Selected reviews of Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1

[Kuhlau]

Inspired by George's resurrection from the old GMG forum of his Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 thread, I thought I'd offer a few reviews of my own of Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1. These were originally posted at another forum, but I've collected them together here into a single opening post.

All but the last of these originally had MP3 samples to illustrate my points - you can go to this thread to hear them.

FK

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Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | Abbado | Brendel (Philips)

While Abbado’s support for his soloist throughout this performance is close to ideal, I couldn’t help feeling that in the first movement especially, the Italian needed to be much more muscular. Ideally, I want the opening of this ‘symphony with extended piano solo’ – for that’s how I often hear it – to be as bold and hammering as that of the composer’s First Symphony. Alas, Abbado doesn’t quite generate enough wallop for my taste. And although Brendel’s pianism is generally excellent in this recording, there are times in the first movement when he comes across as a little hesitant, IMO (a complaint I can’t make about his mastery in the finale, in which he delivers with Abbado an exciting and colourful conclusion).

Looking past such mild reservations about Brendel in the first movement, there’s something quite special about this performance that makes it worthy of audition, and that’s his handling of the slow movement’s opening bars. When I first heard him play the adagio’s piano entry, I nearly cried. Such tenderness from Brendel is balanced beautifully by Abbado’s orchestral accompaniment; and the overall tempo chosen by both men means this tear-jerking, heartfelt second movement isn’t reduced to sentimental mush.

What spoils this performance and prevents it from being a top recommendation, however, is the engineering. The players are far too closely recorded (either that, or the resulting tapes were poorly mastered), everything sounds much too square – too ‘up front and centre’ – and there’s an almost claustrophobic lack of acoustic space around the performers. Despite this, the plainly obvious joie de vive that characterises and infuses the third and final movement is worth the price of the CD; while the second movement’s magic is sure to bewitch even those who lack any outward trace of Romantic sensibility.

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Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | Solti | Schiff (Decca)

A raw, slightly abrasive string tone in the orchestral opening gives way to too slow an introduction for my liking. This rather measured approach takes the edge off the drama; and Schiff’s cool first movement entry doesn’t help. Indeed, he sounds to me to be mildly detached throughout the movement; his occasional slackness in pace throughout awkwardly mirrored by the orchestra. Though this caused my mind to wander now and then, I did register that any real danger of sagginess is always avoided. But to be frank, 23 minutes feels more like 33, and the overall tempo is too lilting for the beginning of such a monumental work – the drift down into the first movement’s conclusion being particularly catatonic.

The adagio second movement has a running time just 38 seconds longer than that of the Brendel/Abbado recording. But it feels like a good two minutes longer again. Is Schiff emphasising heart-rending emotionality, or simply playing too slowly? Solti endorses his soloist’s slow-stepping approach with orchestral support that crawls where it ought to (at least) stroll, IMO. Mind you, not many pianists/conductors that I’ve heard in this movement can deliver it slowly and bring it off well.

Schiff seems to find an eloquence and level of engagement much more suited to this work in the third and final movement. This said, he and Solti play it a little like the mannered way I’ve heard some forces tackle what should be the exuberant finale of Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ Concerto: a fraction too stiff or ‘upright’. This is my main criticism of both this movement and the performance as a whole, actually – it’s somewhat reserved; drained of the thrills, daring and drama with which this mighty Romantic masterpiece should really overflow.

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Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra | Wit | Biret (Naxos)

Taking your time with the first movement of this huge work needn’t mean sacrificing dramatic impact. Wit whips up an appropriately ominous storm amongst the players of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in the first minute or so of this recording. His opening movement lasts just 41 seconds longer than Solti’s reading, yet feels about a minute or so shorter and much better paced. He also exercises better control over his band, IMO, building tension and releasing it without ever idling or hurrying. And then in comes Biret: her entrance neither overstated nor anonymous; her connection with the music more believable than Schiff's in his Decca recording. This may not be the absolute ideal performance of the first movement – I prefer it with a bit more oomph – but it’s a very credible account that won’t disappoint. And that descent into the movement's close that I criticised in the Schiff/Solti recording can’t be so decried here. It’s a model of balance and pace.

I also mentioned in my Schiff/Solti review that few pianist/conductor partnerships can pull off a slow adagio in this work and leave me feeling satisfied. Wit and Biret are the team that can. Their reading takes up a whole 15 minutes, but it’s a quarter of an hour of pure delight. There’s a cogency to this performance that would’ve been missing had not both conductor and soloist been totally attuned to each other and the music. It is, in a word, beautiful – a moving musical love letter to Brahms’ beloved Clara Schumann, and a lament for her late husband and the composer’s champion.

Okay, I’ve heaped praise on this recording so far. Is there nothing wrong with it? If the performance suffers at all, it’s not the fault of the performers. The sound is the only element I'd have liked improved upon, this being slightly less well defined and resonant than is usually to my taste. That said, it’s far from shoddy – it’s just not demonstration quality. If it were, there’d be more sparkle to Biret’s fine finger work in the exciting, almost playful finale which she and Wit deliver with panache … and possibly also a little mischievous twinkle in their eyes. They certainly make you forget this is a super-budget price recording.

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Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | Jochum | Gilels (DG)

If you want a recording of this work that will truly terrify you with its thunderous opening, this is the one to own. Jochum clearly had the boys of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra well energised on the day this much-praised account was captured. Gilels, OTOH, is initially more laid back as he enters in the first movement; though it’s not long before he cottons on to the vibe in the room and delivers more than a little pianistic thunder. Listening to the way he and Jochum shape this fine performance, I can appreciate why so many critics have stamped it with their seal of approval. True, the first movement’s 24-minute running time does seem a bit indulgent to me; but there’s fire and formidable forte playing where it’s needed most. There’s not, however, quite enough ‘go’ enough of the time to have me clutching the edge of my seat.

The pacing of the adagio’s orchestral opening is perfect. There’s no other way to put it. Nothing sags, everyone comes in when and where I feel they should; and had I not heard how well Wit delivers this movement's opening bars at a fractionally more leisurely pace, I’d have declared this the only way to do it. Gilels momentarily mars things for me with his first few bars – his rubato getting in the way of the song-like lyricism – but he redeems himself within a minute or so, picking up his feet and keeping the line clear and flowing for pretty much the remainder of the movement.

Direct and business-like is how I’d describe the brisk beginning of the third movement rondo. Nothing wrong with this: it trips along nicely; Gilels’ neat, crisp playing always strictly in tempo. If a smidgen of the pace that Jochum employs in this movement could’ve been applied to the first one, I’d have had no hesitation in awarding this recording five stars. But that one minor niggle is enough for me to downgrade it to a 4.8 – still a very high score, and not one to be taken too seriously. Because on the whole, this most famous performance of the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 deserves the many plaudits it’s earned for itself over the years. It’s not a recording you’ll regret adding to your shelves.

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Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | Rattle | Zimerman (DG)

This is such a difficult one to call. You’ve got Rattle on top of his game in the first movement, driving the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (who sound sweeter in this outing than the one with Jochum) with at times an almost zealous urgency, and bringing that elusive oomph that I feel is missing from several other performances I’ve heard. Indeed, this is a near-ideal reading of the first movement, orchestrally speaking. But something about Zimerman’s sometimes affected playing irritates me – particularly his terse delivery of notes soon after he first comes in. I feel like he’s trying to make his mark on the piece, but going wide of the mark instead.

Zimerman troubles my ears even more in the second movement. Okay, it could be Rattle’s fault for taking it too slowly – the adagio comes in at what I’d say is an overextended 15 minutes and 45 seconds. But if Zimerman had just quickened his pace a little, especially towards the start, this would’ve improved things. Alas, he persists in treading too deliberately throughout; occasionally sounding out of step with the band (the poor string players really have to hang on and draw out their chords in a couple of places). Worst of all, his insistence on such a painfully slow tempo all but kills the melodic line.

What kept going through my mind while I listened to this performance as a whole was, ‘Why so anonymous?’ Cover up the CD front and you’d be hard-pressed to identify the players. Then I got a pleasant surprise – a delightfully vigorous opening to the third movement. This doesn’t make the recording any less unidentifiable, but it does make up for Zimerman’s dawdling in the adagio. Such a shame, really: had he and Rattle cranked up the speed in that second movement, you’d have had a pretty good ‘all-round’ – if not wholly satisfying – performance. But hey, at least the recorded sound is decent.

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Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra | Haitink | Arrau (Philips)

Haitink certainly gets a big sound from the big gun that is the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra … though the explosions they deliver at the start of the first movement left me largely unmoved. I was no less indifferent when Arrau entered in in what at first seemed like unfortunately recessed sound (this later proved not to be the case). That doesn’t mean any of the performers are doing anything wrong. They’re just not ‘doing it’ for me. A mystery, as I usually enjoy Haitink – though I can take or leave Arrau (particularly when he gives us the kind of mannered and unnecessarily overemphasised ugliness that occurs near the end of the first movement). To say something positive, these opening 24 minutes go by pleasantly enough. But who wants ‘pleasant’ in a huge work like this? Give me real passion, and plenty of it.

So, from an underwhelming first movement to an adagio that begins sweetly enough, but which quickly takes on more a Debussian spirit – not right for Brahms, I’d say, even if it does make for a thought-provoking interpretation. The beauty that Pollini (reviewed below) and Biret give to this love song without words is smudged by Haitink’s decision to drag out the second movement to 15 minutes and 41 seconds. I said earlier in this series of reviews that successfully pulling off a long adagio in this work isn’t easy; and so it proves here: both conductor and soloist become distractingly unstructured towards the movement’s end.

More mucking about with rubato from Arrau in the third movement had me wincing, but his performance overall in the finale contains arguably some of his best work in the whole recording. There’s plenty of ‘go’ from the orchestra, and a pleasingly sunny quality that’s entirely appropriate, IMO. It’s regrettable that the strings seem to be shoved into a corner sonically, as this acoustic quirk means their fine efforts don’t really command the attention they deserve. They make a valuable contribution, nonetheless, to a finale I could bear to hear again - albeit in isolation from the rest of this curious but ultimately unfulfilling performance.

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Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | Bohm | Pollini (DG)

A stern and serious opening at a no-nonsense tempo and with clearly articulated orchestral textures gives to the first movement of this recording a rather regal, old-world magnificence. This is complemented by a reading of the solo entrance by Pollini that’s about as straight as I can imagine it ever being delivered. Not that this means his playing is without feeling; there’s an emotional connection all right, but it’s kept firmly in check as the pianist concentrates on giving us his lines without point making. There’s some beautiful work from the woodwinds and strings later on, too; and the playing of all concerned warms up significantly as it goes past the six-minute mark, sparing it from becoming rigid and unengaging. Indeed, at around ten minutes in, the orchestra is positively excitable.

If you’re going to make the adagio of this work come in at a comparatively swift 13 minutes and 27 seconds, you’d better make sure the movement’s lyricism and tenderness aren’t sacrificed for speed. Bohm and Pollini are clearly of one mind in this respect, achieving something every bit as beautiful as the much longer Wit/Biret version (reviewed above), without making it feel like they’ve gone much faster than a comfortable walking pace. The only niggle is that, in places, the sound picture gets a tad congested, owing to the fact that, at times, the recording as a whole lacks sufficient ‘air’ around the performers. Nonetheless, this is an impressive adagio.

The third movement gets under way in slightly stilted fashion – neither the orchestra nor the soloist seems especially committed. In fact, I’d say that the whole first half of this movement progresses in much this sort of self-conscious way. I want performers to really open up here and give it some welly. Happily, once the six-minute mark in this movement is passed, things hot up much as they did at around the same stage in the first movement. As for the piano solo after eight minutes in, this typifies the superb control and precision pianism Pollini brings to the entire performance.

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Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrucken | Skrowaczewski | Gelber (label unknown)

A loose, limp introduction followed by underpowered (under-rehearsed?) playing from all in the first few bars of the first movement labels this performance as dire long before the remainder of it has been heard. There’s a woeful lack of urgency and attention in the orchestral playing, and when Gelber arrives, it’s in a manner more appropriate for chamber music than a full-blooded Romantic concerto. I don’t say this to invalidate his interpretative approach; but such does make him feel distinctly out of sync with an orchestra which, most of the time, sounds like it’s struggling to keep in sync with itself. The brass work is dull where it should shine, the strings are rusty, and if you’d told me this was a band of weekend enthusiasts, I’d have believed you. Oh, and from the many bronchial solos so unwelcome and irritatingly audible in EVERY quieter moment, it’s safe to say this performance was recorded live. (I’d have said ‘captured’ rather than ‘recorded’, but that would've suggested a wild and spirited beast of a performance, rather than the injured animal we have here - the sort that, if you'd hit it on the road, you'd finish off quickly with your car jack while your wife distracted the kids.)

The disjointed clumsiness of the first movement – containing, as it does, arguably some of the worst ‘ensemble’ (really?) playing I’ve ever heard from an orchestra – is replaced in the adagio second movement by unco-ordination of a different kind. The many and various coughers in the audience ad lib in all the wrong places, making a mockery of Gelber’s obviously sincere attempts to wring some genuine feeling from his lines. And to make things worse, we necessarily have to hear some more from the orchestra. [Note: Half way through the second movement my astonishment at how poor this performance truly is suddenly turned to chuckling, and to thoughts of why anyone thought to release it at all.]

With his effortful and amateurish adagio mercifully over, Skrowaczewski then decides to have a stab at ‘going a bit quicker’, kicking off the third movement with much-needed pace. One has to admire Gelber at this point: his determination to make something - anything - memorable happen in this performance is almost palpable. His resolve is eventually rewarded, as his energetic playing becomes sufficiently infectious to encourage the orchestra to start sounding like they can actually hear each other and see their conductor. Things then scurry along nicely from a short way beyond the middle of the movement, but this really is too, little too late. So perhaps it’s no great shame that I’ve no idea what label this ramshackle outing is on. Would you buy it if I knew and told you?

[B_cereus]

excellent reviews... thanks 

[Kuhlau]

You're welcome.

FK

[B_cereus]

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Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra | Haitink | Arrau (Philips)

Haitink certainly gets a big sound from the big gun that is the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra ... though the explosions they deliver at the start of the first movement left me largely unmoved. I was no less indifferent when Arrau entered in in what at first seemed like unfortunately recessed sound (this later proved not to be the case). That doesn't mean any of the performers are doing anything wrong. They're just not 'doing it' for me. A mystery, as I usually enjoy Haitink – though I can take or leave Arrau (particularly when he gives us the kind of mannered and unnecessarily overemphasised ugliness that occurs near the end of the first movement). To say something positive, these opening 24 minutes go by pleasantly enough. But who wants 'pleasant' in a huge work like this? Give me real passion, and plenty of it.

So, from an underwhelming first movement to an adagio that begins sweetly enough, but which quickly takes on more a Debussian spirit – not right for Brahms, I'd say, even if it does make for a thought-provoking interpretation. The beauty that Pollini (reviewed below) and Biret give to this love song without words is smudged by Haitink's decision to drag out the second movement to 15 minutes and 41 seconds. I said earlier in this series of reviews that successfully pulling off a long adagio in this work isn't easy; and so it proves here: both conductor and soloist become distractingly unstructured towards the movement's end.

More mucking about with rubato from Arrau in the third movement had me wincing, but his performance overall in the finale contains arguably some of his best work in the whole recording. There's plenty of 'go' from the orchestra, and a pleasingly sunny quality that's entirely appropriate, IMO. It's regrettable that the strings seem to be shoved into a corner sonically, as this acoustic quirk means their fine efforts don't really command the attention they deserve. They make a valuable contribution, nonetheless, to a finale I could bear to hear again - albeit in isolation from the rest of this curious but ultimately unfulfilling performance.

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Arrau's live recording of the Brahms no.1 with Kubelik is much better

[Kuhlau]

That's useful to know if I'm in the market for another Arrau outing.

FK

[Renfield]

A disturbing absence of Szell/Fleisher, and that wonderful Kovacevich/Davis one. Corrective action highly recommended. 

[Novi]

That's useful to know if I'm in the market for another Arrau outing.

FK

And if you're in the market for another , Arrau/Giulini is great: this one does it for me when I'm in the mood for a grander, more monumental performance. I haven't heard his other recordings though.

[George]

A disturbing absence of Szell/Fleisher...

Yes, we need 300 CC's of Szell stat! 

I nominate you to write the review. 

[Renfield]

I nominate you to write the review. 

I politely decline the nomination.

Far from qualified am I to review this music; but I'm happy enough to discuss it. Possibly the only thing I would dare review is Brahms symphony recordings, Beethoven and Mahler 9ths, and Karajan's discography - the latter from a comparative perspective.

That having been said, Szell/Fleisher is (or I consider it to be) a must-hear for anyone who loves either of Brahms' concertos. Possibly the only coupling to nail both to this extent, as far as I'm concerned (though Jochum/Gilels come very close, too).

[Brian]

I shall check Fleisher/Szell out of my campus library tomorrow. By the way, glad not to be the only fan of the incredible slow movement from Biret/Wit.

[Kuhlau]

By the way, glad not to be the only fan of the incredible slow movement from Biret/Wit.

It is rather special, eh, Brian?

FK

[Sergeant Rock]

That having been said, Szell/Fleisher is (or I consider it to be) a must-hear for anyone who loves either of Brahms' concertos.

I agree...but we know Mark is going to have a problem with the sound quality. We're not likely to get a favorable review from him 

Sarge

[Renfield]

I agree...but we know Mark is going to have a problem with the sound quality. We're not likely to get a favorable review from him 

Sarge

Drat!

[Kuhlau]

I agree...but we know Mark is going to have a problem with the sound quality. We're not likely to get a favorable review from him 

Sarge

I like how you automatically suppose a person can't change over time.

FK

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Solomon (and also included on this disc is his recording of the Brahms Handel Variations that will leave you in utter disbelief!)

http://www.amazon.ca/Pno-Cto/dp/B000003XIN/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1233655472&sr=1-11