Hi-Res Downloads

96kHz/24-bit FLAC, BIS BIS-1978 (supplied by www.eclassical.com)

I don’t think these two C-minor concertos have been coupled on records before, in spite of obvious connections. As if to stress these, the Mozart is given a Beethovenian vigour and scale – not inappropriately. For K491 Sudbin offers his own cadenzas: in (i) reminscent of LvB’s cadenza for K466. These are quite stylish if indulgently long, but it’s a shame he introduces such fanciful textual elaborations in (ii), from 6m 15s to 7m 06s – especially given his sensitivity to timing and phrasing in the Beethoven slow movement (the piano is a Steinway D). Vänskä’s Oct ’13 resignation from the Minneapolis Orchestra, at the time bogged down in labour disputes, means that BIS’s Beethoven Concertos project (we’ve already had No.4 and the Emperor) will continue with the Tapiola Sinfonietta. CB

Sound Quality: 80%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

Although this coupling is available on SACD (stereo and 5.0), the original recording was sampled off Neumann mics at 96kHz and this is the file offered here. The Allegro movements have genuine widebandwidth content. PM