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Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4

January 27, 2012 by Jolie Greer

Look For Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4 at Amazon


  • Amazon Sales Rank: #114998 in Music
  • Released on: 1994-10-04
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Dimensions: .21 pounds
Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4

Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4 Picture

Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4

Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4 Picture

Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4

Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4 Photo

Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4

Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4 Pic

Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4

Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4 Photo

Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4

Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 2 4 Image

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
4Amazon reviewer makes bold statement…
By M. A. Downs
….and is dead on; while Prokofiev’s 2nd concerto lacks the sophistication and compositional genius of the 3rd it is superior for two reasons: 1) it is more idiomatic 2) it is more personal. The audience was utterly baffled at the premiere, the world shocked, why? just listen! who else writes like this? Not only is this a prime example of Prokofiev’s iconoclastic style – a romp through a truly gothic sound world — but it is also one of his most personal, a romantic concerto written by an anti-romantic in response to a friends letter that stated, “I’ve written to tell you the latest news: I’ve shot myself. The reasons are unimportant.” It lacks sophistication because it is barbaric, raw and utterly tempestuous.

Bromfman is not a risk taker (Pogorelich), a method actor (Richter), nor a character actor (Rubenstein); Bromfman basically plays what’s on the page like Ashkenazy albeit in this case with the requisite gravitas. It’s unfortunate the demand for this concerto has not fueled more interpretation; for the time being this really is the only worthwhile recording.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
5Best Prokofiev Recording Available
By A
Yefim Bronfman & Zubin Mehta have joined forces to produce one of the best recordings of any Prokofiev work. In particular, the 2nd Piano Concerto is as fine a recording as you are ever likely to hear, of anything. Clear, clean, superbly performed and immaculately recorded, it is virtually flawless. Mr. Bronfman’s cadenzas are nothing short of spectacular, and the piano as recorded is as clear as if you were playing it yourself. One of the great all-time discs, this is certainly the definitive version of these pieces, majestically paced and emotionally and technically perfect. Highly recommended.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
2Lacks emotional depth
By A
This recording disappoints me. Bronfman seems to work his way through Prokofiev’s second piano concerto focused only on the difficult notes. The recording lacks the intensity and emotion the piece is capable of. The Prokofiev piano concerto #2 is one of my favorite pieces of music, but I honestly recomend a better recording. Michael Beroff has a recording out of the piece that is by far, one of the best recordings I’ve ever heard. If you want to hear the emotion involved in Prokofiev’s best concerto, listen to Beroff.

See all 8 customer reviews…


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