Can you believe this review of pianist Solomon?

[Lance]

This recent review of one of the world's most respected pianists, (Cutner) Solomon, who for many, is the pianist's pianist. I recognized his great artistry while still a teenager. While this Membran/Intense set is a bargain, I still maintain the best recordings would be from EMI or Testament where the recordings came from original masters. In any event, this "translation" of the original German has its faults, and I agree, we all have our opinions (and should). But this one shocked me. I wonder what the writer has to say about Artur Schnabel?

The review:
... not a single piano in the world remembers the given concert.” Stephen King once said in “The Green Mile”.

I do not believe in the topos of the misogged genius, or the misognous ingenious recording or interpretation. Nor do I think that the advertising policy of record labels decides whether recordings will receive classic status or not. For example, there are no unfamiliar Beethoven piano sonata, Bach cello suite, or ring of the nibels recordings that deserve to be classics, even though they are not. Solomon was not able to become a classic despite all its virtuosity - his stroke in 1956 was only a very superficial reason for this - and his Beethoven interpretations did not become so either, and if you hear them, you can guess why: Solomon's Beethoven, unfortunately, does not offer anything new. Essentially, Solomon plays very lyrically, also very romantic, but barely wide, always reminiscent of Schubert, also of Chopin or Liszt, but looks dull against (today) more well-known performers, which is why he may have been a first-class Beethoven interpreter, but today, after the multitude of documented Possibilities of interpretation to the present, Solomon no longer has much to contribute to Beethoven's piano sonatas: he does not seem antiquated, it's more like: Once upon a time...

The piano concertos seem more interesting, but nevertheless with a slight yellowing effect. The cello sonatas with Piatigorsky, recorded in 1954, are dynamic, lively, almost squishy, the two instrumentalists are almost perfectly attuned to each other and inspire each other, one (me) has the impression: one of the best recordings of the Beethoven cello sonatas I know, and from the price of the cassette, alone worth it to be acquired.

Solomon's Beethoven recordings from 1943 to 1962, which seem to be really complete in this cassette (except for the enigmatic shortcoming of the missing fourth movement of the fortepiano sonata by other reviewers, a curious affair, since this fourth movement is both Beethoven and Solomon's Recording from 1952 exists, and other publications of this recording can certainly be heard on other publications of this recording, and from the CD length of 51 minutes, with a sentence length of about 10 minutes, would have quite well suited the recording: Perhaps the fourth movement was no longer included in the price of the publication rights...), no enriching The Beethoven piano sonata collection is substantial, but round them out as historical interpretations. [End]

[Rach3]

The reviewer has apparently not heard Solomon’s rightly celebrated recording of the Brahms Handel Variations, mine the APR cd of his HMV recordings, one of the great readings of the work, which leads me to question the reviewer’s opinions, even though limited to LbV.

[barney]

Pile of nonsnese, Lance. If English is the reviewer's first language, he's in trouble. What is misognous? Does he mean misogynous? If so, it makes no sense. How can an intepretation be misogynous? ring of the nibels? Solomon ... its virtuosity? Why does he get the neuter pronoun? The price of the cassette? When was this written?
He may find Solomon's Beethoven old-fashioned, but that lyrical, unhistrionic style, everything beautifully proportioned, is precisely why so many love Solomon.

[Lance]

Well, the translation from German was from Google Translate, so I cannot blame the writer in this case. However, I do think he is waaaay off base! The review (on Amazon/USA) was posted in January 2021 I believe.

Pile of nonsnese, Lance. If English is the reviewer's first language, he's in trouble. What is misognous? Does he mean misogynous? If so, it makes no sense. How can an intepretation be misogynous? ring of the nibels? Solomon ... its virtuosity? Why does he get the neuter pronoun? The price of the cassette? When was this written?
He may find Solomon's Beethoven old-fashioned, but that lyrical, unhistrionic style, everything beautifully proportioned, is precisely why so many love Solomon.

[maestrob]

There is simply no accounting for some of those odd amazon reviews. There are lots of them. I suspect the reviewer may be some cranky old ex-Nazi who still despises any artist who isn't German. Perhaps he prefers Gieseking's brutally cold and stilted late Beethoven recordings.

Yikes!

Now that's out of my system, I can happily report that I'm the proud possessor of ALL of Solomon's Beethoven recordings, as well as the EMI Icon box of varied repertoire. All are quite satisfying to my ears.

Barney, the "cassette" referred to in the translated review refers to the box the CDs came in, I believe.

[barney]

Barney, the "cassette" referred to in the translated review refers to the box the CDs came in, I believe.

Good thinking, Brian.

[maestrob]

The reviewer has apparently not heard Solomon’s rightly celebrated recording of the Brahms Handel Variations, mine the APR cd of his HMV recordings, one of the great readings of the work, which leads me to question the reviewer’s opinions, even though limited to LbV.

Don't have that, but will seek it out. Testament has issued his HMV recordings of the Brahms Concerti, even though the Second is the only one included in his Icon box. I must surely acquire the First with Kubelik leading the Philharmonia, which contains the Handel Variations as a filler.

[Rach3]

Don't have that, but will seek it out.

The APR also has his notable Chopin “Berceuse.”

[Rach3]

Fww, Solomon plays the Chopin "Berceuse" and first 17 variations ( rest not at YT, unfortunately) of Brahms' Handel Variations, from the APR cd:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O8rbQ6Hi2M (Chopin)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3SViy7zY2Y&t=40s (Brahms)

[maestrob]

Fww, Solomon plays the Chopin "Berceuse" and first 17 variations ( rest not at YT, unfortunately) of Brahms' Handel Variations, from the APR cd:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O8rbQ6Hi2M (Chopin)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3SViy7zY2Y&t=40s (Brahms)

Thanks, Steve. I will hear them today for sure.

[david johnson]

I eagerly await the release of the masterful recordings of great piano works this author has done himself.