These famous and rightly acclaimed performances need little recommendation from me. Annie Fischer’s small discography for EMI has not been as well treated as it deserves, and so the release of this disc redresses a disservice to a very special artist. Fischer’s characteristic intensity suits these concertos particularly well, and she turns the solo part into a true dialog with the orchestra. Especially in the slow movements it’s wonderful to hear how she reacts to what is happening around her, while the use of Busoni’s cadenzas in Piano Concerto No. 21 gives the reading unusual interest. Wolfgang Sawallisch admirably leads what clearly is Klemperer’s Philharmonia, with woodwinds well to the fore; this makes Concerto No. 22 (with clarinets replacing the oboes) a particular feast for the ears and a marvel of textural interplay between Fischer and her colleagues. EMI’s remastered sound is a bit bright, but it’s vivid and clear nevertheless. A “great performance of the century” indeed! [6/1/2004]
