Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Rondo in B flat; Choral Fantasy.Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Rondo rondo (rŏn`dō, rŏndō`), instrumental musical form in which the opening section is repeated after each succeeding section containing contrasting thematic material. The complex rondeau of French keyboard music of the 17th cent. in B flat; Choral Fantasy. Pierre-Laurent Aimard Pierre-Laurent Aimard (born 9 September 1957) is a French pianist. He was born in Lyon, where he entered the conservatory. Later he studied with Yvonne Loriod. In 1973, he was awarded the chamber music prize of the Paris Conservatoire. , piano; Thomas Zehetmair Thomas Zehetmair (born 1961) is an Austrian violinist and conductor. He was born in Salzburg and studied at the Mozarteum there. He plays as a soloist with distinguished orchestras in Europe. He also plays chamber music; in 1994 he formed the Zehetmair Quartet. , violin; Clemens Hagen, cello. Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Chamber Orchestra of Europe The Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE), established in 1981, represents 15 nationalities amongst its 50 members. The players pursue parallel careers as international soloists, members of eminent chamber groups, and as tutors and professors of music. . Warner Classics 2564 60602-2. I immensely enjoyed this new Warner Classics recording of the Beethoven Triple Concerto for a combination of reasons. First and foremost, it's well played. Harnoncourt and company take it more gently than I've heard it most often before, and it benefits from the tender, loving care. If it had any snag for me at all, it's that I thought the piano sometimes sounded too big, too close, while the other two soloists seemed perfectly positioned. Well, that may be expected, I suppose, as the piano in this particular interpretation generally takes pride of place amongst all the instruments. Second, I enjoyed the harmonious interplay among the three soloists, Aimard on piano, Zehetmair on violin, and Hagen on cello, as well as their non-obtrusive accompaniment by Harnoncourt and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. True, no one is going to mistake this group's work for the more grand and opulent performance by Richter, Oistrakh, and Rostropovich with Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic (EMI (ElectroMagnetic Interference) An electrical disturbance in a system due to natural phenomena, low-frequency waves from electromechanical devices or high-frequency waves (RFI) from chips and other electronic devices. Allowable limits are governed by the FCC. ), but look at what giants were working there. Third, I liked the two companion pieces on the disc, the Rondo in B flat, which may have been the original closing movement of the B-flat Piano Concerto, Aimard giving it a lively reading; and the Choral Fantasy, which is a sort of miniature, scaled-down Ninth Symphony, complete with a rousing choral finale. Finally, I liked the sound: Very subtle, very refined, very natural. Perhaps not always so transparent as it might be, it always appeared wonderfully realistic and was a definite pleasure to listen to. In all, a most felicitous fe·lic·i·tous adj. 1. Admirably suited; apt: a felicitous comparison. 2. Exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style: a felicitous writer. 3. release. |
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