from the podium, encouraging the orchestra to bring a chamber feel to what is otherwise a very symphonic concerto.
In the concerto’s Adagio, on the other hand, I found myself unmoved by the same sorts of musical choices. Bezuidenhout’s playing began to feel micromanaged, the orchestra’s interjections began to disconnect from each other. The whole movement never had coherent structure beyond a few measures in length. Brautigan is an informative contrast here, and he is preferable even in the moments where micromanagement is appropriate. Listen, in his version, how just a hair’s-width increase in tempo in the introduction sets up the suddenly sublime descending scales when he enters. Compare 3’00” to 3’30” in both recordings, and feel how in Brautigan’s, the entire weight of the world rests on that unexpected downward step at 3’12”. Bezuidenhout feels more weight on the preceding chord, and treats the downward step as a retreat, sapping the entire sequence of its energy. The heroic, concluding Rondo feels a bit bland in places for the same reasons — the macrostructure of the movement is occasionally lost — but the soloist / orchestral dialogue is intact, making for some exciting moments nonetheless. Bezuidenhout excels in the extended solo passages.
Related Classical Music Reviews
- Review: Beethoven – Complete Piano Concertos – Brautigam (2019)
- Review: Beethoven – “Leonore” – René Jacobs
- Review: Kristian Bezuidenhout Plays Haydn
At the heart of the performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2, it is Bezuidenhout’s desire to treat the music like “blueprint,” described in the liner notes. He takes to heart the assertion by many musicologists that Beethoven improvised some of the solo part when he performed his own concertos. Bezuidenhout takes this literally in a few places, adding flourishes to the ends of phrases or accompanying the orchestra in tutti passages, but for the most part the execution of the notes is as written. More significantly, the improvisatory elements of the performance come through in the subtleties, in added or ignored staccatos and sforzandos.
Bezuidenhout plays with a delicate touch on his copy of a fortepiano after a Conrad Graf (1824), and the instrument shows off its advantages here, its leather-covered hammers floating out softer, rounder tones than a modern piano. Once again, Bezuidenhout is a master of the small-scale, for example the appoggiaturas in the first movement that wilt just the right amount. In this Adagio, a wonderful catharsis emerges, as Bezuidenhout balances indulgence with direction and pulse. The Rondo is alternatingly humorous and insistent. Its more developmental moments are especially fun; Bezuidenhout speaks very clearly through the instrument when Beethoven gives him the chance. Grace notes are impish, important chords are stung or delicately wafted, perhaps as decided in the spur of the moment. One images it would be entirely different if he recorded it again.
To be very picky: the color palette of the Freiburg players feels a bit limited compared to Bezuidenhout’s, and that holds this recording back from being absolutely spectacular. In the 2nd concerto’s Adagio, for example, their swells to sforzando and back feel compulsory. In the finale of the 5th, there could have been more drastic swings between martial and dreamy passages. With that said, the overall quality of orchestral playing is excellent. Heras-Casado runs a tight ship, fanfares have momentum, accompaniment passages are beautifully in tune and hushed. The recording quality is top-notch. This album will be at home on any Beethoven lover’s shelf.
Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 2 and 5 (“Emperor”)
Kristian Bezuidenhout – Fortepiano
Freiburger Barockorchestrer
Pablo Heras-Casado – Conductor
Harmonia Mundi, CD HMM 902411
Beethoven Piano Concertos – Recommended Comparisons
Read more classical music reviews or visit The Classic Review Amazon store
Follow Us and Comment:
Get our periodic classical music newsletter with our recent reviews, news and beginners guides.
We respect your privacy.
