"This recording is the first in a complete cycle of Lachner’s transcriptions of all Beethoven concertos. At Lachner’s time, the objective of the arrangements was to make the works accessible to a wider audience. Of course, this is no longer necessary today. Nevertheless, such a performance can be rewarding if the musical parameters are actually right, which is the case in this recording. The dialogue between the pianist and the strings works very well, and the latter contribute significantly to the expressiveness of the music. While the playing of the strings has density and fullness it is also remarkably transparent. The quartet and the double-bass player do not necessarily rely on beautiful sound, but also sprinkle the music with panache and powerful accents. Then again they can play just as lyrically. Hanna Shydayeva never plays herself into the foreground and is always out to focus Beethoven’s messages together with her colleagues."
