'In a period when Beethoven interpretation has
become fairly standardized, Kovacevich remains a free spirit, making
a profoundly personal response to the music and playing in an improvisatory
style, which fits descriptions of how Beethoven performed his own
music.'
Boston Globe - Beethoven's Emperor Concerto
'Here was a pianist who truly did play Beethoven's Hammerklavier
sonata as though it were a first performance... the way he kept this fabulously
risk-taking music on the edge of playability - my 21st-century ears had never
appreciated the full audacity of the fugal finale - and us on the edge of our
seats, was an index of his moral rather than his physical courage.'
Sunday Times - Beethoven's Hammerklavier
Stephen Kovacevich as conductor
'Beethoven's 'Pastoral Symphony' is always a musical feast
for the ears. Under the circumstances, it vividly conjured up springtime on
a bitterly cold evening. Brimming with energy and blithe spirits, the symphony
effortlessly conveys a sense of brio and great charm however many times one
has heard it. It got a polished performance by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra,
the reading tightly focused, elegant and robust.'
Vancouver Review - Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony
Stephen Kovacevich recordings on EMI Classics |
