Beethoven Awareness Month's Marathon Sundays closes out this week with a Concerto marathon. To get you warmed up, our Showdown featured all of Beethoven’s piano concertos. We asked you which of these performances you wanted to hear and we'll play the winner at noon.
You chose Beethoven's "Emperor" piano concerto as the piece you'd like to hear. At noon we played it performed by Richard Goode and the Budapest Festival Orchestra under the direction of Ivan Fischer.
Details about the pieces:
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15
— Alfred Brendel, piano; James Levine, conductor; Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op.19
— Paul Lewis, piano; Jiri Belohlavek, conductor; BBC Symphony Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37
— Leon Fleisher, piano; George Szell, conductor; Cleveland Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58
— Mitsuko Uchida, piano; Kurt Sanderling, conductor; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73, "Emperor"
— Richard Goode, piano; Ivan Fischer, conductor; Budapest Festival Orchestra
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About Showdown @ High Noon
Every Wednesday morning, vote for the piece you want to hear at noon.
Comments [17]
posted a comment earlier and forgot to say it was #5 which was beautifully sad, just like lvb. i know he thought about suicide and decided to give the world music instead, and i'm so grateful he did, especially #5. thanks for playing it
I like I like all the Beethoven piano concerti, but if you have to pick master performance,
please, listen to Kovacevich or Schiff version.
it is beautifully sad and uplifting, just like ludwig
I like each concerto for different reasons, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be No. 3, the only one in a minor key. I think it is particularly expressive...
Although the Emperor is very regal and grand, I have always preferred the 4th concerto and would love to hear Mitsuko play it. Thanks
Lotta twos and ones... fours and fives... How 'bout number three! Give the little guy in the minor key a chance... it is a beauty!
It's always a toss up when several Beethoven masterpieces are on the ballot, but the combination of Leon Fleisher with George Szell and Cleveland was just too good to pass up.
The Emperor is my definition of art that uplifts humanity and encompasses all of the range of emotions that music can bring out in the listener. How is it that simple ink on a piece of paper can move us so greatly? What would life be without the affirming, enriching, exciting, moving thing that is Music? Thank you to all the great artists and presenters who make it possible for us to relive this great art at the touch of a button whenever and wherever we desire.
Thank you, WQXR, for all the great music, and Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Please play 5th Piano concerto. This was the first piece of classical music I was introduced to many years ago and have always loved. This concerto is responsible for my increasing love for all classical music.
since you have said more than once we are allowed to vote more than once please consider this ten votes and I won't badger you anymore. If you play this I will be driving and most likely speeding.
Very difficult choice, but Brendel is one of my favorite pianists, and I did play #1 when I was very young.
I feel that I want to pay tribute to the great Master in Thanksgiving for all the beautiful music he has given us - James Levine - and, of course, Alfred Brendel and the Chicago Symphony are not too shabby either - what can you say about an orchestra that was Sir Georg Solti's favorite!
Happy Thanksgiving to WQXR and thanks for all your contributions to the beautiful music with which you surround us all day, every day, not just on Thanksgiving!
Since this is Beethoven I want to choose them all! I choose the Emperior concerto because like him its powerfull, passionate music, but then again Beethoven is music!
Each of Beethoven's piano concerto have something special...
and very different one to the other one...
My preferences is # 4
Congratulations to everyone for this great station!
Happy Thanksgiving!
For me, no performer brings more intelligence to the piano concertos of Beethoven than Alfred Brendel; every note has meaning!
WQXR my favorite radio ever.
Congrats for your programming and my gratitude for having you on air.
Miriam M.De Oliveira, from Curitiba, Pr - Brazil.
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