Credo | Ludwig van Beethoven, John Corigliano, ...

Credo | Ludwig van Beethoven, John Corigliano, ... | Incredible Performances

classical music:

Credo

	Credo Ludwig van Beethoven, John Corigliano, ... Deutsche Grammophon, 2004 average customer review:based on 23 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

This surprising program is a joy through and through. It begins with a 1985 work by John Corigliano (Fantasia on an Ostinato) that uses the slow-movement theme from Beethoven's Seventh Symphony and then later flies off into wonderfully emotion-filled directions. Next come Beethoven's "Tempest" sonata, played with just the right drama, and his fabulous "Choral Fantasy," op. 80, which is part sonata, part study for the 9th symphony. Pianist Grimaud plays the Fantasy with alternating delicacy and power, and the CD ends with Arvo Pärt's Credo, scored for piano solo, mixed chorus, and orchestra. This last piece is rich and complex, and in some ways encompasses the previous works' emotions and textures; those who think of Pärt as the quiet, holy minimalist, are in for a treat, and perhaps shock. Grimaud is simply magnificent regardless of the century or style; the beauty of her tone is surpassed only by its expressiveness. Esa Pekka Salonen leads the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir handsomely. This is a very special disc, a must for your collection. --Robert Levine

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Great style

As a concert pianist myself I can say "Brava!!!" I have heard almost all recorded versions of the Choral Fantasy by Beethoven as well as several live performances. Grimaud's sense of style, rhythm and form is superb! I highly recommend her recording as the best on the market. Thank you, Helen!

Incredible Performances

I was introduced to the title track "Credo" (Arvo Part) by something I heard on public radio. After purchasing it, that was the only track I generally listened to. This is a powerful, orchestrated, piece; unlike any other Arvo Part I have heard.

However there's a much subtler side to this CD...

Over the past few weeks I found myself listening to the Corigliano track almost daily. What an incredibly expressive performance. This twelve minute journey passes thru several musical textures. Some of my favorite moments are when one hand is playing straight Beethoven and the other is off in another, more modern, space.

The second piece, Beethoven solo piano is a wonderful anchoring piece, to bring one back to the roots of this whole CD, that of master Beethoven himself.

I'm trying to convince an accomplished pianist friend to add this piece to his repertoir.

I'm interested in more _expressive_ piano recordings like this one's first track.

- Jeff

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Not your mother's Part

There are a few works by Part where he isn't exactly meditative, but I haven't heard anything like this before. This is one of those recordings that, whether the fault of the engineers or simply electronics weren't built to reproduce things like this, that takes any sound equipment to its limits. Not something you can appreciate on a clock radio for sure. It's a moving work as a whole, but the central chaos is painful. In a good way though.

And the Choral Fantasy is wonderful here. My new favorite Beethoven work.

Grimaud is special, and so is this CD

Helene Grimaud is somewhat of an enigma and also a maverick. For one thing she loves wolves and helps sponsor a wolf sanctuary. Also she is exceptionally attractive and has a very strong personality which comes through even in recorded performances. But Helene Grimaud is also a very good pianist for whom artistry is as important as technigue, and she has an abundance of both. Buy any performance by Grimaud and you will probably be very favorably impressed by it even if it differs in subtle ways from performances by other pianists. I purchased this CD primarily to hear Grimaud's performance of Beethoven's Fantasy for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra (often called simply the Choral Fastasy) -- an unusual, but very impressive, work which I love and which served as a precursor for the finale of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. As I expected Grimaud gives a very satisfactory performance of this work as well as of Beethoven's Tempest Sonata. Since I am not a fan of 20th century music, I can't comment knowledgably on the other two works on this CD. You may find them quite impressive, but even if you don't Grimaud's performances of the two works by Beethoven (especially the Choral Fantasy) are worth the quite reasonable purchase price. Incidentally, Amazon also offers this collection, entitled Credo, in a hybrid CD which will play on regular CD players but give even better sound if you are fortunate enough to have a Super Audio CD player -- the finest sound currently available in my opinion. Highly recommended.

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Bad mixture.

This CD has only 2 recordings worth to be included in one CD:
* Piano Sonata nº 17 and the Fantasy for piano, chorus and orchestra op 80
Nº 1 and 7 have no relationahip whatsoever to be included with the Nbrs 2 > 6 . The Credo itself, which I did not like, is an impossible job to be mixed with Beethoven.
So, calling the CD "CREDO" only misleads .

Thank you.

EWQ

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Tracks
1. Largo - Allegro | 2. Adagio | 3. Allegretto | Adagio | Finale. Allegro - Meno Allegro (Allegretto) - Allegro molto - Adagio ma non troppo - Marcia assai v

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