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Title: Splendid performances
Review: Simon Rattle, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and Lars Vogt are to be congratulated on these fine performances. And yes, these concertos are lyrical, but also dramatic. And Vogt gets to display not merely his artistry but also his considerable technical brilliance.A major question is, of course, the tempos in the Schumann concerto. Most folks play it in a slow, dreamy manner. And maybe that all started with Clara Schumann (who presumably knew quite well how it was supposed to be played). But Vogt doesn't do that, as we discover (perhaps to our considerable surprise) in the opening bars. But I like this interpretation, and in any case, this is an excellent CD.
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