Both are hugely popular and despite bursts of enjoyable vulgarity, both are terrific. There are also more good recordings of them than one can count, to say nothing of the dodgy ones. The Munich orchestra on this disc plays with great style and elegance. Ms Ott, who hails from Munich, is on top of the demanding scores. Her approach to the Tchaikovsky is dreamier than most, which is no bad thing, especially in the divinely beautiful slow movement. Even in the scherzo-like second section of the movement she maintains this lightness. Conductor Hengelbrock attends with equal sensitivity.
It is their approach that distinguishes this version of the work. The performance of the first movement, just before the cadenza in particular, becomes a bit stodgy. In fact, at the risk of running to cliché, one could say that these are very German performances.
As a pianist-composer, Liszt set the bar high, and few attempted his rambunctious concertos whilst he was in town. Listening to it now, a unified one-movement work, we would hardly credit that it took the composer 26 years to finish. German horns are in a class of their own, and they sound very fine at the beginning of the Liszt. Ott brings to the Liszt the same lyrical approach as she does to the Tchaikovsky. I would have liked a bit more life from the recording, but overall it is clear and well balanced. These are good performances, but there are more compelling versions available.
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