Brahms' Piano Concertos

[Sergeant Rock]

How about this one, Friends? Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? Praise?  I'm interested in it.

A must have, I think. But...they are not my favorite performances. Those would be Szell/Curzon/LSO in the First and Davis/Bishop-Kovacevich/LSO in the Second.

Sarge

[bluto32]

I'm very tempted to buy this new release with Hough and Wigglesworth:

[asin]B00FBG7NYY[/asin]

Does anyone have any views on this, regarding either interpretation or sound quality?
I have Freire/Chailly and Grimaud/Nelsons by way of modern recordings, and am wondering how Hough fares alongside these.

Bluto

[DavidA]

It's important that Brahms is not played too slowly in an attempt to be 'poetic'.

Of the ones I have:

No 1
Serkin / Szell is unbeatable just about - absolutely titanic.
Curzon / Szell is different but just as good.
Graffman / Munch is also terrific.
Kempff is interesting but not a first choice.

No 2
Richter is fantastic with Leinsdorf and almost as good with Maazel.
Gilels with Reiner is better than his later effort with Jochum. More drive.
Anda with Klemperer live is interesting.

For both concerti try
Freire / Chilly
Fleischer / Szell
Both excellent.
Really we are spoiled for choice.

[akiralx]

For No. 1 Zimerman/Rattle can't be beaten for drama in my view, an incredible performance.

For No. 2, I like Pollini/Abbado I (i.e. analogue) and Freire/Chailly.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

It's important that Brahms is not played too slowly in an attempt to be 'poetic'.

That's an interesting point. But the performers' meddle plays a part in determining the character of any performance, so I'd say let it be slow if they can pull it off. Gilels/Jochum was my first love in these concertos and I still hold them dear.

But as you say there's something to be said for Brahms with a spring in his step (but anything resembling "Brahms light" need not apply ).

To that end, I've taken a big liking these days to the performances of Katchen, accompanied by Monteux in the first concerto and Ferencsik in the second (both with the London Symphony Orchestra).

They combine weight and color with a wonderful transparency and give the works a kick in the pants to keep everything lively. Fun all around.




[asin]B00006GE72[/asin]

[Ken B]

That's an interesting point. But the performers' meddle plays a part in determining the character of any performance, so I'd say let it be slow if they can pull it off. Gilels/Jochum was my first love in these concertos and I still hold them dear.

But as you say there's something to be said for Brahms with a spring in his step (but anything resembling "Brahms light" need not apply ).

To that end, I've taken a big liking these days to the performances of Katchen, accompanied by Monteux in the first concerto and Ferencsik in the second (both with the London Symphony Orchestra).

They combine weight and color with a wonderful transparency and give the works a kick in the pants to keep everything lively. Fun all around.




[asin]B00006GE72[/asin]

Never heard that but his Brahms solo piano is awesome.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Never heard that but his Brahms solo piano is awesome.

I wish I could hear Katchen's solo Brahms but I can't bring myself to buy it these days since it'll duplicate so much I already have.

[Ken B]

I wish I could hear Katchen's solo Brahms but I can't bring myself to buy it these days since it'll duplicate so much I already have.

Yeah, I feel that way about a lot of stuff. I found it for a song at the local record shop just after they purchased a truckload in an estate sale. I got my gf a 4cd box of the late Mozart PCs with Bilson for under $8 for example. I think I got Katchen for about $16.

[mc ukrneal]

Yeah, I feel that way about a lot of stuff. I found it for a song at the local record shop just after they purchased a truckload in an estate sale. I got my gf a 4cd box of the late Mozart PCs with Bilson for under $8 for example. I think I got Katchen for about $16.

But sometimes buying a box can be surprisingly rewarding. I bought the Steinberg Icon box when it first came out for a rediculously small amount (a super duper deal from that thread). And the concerto performances in that box, including the Brahms Piano Concerto #1 with Firkusny, are quite excellent. Sound isn't the best, but the playing is so good. He plays the first movement at a moderate speed, but plays the second and third at a good clip. Firkusny is a pianist who impresses me the more I hear of him.
[asin]B005AAVFG8[/asin]
PS: For someone who says he doesn't like 'old' sound, that ukrneal fellow sure does have a lot of it!! 

[Pat B]

But sometimes buying a box can be surprisingly rewarding. I bought the Steinberg Icon box when it first came out for a rediculously small amount (a super duper deal from that thread). And the concerto performances in that box, including the Brahms Piano Concerto #1 with Firkusny, are quite excellent. Sound isn't the best, but the playing is so good. He plays the first movement at a moderate speed, but plays the second and third at a good clip. Firkusny is a pianist who impresses me the more I hear of him.

A great example. I bought that box for the Milstein recordings, but I have also enjoyed the purely orchestral stuff and especially the piano concertos with Firkušný.

[Ken B]

But sometimes buying a box can be surprisingly rewarding. I bought the Steinberg Icon box when it first came out for a rediculously small amount (a super duper deal from that thread). And the concerto performances in that box, including the Brahms Piano Concerto #1 with Firkusny, are quite excellent. Sound isn't the best, but the playing is so good. He plays the first movement at a moderate speed, but plays the second and third at a good clip. Firkusny is a pianist who impresses me the more I hear of him.
[asin]B005AAVFG8[/asin]
PS: For someone who says he doesn't like 'old' sound, that ukrneal fellow sure does have a lot of it!! 

I saw some rant on Amazon about one of the megaboxes from some guy who clearly knew a lot but had an attitude problem. He complained there were even boxes for nobodies like William Steinberg!

[jochanaan]

I saw some rant on Amazon about one of the megaboxes from some guy who clearly knew a lot but had an attitude problem. He complained there were even boxes for nobodies like William Steinberg!

LOL Steinberg is one of those underrated conductors who don't get their due.  I love everything I've ever heard from his baton--always clear and workmanlike yet powerful and vivid.  He said once about his own conducting: "The more they dance, the quieter I stand."

[Ken B]

LOL Steinberg is one of those underrated conductors who don't get their due.  I love everything I've ever heard from his baton--always clear and workmanlike yet powerful and vivid.  He said once about his own conducting: "The more they dance, the quieter I stand."

I recall a Hindemith Konzertmusik op 50 recording I liked a lot. My friends had Konzertmusik-envy, for which I am sure there is a word in German, and a good Planets.

[mc ukrneal]

A great example. I bought that box for the Milstein recordings, but I have also enjoyed the purely orchestral stuff and especially the piano concertos with Firkušný.

I was not at all familiar with Milstein until this box, but WOW! Bowled over I am! Phenomenal stuff.

[akiralx]

I wish I could hear Katchen's solo Brahms but I can't bring myself to buy it these days since it'll duplicate so much I already have.

Actually I did buy it all and was rather disappointed - I think he has been surpassed by subsequent recordings now.

[jochanaan]

I recall a Hindemith Konzertmusik op 50 recording I liked a lot. My friends had Konzertmusik-envy, for which I am sure there is a word in German, and a good Planets.

With the Boston Symphony?  I think I had that one; on the LP's Side 1 there was Hindemith's Mathis der Mahler Symphonie.  A very fine recording, and I do love both those pieces!

But we're getting away from the Brahms concerti...

[jochanaan]

Brahms Piano Concerto no. 2 (post-1960 recordings)
...
Serkin / Ormandy

Hmmm...I have (on an original LP in storage) a recording by Serkin, Ormandy and the Philadelphia from the mid '50s.  Is yours the same one?  If so, I would put it at or very near the top: perfect tempos and magnificent playing all around.

[bluto32]

In case it's of any interest, the 1986/91 Brendel/BPO/Abbado recordings of Brahms PC1/2 were reissued by Decca/Tower Records Japan in July 2014, at a very good price (1296 Yen each - about £7.25 each ignoring postage) under the "Tower Records Premium Classics" label. The codes are PROC-1518 and PROC-1519 respectively. It took only 7 days after placing my order for them to arrive in the UK, which is pretty good considering they were shipped to a warehouse in Japan first. (Tower Records Japan don't ship directly overseas, but ask you to register with an intermediary called "Tenso" who do.) Navigating the site isn't the easiest thing in the world if you can't speak a word of Japanese, however...

The PC1 in particular is absolutely super; I first heard snippets of this on Radio 3's "Building a Library" a while back and am very pleased to have acquired it. I like it as much as the Freire/Chailly.

   

Bluto

[aligreto]

When I want to hear Brahms' Piano Concertos I would invariably reach for....





These are bold, robust performances that definitely give an edge to the music of Brahms.

[SonicMan46]

Well, no discussion here for nearly 2 years - but reading about the Brahms Piano Concertos in another forum a few days ago and today just looked at my collection - only 2 sets, i.e. Emil Giels from 1972 & Stephen Hough from 2013; purchased the latter in 2014 after reading a superlative review by Dubins in Fanfare (one of several reviews, including Giels, in the attached PDF).

I'll be relistening to both sets today, suspect the Hough will remain in my collection, but I'm I in a 'culling or additive mood'? - so, for an 'update' of this thread, what are favorite sets of these works that others may own and any 'new' years released recently for consideration?  Dave