Title: 4th darker than most
Product review: Finally I got a lot recordings of these works and am able to compare. I think these performances stand the competition. You can argue that I lavish my stars here, but that is due to the star inflation on Amazon and my opinion that some differences between the Zacharias/Vonk and for example Perahia/Haitink not necessarily make the latter much better. Zacharias/Vonk give us a more expressive 4th and a somehow strict 5th.There is more darkness, more shades in the 4th than in most other performances. The 5th gives all energy I wish from it, but you can argue that the adagio un poco mosso is troppo mosso. If this is your first Emperor, you will probably enjoy that, less sugar. Summa summarum: understated emotions in the adagio and happy, triumph in the first and third movements.Zacharias' light touch is something he shares with say Fleisher and Perahia. Some would prefere a more dominating piano voice, for example by Arrau.All these differnces are matters of taste, not of excellency.
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