Krystian Zimerman

Leonard Bernstein conducts three of his own works: 'Divertimento', 'Serenade for Violin and Orchestra (after Plato's Symposium)' featuring violinist Gidon Kremer and 'Symphony no. 2 - The Age of Anxiety' featuring pianist Krystian Zimerman. The programme also includes 'Teachers and Teaching', a documentary in which Bernstein rehearses, reminisces about his mentors and interacts with pupils and colleagues.

Featuring the Great Chopin Pianists from the past and today, Deutsche Grammophon presents a 28 CD box edition highlighting the riches of its Chopin catalogue, including eight Chopin competition winners and many of the most legendary Chopin artists of all time.

This is playing in the grand manner… Ozawa and the orchestra are behind the soloist in all this and the deciso element is fully realized. But don't let me imply a lack of finesse; not only do lyrical sections sing with subtlety, the big passages also are shapely… In the gorgeously grisly Totentanz, both music and playing should make your hair stand on end. - C.H.; Gramophone

Johannes Brahms - Piano Concerto Nr. 2
Krystian Zimerman - Wiener Philharmoniker - Leonard Bernstein
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 184 MB | MP3 CBR 320: 118 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Deutsche Grammophon # 415 359-2 | Country/Year: Germany 1985
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic

Bernstein and Zimerman have established a masterly understanding of the work, and their artistic symbiosis is impressive…

It was an eminently sensible decision to couple Zimerman's previously separate Chopin concertos on a single CD. The Ax/Ormandy/RCA disc is the only rival as a coupling, so let me say at once that in different moods I would be equally happy with either. The main difference, I think, is the actual sound. From DG we get a closer, riper sonority, with Zimerman's piano much more forwardly placed. Both orchestra and piano are more distanced on the RCA recording, especially Ax's piano. This, together with Ax's lighter, more translucent semiquaver figuration (and sometimes his greater willingness to stand back and merely accompany—as in certain episodes in the F minor Concerto's finale) often conjures up visions of Chopin himself at the keyboard, and we know he was often criticized for insufficiently strong projection. From an interpretative viewpoint, it's usually a matter of roundabouts and swings. In the E minor work, for instance, we get a slightly more flowing Romanze from Ax, and a slightly more propulsive finale from Zimerman. Orchestral honours are similarly divided, with Giulini extracting an exceptionally rich cantabile from his American orchestra.