Abaddp Archive

“Pollini & Abbado: The Complete Deutsche Grammophon Recordings” – 8 CDs

by Audiophile Audition | Jun 12, 2016 | Classical Reissue Reviews

An important bag, if a mixed one, but the pros outweigh the cons. “Pollini & Abbado: The Complete Deutsche Grammophon Recordings” = BEETHOVEN: Complete Piano Concertos; Fantasy for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra, Op. 80; BRAHMS: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (1995); Piano Concerto No. 2 (1976); SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto, Op. 54; SCHOENBERG: Piano Concerto, Op. 42; BARTOK: Piano Concertos No. 1 & 2; LUIGI NONO: Como una ola de fuerza y lux – DGG 0289 482 1358 0 (8 CDs), 6+ hours [Distr. by Universal] ***1/2: This set, offered around $30, will be a mandatory acquisition for many. Pollini has always been one of my favorite pianists, despite the “hard as nails” criticism often leveled at him. But this is surely not true—his poetic inclinations just happen to be happily wed to a technique second to none in the piano world, and his astounding recordings have easily held up. Well, almost. Hearing this set has offered a second take on many recordings I thought I knew well, and some first sampled on LP are a little different on silver disc. Let’s illumine a couple of things—the Berlin Philharmonic under Abbado, while often reflecting the conductor at somewhat of a […]