We met Elisabeth Leonskaja in Grieg and Schumann with another Michael, Michael Sanderling, previously in the time-honoured coupling of Grieg and Schumann Concertos here. On the new disc, it is Michael Schønwandt who conducts the Orchestra Français des Jeunes in Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto.
The coupling is the Quintet for Piano and Winds. I mention that early as the wind contributions to the concerto are fabulous, so the meeting of Op.. 73 with Op, 16 makes perfect sense. Leonskaja has a reflective approach to the Fifth Concerto, but not an un-dynamic one: the closest precedent I can think of its Claudio Arrau’s late recoding with Is Colin Davis, a perfomance often labelled by critics as “patrician”.
Caught in a fabulous recoding that retains Leonskaja’s full tone and all orchestral details. This is a remakable meeting of experience and youth. The run up to the return of the opening flourishes makes perfect sense; and one almost doesn’t notice Leonskaja’s all-compassing tchnnique (listen to the evenness of her scales!):
I don’t know who is more “orchestral” in the finale: Leonskaja or the Orchestra Français des Jeunes. Leonskaja seems to turn he instrument into some sort of super-piano; finding contrast later on (and giving us an object lesson in left-hand staccato in the process).
The Quintet for Piano and Wind, Op. 16 is not heard often enough, so how wonderful to have a master pianist such as Leonskaja with the dually wonderful young musical, clearly relishing the opportunity to make music together: We are a long way from the “Emperor”; this is more intimate, more conversational. there is some notably light plying, not least for the hon playerCamille Vanchez’s rapid arpeggios towards the movements close. The central Adagio cantabile is a dream: the tempo is just right, making I aria-like and infinity touching, nevr draggmig its heel.
Perhaps the final Rondo needs a bit more (pardon the pun) wind in its sails. The “ma non troppo” seems to have been taken a little too much to heart:
Leonskaya plays with consummate musicianship. She carries a huge lineage on her shoulders: one should not forget she was a duet partner with Sviaoslav Richter. Just as a reminder, here they are in Mozart’s “Sonata facile” in C-Major, K 545 in the arrangement by Grieg:
The new Warner Classics disc is available at Amazon here, the Mozart/Grieg here.
:
%20TallWall%20Media_Oxford%20Song.jpg?w=160&resize=160,160&ssl=1 "There was no closure here: four Irish women composers give voice to women of the Magdalene Laundries in remarkable performances from Lotte Betts-Dean & Deirdre Brenner in Oxford")
