I recently listened again to 2 sets of Prokofiev's Piano Concertos. Both
have
merit even though they seem to me to be polar opposites. Both 2 CDs.

Vladimir Krainev/Dmitri Kitaenko/Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
Teldec 9031-73257

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet/Noseda/BBC Philharmonic.
Chandos 10802

Krainev seems to deeply engaged with these concertos, both in their
structure
and their emotions (although that may the wrong word with these works). Kitaenko had been called an "exciting" conductor by the American Record
Guide
editor. I would demur, I find him blunt and powerful. The resulting performances do
have both excitement and "bottom."

Bavouzet and Noseda deliver very "French" performances: they stress
clarity,
emotional restraint, transparency, and lightness of touch. The sound also short-
changes the bass that is always an important part of Prokofiev's
orchestration.
The result, to me, seems like "Prokofiev Lite."

I can enjoy both sets, but neither contains a favorite performance of a concerto.
From my limited shelf, I prefer Argerich in Cto 1,
Cto 2, Frager/Liebowitz and Yundi Li and Ozawa. Liebowitz brings out the sweet/sour
contrast of the orchestral contribution, and Ozawa sounds like he woke up.
Cto 3, Argerich, Janis, and Browning.
Cto 4 & 5. I don't have enough alternatives to have a preference.

What are your favorite sets, if any?

Ed Presson

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Op zondag 23 oktober 2022 om 00:58:00 UTC+2 schreef Ed Presson:

What are your favorite sets, if any?

AFAIK I never revisited Krainev/Kitaenko. The same goes for Tacchino/Froment.
I like Toradze/Gergiev and Beroff /Masur although I revist Bavouzet/Noseda and Gavrylyuk/Ashkenazy most often.

I prefer Richter in #1, Eckardstein in #2, Katchen in #3, and Bavouzet in #4 and #5.
It's a pity that Malcolm Frager died early. He was a brilliant pianist.

Henk

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On Sunday, 23 October 2022 at 10:31:44 UTC+11, hvt...xs4all.nl wrote:

Op zondag 23 oktober 2022 om 00:58:00 UTC+2 schreef Ed Presson:

What are your favorite sets, if any?

AFAIK I never revisited Krainev/Kitaenko. The same goes for Tacchino/Froment.
I like Toradze/Gergiev and Beroff /Masur although I revist Bavouzet/Noseda and
Gavrylyuk/Ashkenazy most often.

I prefer Richter in #1, Eckardstein in #2, Katchen in #3, and Bavouzet in #4 and #5.
It's a pity that Malcolm Frager died early. He was a brilliant pianist.

Henk

For these concertos I have Paik/Wit and Krainev/Kitaenko, but neither replace Browning/Leinsdorf on RCA. Browning added a spacious lyricism and logic to these spiky works that I have never heard equalled by anyone else. Of course, there is Richter in #5,
and other individual accounts but as a set Browning is very hard to beat.

Ray Hall, Taree

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On 10/22/22 11:10 PM, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:

On Sunday, 23 October 2022 at 10:31:44 UTC+11, hvt...xs4all.nl wrote:

Op zondag 23 oktober 2022 om 00:58:00 UTC+2 schreef Ed Presson:

What are your favorite sets, if any?

For these concertos I have Paik/Wit and Krainev/Kitaenko, but neither replace Browning/Leinsdorf on RCA. Browning added a spacious lyricism and logic to these spiky works that I have never heard equalled by anyone else. Of course, there is Richter in #

5, and other individual accounts but as a set Browning is very hard to beat.

Ray Hall, Taree

I agree - I have this set as part of the "Leinsdorf conducts Prokofiev"
Sony box. Browning is imaginative and Leinsdorf is perky and involved.
My reservation is the sound - the symphonies have good sound, but the
piano concertos are variable. Particularly on the third, the piano is
distorted and muffled enough to bother me.

The box:https://www.amazon.com/Erich-Leinsdorf-Conducts-Prokofiev-Sergey/dp/B004H6P2LA/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2EBWR8EJFBZUF&keywords=prokofiev+leinsdorf&qid=1666499711&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjYwIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=prokofiev+leinsdorf%2Caps%
2C109&sr=8-2

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"Notsure01" wrote in message news:9140a7c6-ff8c-5f8f-95ee-ace12962b155@aol.com...

On 10/22/22 11:10 PM, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:

On Sunday, 23 October 2022 at 10:31:44 UTC+11, hvt...xs4all.nl wrote:

Op zondag 23 oktober 2022 om 00:58:00 UTC+2 schreef Ed Presson:

What are your favorite sets, if any?

For these concertos I have Paik/Wit and Krainev/Kitaenko, but neither
replace Browning/Leinsdorf on RCA. Browning added a spacious lyricism and logic to these spiky works that I have never heard equalled by anyone
else. Of course, there is Richter in #5, and other individual accounts but
as a set Browning is very hard to beat.

Ray Hall, Taree

I agree - I have this set as part of the "Leinsdorf conducts Prokofiev"
Sony box. Browning is imaginative and Leinsdorf is perky and involved. My >reservation is the sound - the symphonies have good sound, but the piano >concertos are variable. Particularly on the third, the piano is distorted
and muffled enough to bother me.

I have the same Sony box and concur about Browning, less so about
Leinsdorf. You didn't mention the Boston Symphony Orchestra which
outshines most of the other sets. I also concur about the sound, which
isn't bad for its time, but doesn't do the BSO justice IMHO.

Ed Presson

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On Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 3:58:00 PM UTC-7, Ed Presson wrote:

I recently listened again to 2 sets of Prokofiev's Piano Concertos. Both have
merit even though they seem to me to be polar opposites. Both 2 CDs.

Vladimir Krainev/Dmitri Kitaenko/Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
Teldec 9031-73257

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet/Noseda/BBC Philharmonic.
Chandos 10802

Krainev seems to deeply engaged with these concertos, both in their structure
and their emotions (although that may the wrong word with these works). Kitaenko had been called an "exciting" conductor by the American Record Guide
editor. I would demur, I find him blunt and powerful. The resulting performances do
have both excitement and "bottom."

Bavouzet and Noseda deliver very "French" performances: they stress
clarity,
emotional restraint, transparency, and lightness of touch. The sound also short-
changes the bass that is always an important part of Prokofiev's orchestration.
The result, to me, seems like "Prokofiev Lite."

I can enjoy both sets, but neither contains a favorite performance of a concerto.
From my limited shelf, I prefer Argerich in Cto 1,
Cto 2, Frager/Liebowitz and Yundi Li and Ozawa. Liebowitz brings out the sweet/sour
contrast of the orchestral contribution, and Ozawa sounds like he woke up. Cto 3, Argerich, Janis, and Browning.
Cto 4 & 5. I don't have enough alternatives to have a preference.

What are your favorite sets, if any?

Ed Presson

Have you heard the earlier Krainev/Kitayenko on Melodiya? That one, for me, is the one to beat in terms of power and nerve; qualities augmented by the expressive, "hot" Moscow Philharmonic winds and brass. The Prokofiev PC 2 on that is superb. Toradze/
Gergiev share many of these qualities on their set.

I'll also add another vote for Browning with the BSO and Leinsdorf. Browning is his usual magisterial self, gilding Prokofiev's motor rhythms and brawny chords with enough golden warmth to remind one that, behind the jokes and bluster, the composer's
heart lay in the 19th century. The BSO, still preserving the tangy Gallic sound they had cultivated under Munch and Koussy, pair wonderfully with his playing. Leinsdorf, who often just bulldozed (or simply dozed) through other composers' music, is on top
form here.

Bavouzet and Noseda do prioritize textural transparency, but I don't find it "lite." In fact, it was the acid sting of their reading of Prokofiev PC 5 which compelled me to purchase their set. They really lean into the dissonances and asymmetric rhythms;
if Browning was gold, Bavouzet is the polished chrome on an art deco skyscraper.

Never understood why Béroff/Masur was for a long time the go-to recommendation. Whatever insights Béroff could have imparted is lost in EMI's dull, flat, and soulless production; while Masur is lousy, muddy, and misguided. Why Western record companies
doted on him and ignored his far more talented DDR colleagues (e.g. Kegel, Bongartz, Rögner, et al) will always be a mystery to me.

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