Negative Positive
Title: Deadly Conducting
Review: I am amazed that anyone could rate this disc highly. The conducting by Pesek is such a travesty. Of course Firkusny always plays well, but there is zero support for what he is doing throughout, and this can be clearly heard in the Third concerto when compared with the Palenicek/Ancerl performance. It sounds as if the conductor gave absolutely no thought to the shape of these works, and so it remains just a disc with great solo moments, but adrift on a sea of what has become vague and plangent Martinu-isms. Not a "tribute" to pianist or composer.
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