Claudio Arrau

Chopin and Beethoven Piano Concertos

(ICA Classics)

HERE is an absolute blinder from ICA Classics, featuring the great pianist Claudio Arrau playing Chopin's First Piano Concerto and Beethoven's Fourth with the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra, now renamed WDR Sinfonieorchester Koln. Two conductors share the honours: Otto Klemperer conducts the Chopin and Christoph von Dohnanyi takes the Beethoven. The recordings, sourced from original masters of the broadcasts, are quite old, from 1954 and 1959 respectively; and in some senses, notably the orchestral sound, the age shows. Further, there is some seriously dodgy principal oboe tone quality in the Beethoven. That said, every fan of Arrau – and they are legion – must get this: I have never heard the wondrous pianist so magisterial, so strong, firm and indisputably authoritative. He brings an entirely new perspective to the Chopin – sheer weight – and it really works. Klemperer's accompaniment matches that weight, of course, and the whole thing is unforgettable. Arrau's philosophical Beethoven Four is spellbinding, though Dohnanyi is no Klemperer.

Michael Tumelty