Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37

“What these performances also have is a quality that is not always quite so obvious when he is alone on the concert platform – a real sense of enjoyment in playing, and the business of communicating that enjoyment to an audience...The incidental beauties – the articulacy of Andsnes's left hand is a marvel in itself, for instance – are all part of that, too.” The Guardian, 4th October 2012 ****

“It's an all-round winner of a disc, with superlative playing from both soloist and orchestra, and a recorded sound to match. Andsnes's view of the music is fairly traditional...[his] pedalling is a shade cautious, but he plays the piece so beautifully that there are no grounds for complaint...Overall, this looks set to be a highly enjoyable journey.” BBC Music Magazine, December 2012 *****

“there's a palpable sense of discovery, of living the music...You know you're in remarkable musical company before the piano has sounded a note...Of course, this isn't just down to the players: it's Andsnes's conception right from the start...What's also very striking is that these performances are not simply about elan and energy: they have a sense of gravitas, too, of rightness, that you find in the greatest Beethoven interpreters.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2012

“has he gone forward or backward to Beethoven? The answer provided by these superb performances is: both. He has all of the power that Beethoven's writing often requires, yet his playing is also elegant and sometimes even understated...Let the journey continue!” International Record Review, December 2012

“some of the best Beethoven playing you will ever hear...clearly, this is music that Andsnes has been living with for many years – and it now emerges with an impressive maturity...The crisp, well-sprung playing in the introductions to both concertos could easily be mistaken for that of a period-instrument orchestra” bbc.co.uk, 4th December 2012

“Brendel plays with a mixture of heart and head that is most satisfying, to which he adds countless touches of pianism that delight... Brendel does nothing to startle; what he does do is far more important, he constantly throws light on the music by an interpretation that is clearly born of much thought .... and a deep understanding.” Gramophone Magazine

“unshowy, massively intelligent accounts...whose structures are architecturally drawn and finely delineated, with wonderful tone-quality in the slow movements. More physical, less spiritual than Rubinstein Gilels nevertheless compels admiration by the total honesty and conviction of his playing. Adrian Boult's contribution is, as usual, finely articulated and focused.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2011 ****

“here, the klavier-tiger storms of Gilels's first appearances in the West...are resolved in playing of a transparency, elegance and calm that were no less characteristic of his later career...for unalloyed dignity and composure, these performances are hard to equal. Sir Adrian Boult's gentlemanly, unobtrusive beat is a further asset in these finely transferred recordings.” Gramophone Magazine, June 2011

“his playing is so vivid, so lyrical, so natural in its mastery...Every run and trill and arpeggio makes beautiful, effortless music. Once past a slightly tentative start to No 1, Boult and the New Philharmonia are crisp, warm-hearted accompanists. These are performances to relish.” Sunday Times, 13th March 2011 ****

“…Glenn Gould and Herbert von Karajan gave six concerts between May 1957 and September 1959 featuring Beethoven's C minor Concerto… This… Berlin performance is notable for the sense it brings of the work's incipient lyric beauty. At Karajan's more flowing tempo, Gould's account of the Largo has an airier, more improvisatory feel.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2008