ベートーヴェン: ピアノ協奏曲全集

音楽の最も長い冒険の旅路の中で、スティーヴン・ハフの演奏を聴くことは欠かせません。一連のライヴ演奏に続いて録音されたこの素晴らしいセットは、ハフの最も重要な録音の一つとして認められ、ベートーヴェン250周年の記念年に大きな貢献を果たしました。
ユニバーサル・ミュージック/IMS

Pianist Stephen Hough has waited until late mid-career to record the Beethoven piano concertos, and it shows. With all the competition in this field, he made sure to produce a distinctive set, and anyone wondering whether his performances are derivative can relax. Houghs concertos are deliberate and remain mostly at the lower end of the dynamic range. A casual traversal might give the impression that hes being deliberately antiheroic, but nothing could be further from the truth. Houghs tempos, except in the slow movement of the Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73, are on the slow side, but what this does is open up room for a striking amount of well-considered detail. This perhaps works least well in the Emperor, although that slow movement takes on a new and intriguing proportional relationship to the big opening movement here. The first two concertos give a sense of Beethoven straining to break out of established forms as few other performances do, and the Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, is perhaps best of all, as Hough establishes a kind of meditative mood. Hes matched every step of the way by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Hannu Lintu, pared down to historical-performance dimensions and minimal vibrato in the strings. The sound from the Helsinki Music Centre is another attraction. This is a Beethoven piano concerto set that stands out from the crowd, whatever listeners may think of its overall approach.

響きが混濁しないで、詩情豊かな美しい高音の弱音と柔らかく優美な低音が響く。ハフはベーゼンドルファーのピアノを使用し速すぎないテンポで自然で流麗、そして力強さも備えたベートーヴェンを表現した。第4番の第1楽章や各曲のラルゴやアダージョの緩徐楽章が優れている。第5番「皇帝」では冒頭のカデンツァを弾き飛ばすことを戒め、楽譜の音を抑揚をつけてしっかり鳴らして耳に届けてくれる。第3楽章の中間部のピアニシモの壮絶な美しさも聴きどころ。この演奏に大きく貢献したリントゥ指揮フィンランド放送交響楽団の爽快でキレのあるリズム感と音に立体感が素晴らしい。
intoxicate (C)雨海秀和