Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4 - Stephen Kovacevich - BBC Symphony Orchestra - Sir Colin Davis - PentaTone PTC 5186 101 (2002) SACD rip via PS3 to iso (3.08GB) | FLAC 24bit/88.2kHz | Mch (+5.07dB gain) 2.23GB | 2ch DR (+6dB gain) 1.09GB | Classical 1974 analogue recording ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SA-CD.net review by sgb June 1, 2003: This particular recording has been a favourite of mine since its inital release nearly 30 years ago. Stephen Kovacevich (or Bishop-Kovacevich. if you prefer) appeals as 1 of those pianists whose playing is rather forthright & precise, giving us here a rather lyrical presentation of the concerti full of grace & good demeanor. A little on the light side compared to those who pound out their Beethovens some would think. Colin Davis is the consummate accompanist as conductor here as he has been on so many of the Davis/Kovacevich collaborations. A 1st-rate pianist deserves a 1st-rate conductor, after all, & the BBC Symphony give their all here to the pair to make this a class act through & through & start to finish. Sound quality is better on this new Pentatone release than in any of the various releases on vinyl & CD I've heard in the past. I have not yet listened to this in its Mch, but the 2ch segment is so lifelike, I may not ever make the effort to find an Mch player to hear it. Strongly recommended to those who prefer their Beethoven a little understated, & demand the best sound possible. Tracks: =================================================================== foobar2000 1.3.14 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1 log date: 2017-02-08 17:08:35 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Analyzed: Stephen Kovacevich - piano, BBC Symphony Orchestra - Sir Colin Davis / Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR Peak RMS Duration Track ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR14 -2.51 dB -21.43 dB 13:43 01-Allegro con brio - Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat, Op.19 DR13 -3.84 dB -23.81 dB 10:26 02-Adagio - Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat, Op.19 DR14 -2.64 dB -20.53 dB 5:59 03-Rondo (Molto Allegro) - Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat, Op.19 DR15 -2.19 dB -22.77 dB 18:36 04-Allegro moderato - Piano Concerto No.4 in G, Op.58 DR13 -6.29 dB -26.87 dB 5:30 05-Andante con moto - Piano Concerto No.4 in G, Op.58 DR14 -0.73 dB -21.60 dB 9:31 06-Rondo (Vivace) - Piano Concerto No.4 in G, Op.58 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of tracks: 6 Official DR value: DR14 Samplerate: 88200 Hz Channels: 2 Bits per sample: 24 Bitrate: 2466 kbps Codec: FLAC ==================================================================== Time: 63:24 Musicians: Stephen Kovacevich BBC Symphony Orchestra Sir Colin Davis http://www.filefactory.com/folder/74525bede81fcd36 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Checksum for iso: 3f22f362a8c0e2d44c94a989a3f3bbf6 *Beethoven - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 Stephen Kovacevich - BBC SO.iso Checksum for flac tracks Mch: 94531e725b600f96eec6fb8cd8059d30 *Stephen Kovacevich - piano, BBC Symphony Orchestra, conduct - Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 &.cue 94fcd21230770c401e15a0730335adf9 *Stephen Kovacevich - piano, BBC Symphony Orchestra, conduct - Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 &.flac Checksum for flac tracks 2ch: f23859bf64418d270c0d4baeb4a80047 *Stephen Kovacevich - piano, BBC Symphony Orchestra, conduct - Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 &.cue 1389881967580766db3ce1667a570042 *Stephen Kovacevich - piano, BBC Symphony Orchestra, conduct - Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 &.flac