beethoven piano concerto

Thanks guys. So far my fav are No 4 and No 1.

Re Alfred Brendel set, it seems to be recorded out of phase. I switched polarity and the sound is more focused. Highs and lows are more defined and instruments are more easily localized. I am also experiencing the same thing with the Oslo Vanska Beethoven symphony SACD.

i'd also highly recommend Wilhelm Kempff/Paul van Kempen/BPO (DGG 1957) for LvB's Piano Concerto cycle. it's another mono recording (as Gilels/Ludwig/Philharmonia Orchestra), but the performance is simply spectacular.

I have the Kovacevich version, and while the performance is truly great and it is a very good recording, it still sounds a little bit like its age. I am also looking for a newer version at that level of performance or better, but that is audiophile quality on CD.

try Rudolf Serkin/Rafael Kubelik/Bayerishchen Rundfunks LvB piano concerto cycle (Orfeo 1977). nice (stereo) sonics & performance (but not as special as my other 2 recommendations).

other LvB piano concertos cycles which aren't quite as "moving" (for me) include Maurizio Pollini/Claudio Abbado/BPO (DGG 1992/1993), Vladimir Ashkenazy/Georg Solti/CSO (Decca 1995). also hv a bunch of other "non-full-cycle" of LvB's piano concerto recordings (on LP & CD).

Helene Grimaud did a nice Beethoven record. I can't search all of them but the Andante record label had a number of great Beethoven piano concerto recordings, most of which are historical. Andante unfortunately went out of business due to their esoteric nature and their expensive price tag. Be it to say however that the 3 and 4 disc packages were full of well written articles, notes, highlights, etc.. and that the remastering from original source tapes were second to none.