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Cover: Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

Ludwig van Beethoven

Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

Tapiola Sinfonietta
Olli Mustonen, piano and conductor

ODE 1099-5 · SACD / CD · May 2007

Buy / listen

Track listing

6 tracks · 61:31

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

Ludwig van Beethoven

  1. Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1 in C major, Op. 15 33:19
  2. 1 Allegro con brio (Cadenza: Olli Mustonen) 14:30
  3. 2 Largo 9:34
  4. 3 Rondo. Allegro (Cadenza: Olli Mustonen) 9:15
  5. Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19 28:12
  6. 4 Allegro con brio 14:02
  7. 5 Adagio 7:28
  8. 6 Rondo. Allegro molto 6:42

About this recording

This is the first of three volumes featuring the five Beethoven Piano Concertos and the piano version of the Violin Concerto on hybrid SACD, all performed by Olli Mustonen in the role as soloist and conductor of the Tapiola Sinfonietta.

Mustonen is known for delivering a fresh, visionary reading of popular standard repertoire music, such as Beethoven's concertos which he has never recorded before. The chamber orchestra Tapiola Sinfonietta and Olli Mustonen have maintained a close relationship for years, accompanying this ambitious recording project with acclaimed tour performances. Mustonen, who is also a published composer, is playing his own cadenzas in the First Concerto.

The booklet includes extensive liner notes written by the author of the new complete Piano Concerto Edition, Dr. Hans-Werner Küthen of the Beethoven-Archiv, Bonn.

Features

Hybrid SACD (recorded in DXD; SACD Surround 5.0 / SACD Stereo / CD Stereo - playable on all SACD and CD players); booklet with liner notes in English, German, French, and Finnish

Press

A stimulating new vision, not least because Mustonen's music making always remains well-grounded and never appears to be manneristic.
Ingo Harden, Fono Forum, January 2008, ****

(...) thoroughly refreshing and convincing. (...) these are invigorating performances, with no small degree of poise in Mustonen's pianism and in his handling of the orchestra.
Edward Bhesania, International Piano, July-August 2007

(...) proves that Beethoven's popular piano concertos can be newly experienced time and again - till the very last note.
NDR Info Kultur, July 26, 2007, CD-Tipp der Woche

When Olli Mustonen explores dynamic extremes, he never does it with violence, but with much sensitivity in his frail fingertips, and by all means in an elegant and flexible way. Especially in the romantic passages (...) he performs magic.
Miriam Stumpfe, Bayern 4 Klassik, July 7, 2007

The artists

Tapiola Sinfonietta

The Tapiola Sinfonietta has established itself as Finland’s premier chamber orchestra. Founded as the Espoo City Orchestra in 1987, it currently has 44 members. The orchestra is known for its adventurous repertoire planning and has been widely acclaimed for nuanced performances across a wide range of eras and styles.

Full biography

Olli Mustonen

Olli Mustonen has a unique place on today's music scene both as a pianist, conductor and composer. As a pianist, he has challenged and fascinated audiences throughout Europe and America with his brilliant technique and startling originality. At the heart of his piano playing Mustonen has a deeply held conviction that each performance must have the freshness of a first performance and this tenacious spirit of discovery leads him to explore many areas of repertoire beyond the established canon.

Full biography

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