Dvorak's Den

[Wanderer]

I'm determined to fill some gaps. Any recommendations for the piano concerto? 

It's one of my favourite piano concerti. Even in 2024 and after a very welcome surge of recordings in recent years, the top recommendation continues to be Richter with the Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Kleiber. He plays the original piano part, not the Kurz revision.

Other versions that I like include those by (off the top of my head) Helmchen, Stephen Hough, Piemontesi, Primakov, Schiff, a couple of others I can't quite recall at the moment. The more recent one (2023) is by Leonardo Pierdomenico, also quite excellent!

[Kalevala]

It's one of my favourite piano concerti. Even in 2024 and after a very welcome surge of recordings in recent years, the top recommendation continues to be Richter with the Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Kleiber. He plays the original piano part, not the Kurz revision.

Other versions that I like include those by (off the top of my head) Helmchen, Stephen Hough, Piemontesi, Primakov, Schiff, a couple of others I can't quite recall at the moment. The more recent one (2023) is by Leonardo Pierdomenico, also quite excellent!

I haven't heard the Richter one before.  I used to listen to his performances often, but not so much these days.  I'm guessing that that recording is on DG?  Off the top of my head, the only one that I've heard before is the one with Firkušný.  Hard to find, but I managed it.    Will check into your recs.

Kalevala

[Madiel]

I also have positive feelings about the Jando, and I think Rudolf Firkusny recorded the original version at least once, but my current reference for the piano concerto and also the complete solo piano music is Ivo Kahanek on Supraphon. The concerto is coupled with Martinu's Fourth and features Jakub Hrusa. It's also only a few years old and sonically a noticeable improvement on Naxos or Chandos. His solo piano box I picked up for only about $20 and features four very full CDs and uniformly excellent performances.

Yes, the Kahanek is definitely one I'm considering, including because that's an interesting coupling.

I've also read the solo is good, though I already have Poroshina's set which was my strong pick of versions available at the time. But it serves as a recommendation of Kahanek that people consistently like him in the solo as well.

[Madiel]

It's one of my favourite piano concerti. Even in 2024 and after a very welcome surge of recordings in recent years, the top recommendation continues to be Richter with the Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Kleiber. He plays the original piano part, not the Kurz revision.

Other versions that I like include those by (off the top of my head) Helmchen, Stephen Hough, Piemontesi, Primakov, Schiff, a couple of others I can't quite recall at the moment. The more recent one (2023) is by Leonardo Pierdomenico, also quite excellent!

Thanks.

Weirdly though, I've discovered that among the people who don't like that Richter recording is... Richter. He was upset that it was released. It seems to be lots of people's imprint version despite this.

Thanks to the joys of streaming, I can at least sample a bunch of these.

[Wanderer]

I haven't heard the Richter one before.  I used to listen to his performances often, but not so much these days.  I'm guessing that that recording is on DG?  Off the top of my head, the only one that I've heard before is the one with Firkušný.  Hard to find, but I managed it.  Will check into your recs.

Kalevala

The Richter is on EMI, coupled with Schubert's Wanderer-Fantasie.
I believe every performance mentioned so far is available for streaming. Happy exploring! It's such a wonderful and powerful work.

[Wanderer]

Thanks.

Weirdly though, I've discovered that among the people who don't like that Richter recording is... Richter. He was upset that it was released. It seems to be lots of people's imprint version despite this.

Thanks to the joys of streaming, I can at least sample a bunch of these.

Oh, I've long stopped taking over-critical views of performers or composers about their work seriously. I find it is a superb rendition not only due to Richter, but due to Kleiber also.

And having in mind, as you also very well noted, that almost everything is available for streaming, I mentioned multiple performances in order for you and others to sample and see which one pleases the best.

The Violin Concerto is also a superlative work, by the way.

[Florestan]

The Violin Concerto is also a superlative work, by the way.

One of Dvorak's masterpieces, to be sure --- which, alas!, cannot be said about the Piano Concerto.

[Wanderer]

One of Dvorak's masterpieces, to be sure --- which, alas!, cannot be said about as is the Piano Concerto.

Fixed.

[Madiel]

Dvorak's concertos tended to upset people for not being concerto enough. But that seems to be because he simply wasn't interested in the kind of showpiece that soloists of the era wanted.

[Madiel]

One of Dvorak's masterpieces, to be sure --- which, alas!, cannot be said about the Piano Concerto.

Maybe try listening to a different version rather than the one everybody agrees is lousy. 

[Florestan]

Fixed.

If you say so, my friend --- but I still disagree. 

[Florestan]

Maybe try listening to a different version rather than the one everybody agrees is lousy. 

I also have the Richter version and guess what: while better than Hayroudinof's, it didn't make much an impression on me either. It's simply not up there with the Cello and the Violin concertos. I'm not saying it's a bad concerto, just that the level of melodic inspiration and memorability is far lower. And after all, there must be a reason for why it never achieved the same popularity as the other two concertos.

But that's just my two cents. You and anyone else are perfectly entitled to hold a different view.

[Madiel]

Yeah well... some people don't think the Richter is anything special either... Richter and Hurwitz. 😂  Both prefer a different Richter recording.

In all seriousness I wouldn't think the Cello Concerto was anything special based on one of the recordings I have. It's really not good.

[Brian]

The violin concerto is a work where the recording can really make the difference between "it's OK, one of his lesser works" and "it's one of his best." The Australian Chamber Orchestra version is pretty good if you want to support the home team. Josef Suk on Supraphon was the reference for a half century and has his family connection to the piece. Frank Peter Zimmermann has done it and I think Perlman too. But to me they're now supplanted by Anne-Sophie Mutter, Manfred Honeck, and the Berlin Philharmonic, an all-superstar lineup of artists fully committed to selling it as a true high romantic masterpiece. Mutter commits to the hilt and Honeck, imo the best conductor alive, gets the orchestra to do the same.

[Cato]

Mrs. Cato and I heard the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with Julia Fischer at a concert some years ago.

Here is Richter in 1966 with Smetacek conducting: some have said it is better than the recording with Kleiber.

Sound quality could be better, but...

[Kalevala]

... It's simply not up there with the Cello and the Violin concertos. I'm not saying it's a bad concerto, just that the level of melodic inspiration and memorability is far lower. And after all, there must be a reason for why it never achieved the same popularity as the other two concertos.

But that's just my two cents. You and anyone else are perfectly entitled to hold a different view.

I have to agree here.

K

[Madiel]

Mr Hurwitz's top recommendation for the piano concerto is Firkusny/Neumann (obliquely mentioned by @Brian ), and...

To my half asleep ears it's bloody good. I'm unlikely to get past the 1st movement right now, but I'll be coming back for sure.

[DavidW]

The violin concerto is a work where the recording can really make the difference between "it's OK, one of his lesser works" and "it's one of his best."

Well, not for me. No matter the recording, I always think, "This is one of the greatest violin concertos ever written."

[DavidW]

Mr Hurwitz's top recommendation for the piano concerto is Firkusny/Neumann (obliquely mentioned by @Brian ), and...

To my half asleep ears it's bloody good. I'm unlikely to get past the 1st movement right now, but I'll be coming back for sure.

I haven't heard that one. I should. Currently, my favorite is Ohlsson from this box:


But I'm obviously far less picky than everyone else because I consider all three concertos to be masterpieces when y'all think they're problematic!

[Florestan]

I haven't heard that one. I should. Currently, my favorite is Ohlsson from this box:


But I'm obviously far less picky than everyone else because I consider all three concertos to be masterpieces when y'all think they're problematic!

The only one I find problematic is the PC. The VC and CC are both masterpieces --- though I give the edge to the VC, for the gloriously frolicsome finale.