The Beethoven Journey - Leif Ove Andsnes plays Beethoven Piano Concertos

[Musicophile]

I've just written about this excellent box of Beethoven piano concertos here:

 

My Reflections on the 2015 Gramophone Award Nominees

 

What I didn't mention there is that this album is also quite well recorded.

 

DR 14-16!, and no signs of upsamping (but some weird ultrasonic noise around 30khz and above):

 

[wgscott]

Where did you find the high res download?

[Jud]

Not OP, but your favorite vendor HDTracks has the full 3+ hours in 24/96 for 50 bucks.

[Musicophile]

Where did you find the high res download?

Qobuz has it for €25 regular price, but since I subscribe to their Qobuz Sublime streaming service, I got the full "3 CD box" discounted at €16.99! That's what I call a bargain.

 

The Beethoven Journey - Piano Concertos Nos.1-5 | Ludwig van Beethoven par Leif Ove Andsnes*– Télécharger et écouter l'album

 

I suppose Qobuz still doesn't sell to the US; but Highresaudio has it as well for €24 regular, and maybe they sell to the US?

 

https://www.highresaudio.com/artist.php?abid=390498

[Jud]

I don't think Highresaudio sells to the US at this point, but I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

[wgscott]

Entschuldigen Sie bitte!

 

Sehr geehrter HIGHRESAUDIO Besucher,

 

leider kann das Album zurzeit aufgrund von Länder- und Lizenzbeschränkungen nicht gekauft werden oder uns liegt der offizielle Veröffentlichungstermin für Ihr Land noch nicht vor. Wir aktualisieren unsere Veröffentlichungstermine ein- bis zweimal die Woche. Bitte schauen Sie ab und zu mal wieder rein.

 

Wir empfehlen Ihnen das Album auf Ihre Merkliste zu setzen.

 

Wir bedanken uns für Ihr Verständnis und Ihre Geduld.

 

Ihr, HIGHRESAUDIO

 

Using Google translate:

 

Yo!

 

Dear fat lazy Americans:

 

Unfortunately, you can't purchase this album because "free trade" only exists in the minds of those who loot your economy to further enrich the 1% at everyone else's expense. But because you are a fat lazy as well as stupid American incapable of even rudimentary analysis involving anything to do with political economy, you just keep lapping it up and voting to put the same people in office who will continue to rape you while you sing the praises of the market economy.

 

You probably can't afford this album anyway.

 

Thank you for your understanding and patience .

 

Your , HIGHRESAUDIO

[Musicophile]

Using Google translate:

Nice translation. But behold, the free market offers a solution:

 

Leif Ove Andsnes-The Beethoven Journey - Piano Concertos Nos1-5-FLAC 96kHz24bit Download|Acoustic Sounds

 

$17.98!

 

If there's one thing I really don't get it is the pricing of highres songs, and the pricing strategy of the different shops.

[Musicophile]

And by the way, thanks to the same silly licensing rights limitations, Acoustic Sounds doesn't sell to Europe.

[wgscott]

Thanks. That's a great price.

[Jud]

Thanks. That's a great price.

 

Yep, thanks!

[chrille]

Using Google translate:

 

Brilliant translation!

I mainly use Highresaudio when I am in Asia over the winters, and pay in dollars instead of €.

[thrand1]

Thanks for the review on this! Having just been introduced (recently) to the Piano Concertos, was wondering if anyone on this thread has other performances they have compared to these. My current library only consists of two performances of the 4&5 (Kempff and Sudbin ). Wondering how the performance on the 4&5 might compare, and if anything else, get my first performances of 1, 2, and 3 to continue the journey

[Musicophile]

Thanks for the review on this! Having just been introduced (recently) to the Piano Concertos, was wondering if anyone on this thread has other performances they have compared to these. My current library only consists of two performances of the 4&5 (Kempff and Sudbin ). Wondering how the performance on the 4&5 might compare, and if anything else, get my first performances of 1, 2, and 3 to continue the journey

 

Well, that's pretty tough competition. I love the Sudbin recording especially for no. 4.

 

Kempff is obviously a Beethoven legend, but I prefer his sonatas to the Leitner concerto recordings, where Leitner's BPO lacks a bit of a lightness that both the Minnesota and the Mahler Chamber have.

 

On Sudbin. vs Andsnes I wouldn't know who to prefer.

[AnotherSpin]

Thanks for the review on this! Having just been introduced (recently) to the Piano Concertos, was wondering if anyone on this thread has other performances they have compared to these. My current library only consists of two performances of the 4&5 (Kempff and Sudbin ). Wondering how the performance on the 4&5 might compare, and if anything else, get my first performances of 1, 2, and 3 to continue the journey

 

Kempf and Sudbin are good, though quite different. Both Kempf and Sudbin recorded other concertos as well. I would recommend 3&4 with Pires/Harding and to choose from complete concertos recordings by Brautigam/Parrot, Aimard/ Harnoncourt, Perahia/Haitink, Berezovsky/Dausgaard, Uchida/Sanderling, Lupu/Mehta, Fleischer/Szell/Ormandy, Bronfman/Zinman, Pollini/Abbado. Andsnes is very good.