Brahms 4 Hand Piano - Naxos Series

[DarkAngel]

What do members think of the many (15+) releases in the naxos Brahms 4 hand piano CD series,
really digging deep beyond more common waltzs and Hungarian Dances with versions of symphonies, chamber music, serenades etc
Even have a 4 hand version of piano concerto........

[ChamberNut]

I have the 4-hand version of Piano Concerto No. 1.  I love it! 

I've sampled some of the others on Naxos and really enjoyed these as well.

[DarkAngel]

Very cheap used at Amazon USA, $2-3.......

I placed an order for a few, I have recently been on a four hand piano kick with some Mozart and Schubert, now
this Naxos series for Brahms. Besides this Naxos series there is not a huge amount of 4 hand recordings available

[Brian]

It is an excellent series. My favorite issues are the Piano Concerto No 1, coupled with the Academic Festival Overture, and the marvelous renditions of Symphonies Nos 2 and 3. The Hungarian Dances are mandatory, of course.

[Brian]

Very cheap used at Amazon USA, $2-3.......

Remember to add shipping costs...

[val]

Regarding the Hungarian Dances, the CD with the brothers Steven & Stijn Kolacny is the best I ever heard.

[The new erato]

Regarding the Hungarian Dances, the CD with the brothers Steven & Stijn Kolacny is the best I ever heard.

Brendel/Klien from Turnabout - now available on Brilliants Brendel box - was an eyeopener for me.

[ChamberNut]

It is an excellent series. My favorite issues are the Piano Concerto No 1, coupled with the Academic Festival Overture, and the marvelous renditions of Symphonies Nos 2 and 3. The Hungarian Dances are mandatory, of course.

Brian,

I have a different Naxos one of the Piano concerto No. 1

It's Volume 17.  It's Four hands, but Two pianos (Silke-Thora Matthies and Christian Kohn on pianos).  The disc includes Joseph Joachim's Demetrius Overture (for piano duo - two pianos)

[DarkAngel]

Brendel/Klien from Turnabout - now available on Brilliants Brendel box - was an eyeopener for me.

I picked that up as cheap used 2CD VoxBox set a couple weeks ago at Amazon, young Brendel was more dynamic than I
expected......so a good find for me also but very expensive now




Recently also picked up this EMI Gemini release:

[DarkAngel]

Brian,

I have a different Naxos one of the Piano concerto No. 1
It's Volume 17.  It's Four hands, but Two pianos (Silke-Thora Matthies and Christian Kohn on pianos).  The disc includes Joseph Joachim's Demetrius Overture (for piano duo - two pianos)

I noticed that there are several repeat performances in Naxos series, are these actually different versions of the same work?
As opposed to just a different packaging of same performance

[ChamberNut]

I noticed that there are several repeat performances in Naxos series, are these actually different versions of the same work?
As opposed to just a different packaging of same performance

Different performances/performers, I believe.  And one is on 1 piano - four hands.  The one I have is on 2 pianos.

I think. 

[Brian]

Yes, there are several duplicates. Brahms sometimes arranged for 1 piano 4 hands and sometimes for 2 pianos 4 hands, and sometimes for both. I think some of the symphonies also exist in such duplicate arrangements, and are recorded as such in the Naxos series.

Naxos is VERY tight about reissuing performances. Stuff originally recorded for Naxos usually only reappears in box sets, although in the 1990s they did a reissue line coupling various popular romantic concertos with each other.

[Brahmsian]

*Bump*

I know there are at least 17 volumes that I'm aware of (could be more now) of the 4 hand piano Brahms' Naxos series.  I'm thinking that it has got to be near its completion?

[Brahmsian]

A boxed set would be nice.

I agree James, and I'm sure it will be such once complete.  Doesn't look like there has been a new release though since 2006.  That's why I'm wondering if it is completed or near completion?

I nice boxed set the way Naxos did brilliantly for various Haydn works would be fantastic!

[Brian]

ChamberNut, I don't mean to destroy your bank account but Naxos has just inaugurated a new series: they're giving the exact same treatment to Robert Schumann!

[Brahmsian]

ChamberNut, I don't mean to destroy your bank account but Naxos has just inaugurated a new series: they're giving the exact same treatment to Robert Schumann!

*Faints!*  Uh-oh, my wallet is sweating bullets!! 

Thanks for that, Brian (seriously).  Two of my favourite solo piano composers!

[Karl Henning]

Brian was too wicked, there . . . .

[eumyang]

I know there are at least 17 volumes that I'm aware of (could be more now) of the 4 hand piano Brahms' Naxos series.  I'm thinking that it has got to be near its completion?

I know this is an old thread, but I'm reviving it to answer this question.    According to http://www.matthies-koehn.de/german/html/brahmsprojekt.html (in German) there are supposed to be 18 CDs total.  Why the last CD hasn't been released (when #17 was released in December of 2006) is a mystery to me.

Another interesting note is that on their main page http://www.matthies-koehn.de/german/index.html there is mention plans for a seven CD set of four-hand piano music of Dvorak.  If this is true... well, only two CDs out so far.

[Brahmsian]

*bump* 

Making my way through Vol. 1 to 16 + 18 (17 I already had for years).

I was floored by the intensity of Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem for 4-hand piano.  The "full monty" Requiem is still the best way to go, but it was quite an aural sensation to listen to this piece in the 4-hand piano version.

The 2nd movement of Ein Deutsches Requiem has always been one of my favourite movements in all music, especially vocal/choral.  I found it equally profound through the piano reduction.