Haydn: Piano Concertos Nos. 3, 4, 11

1	Keyboard Concerto in G ma
2	Keyboard Concerto in G ma
3	Keyboard Concerto in G ma
4	Keyboard Concerto in F ma
5	Keyboard Concerto in F ma
6	Keyboard Concerto in F ma
7	Keyboard Concerto in D ma
8	Keyboard Concerto in D ma
9	Keyboard Concerto in D ma
Haydn: Piano Concertos Nos. 3, 4, 11
1.	Keyboard Concerto in G major, H. 18/4 17:58
	Composed by Franz Joseph Haydn
	Performed by Leif Ove Andsnes and Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
2.	Keyboard Concerto in F major, H. 18/3 17:17
	Composed by Franz Joseph Haydn
	Performed by Leif Ove Andsnes and Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
3.	Keyboard Concerto in D major, H. 18/11 18:17
	Composed by Franz Joseph Haydn
	Performed by Leif Ove Andsnes and Norwegian Chamber Orchestra

Barnes & Noble

Mozart's piano concertos are operas without words, full of subtle drama and lyrical virtuoso display. Haydn's piano concertos are modest in comparison, but their charms can be absolutely captivating in performances as effervescent as these. The young Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes has already demonstrated his profound understanding of Haydn's music with an unusually invigorating recording of the composer's solo sonatas. Here, he plays and conducts three of Haydn's finest concertos with a perfect balance of tenderness and wit. Andsnes and his colleagues in the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra make the most of every phrase, crisply rendering each detail so that even when the tempo is slow -- as in the elegantly restrained opening Allegro of the F Major Concerto -- the music still sounds engagingly fresh and vital. Those who admire this pianist's powerful performance of Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto should make it a point to hear this recording. Haydn's music is certainly not as virtuosic, but Andsnes's brilliance is just as dazzling. Andrew Farach-Colton

Barnes & Noble

Leif Ove Andsnes' recording of the three most popular Haydn piano concertos helps confirm what I've long suspected: Andsnes, who turns 30 this year, may well be the most consistently interesting pianist of his generation. The Haydn keyboard concertos rarely tend to attract big-name talent. Compared to the Mozart concertos, they offer far fewer technical challenges and musical rewards, although it would be hard to gather that from Andsnes' polished and perceptive performances. They constantly remind us that no great composer was musically or emotionally healthier than Haydn, nor did any have a more highly developed sense of humor. Along with the sheer grace and utter naturalness of the interpretations, Andsnes' playing simply bursts with laughter. If you can keep a straight face during the rollicking rondo-finale of the G Major Concerto, then you badly need a vacation -- or professional intervention. Jim Svejda