(5 out of 5 stars) Radu Lupu, André Previn, and the London Symphony Orchestra give us two of the finest accounts of these great concertos. Hands down, these are marvelous interpretations.Radu Lupu s handling of these concertos is very intelligent and passionate. Lupu is in full control of his fantastic technique, which allows him to bring a level of depth to his part that is very deep and thoughtful. Never does he simply pound out passages - rather, even during the most dramatic of parts, Lupu is always in total control. His power is wonderful, and he brings a full-bodied approach to the louder passages. But it s his lyric beauty that is truly astounding. Lupu s gentle touch in lighter passages is breathtaking.Previn brings a level of understanding to his part as conductor. As a pianist himself, Previn s sympathetic and insightful interpretation never drowns out the soloist, but accompanies the piano with a high level of sensitivity. In essence, Previn knows what he is
(5 out of 5 stars) As my introduction to the Bruckner Fifth, I listened to three different recordings to compare them: the 1953 reading by Furtwängler and the Vienna Philharmonic, Furtwängler s 1942 recording with the Berlin Philharmonic, and this, Gunther Wand s 1996 live performance with the Berlin Philharmonic.
Wand s album here is really a magnificent acheivement. To begin with, this may be the best recording of an orchestra that I ve ever heard. This is demonstration quality audio, to say the least, the Berliners playing thundering from the speakers with all of its nuances captured in the right balance. The orchestral playing and the recording are so breathtaking, you d want to hear this disc for them alone.