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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good first choice for an only-version, 5 May 2009
Rubinstein once suggested that there be an elite of pianists, whose skills far exceeded those of others. Among them he counted himself, Horowitz, Gieseking, Lipatti, Michelangeli, Richter and Gilels. I wonder would he have included Lupu, had he lived to hear the man play. It is no stretch to state that few, if any, other living pianists are held in as high regard by their colleagues.
Lupu comes close to the Great as a pianist in two ways: He has the ability to add color and depth to the individual note, at the same time integrating it into a fluent, musical happening. And he never seems to do anything just to be different - achieving just that in the process.
These are classical performances in every sense of the word. They are powerful, yet lyrical; they are thoughtful, yet highly expressive. They suck the listener into the music. This is the art that conceals the artist.
I own readings of Beethoven concerts by Gilels, Lupu, Kempff, Brendel, Perahia, Kovacevich, and Richter-Haaser. Though Gilels sets the standard for pianism, the sound quality of his concerts (not his sonatas, though!) is substandard, and not all of them are available. Kempff offers the most humane reading. While Kempff's renditions are my favorites, I cannot recommend them full-heartedly as a first choice, for their obvious individuality. No, if you are going to have only one version, I recommend Lupu's above all others.
And the sonatas, scherzos and quintet are a nice bonus. In fact, the Moonlight is one of my all time favorite readings, too: The first movement dark and dreamy, meandering between sleep and waking.
These recordings date from the 70s and early 80s, and the sound quality ranges from fine to great. Documentation is good, too.
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