Beethoven: Complete Concertos

Following the collections of symphonies (Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Kletzki, SU 4051-2) and violin sonatas (Suk, Panenka, SU 4077-2), Supraphon is now releasing the complete Beethoven concertante pieces. All of them (including the Triple Concerto and the genre-unique Fantasia for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra) came into being within a mere sixteen years, between 1793 and 1809. Although Beethoven deemed the piano “an imperfect instrument”, his five piano concertos form one of the cornerstones of his oeuvre and represent a significant landmark in this genre. Amidst the innumerable recordings made, Panenka’s singular take on Beethoven stands out and astonishes owing to the sheer exuberance of articulation, purity of style and lucidity of tone. In 1962, the famous violin concerto was undertaken by Josef Suk with his characteristically masterful musicality. Under Kurt Masur, the Triple Concerto was performed by the entire Suk Trio and the three superlative soloists, possessing abundant chamber experience, proved to be the ideal interpreters of the “Grand Concerto Concertant”. Beethoven recordings fully deserving of the oft-used attribute “legendary”.