Brahms' Piano Concertos

[George]

I can't find this. Is this OOP?

Probably. I got mine from BRO not too long ago.

I just checked. They no longer have it. 

[Poetdante]

I have the one Richter preferred, with Maazel. Have you heard that one? 

Thank you for recommending good records!

I have the one Richter performed with Leinsdorf, is Mazeel's better??
Actually I don't like the record with Leinsdorf, I think it's just normal.

[George]

Thank you for recommending good records!

I have the one Richter performed with Leinsdorf, is Mazeel's better??
Actually I don't like the record with Leinsdorf, I think it's just normal.

My pleasure! 

I haven't heard the Leisdorf. 

[jwinter]

Regarding the first concerto:

Curzon/Szell
Arrau/Giulini
Backhaus/Böhm
Gilels/Jochum
Brendel/Isserstedt

Really?  You'd put it in that exalted group?  Hmm, I think I have it rattling around somewhere, I'm definitely going to have to give it another listen now.  I don't remember anything special about it, but it's been a very long time...

[bluto32]

Has anyone got a view on this new release?

[asin]B00DEFW8YY[/asin]

I'd be interested to hear opinions on sound quality as well as the interpretations.
How do these recordings compare, for example, to those of Freire/Chailly?

Bluto

[trung224]

Has anyone got a view on this new release?

[asin]B00DEFW8YY[/asin]

I'd be interested to hear opinions on sound quality as well as the interpretations.
How do these recordings compare, for example, to those of Freire/Chailly?

Bluto

I have this CD three days ago and really like this. The spontaneous, impetus quality of her interpretation reminds me of the old school Soviet pianists like Gilels and Richter, especially in the last movement of first concerto. The problems is from the orchestral parts, when sometimes it is sound ponderous, loses the momentum in Nelsons's hand. I have the flac file of the performance in Moscow when Grimaud played wonderfully under Pletnev's support.
   Despite of these shortness, I think I like this performance much more than the one from Freire with Chailly, which in my opinion is routine and understated

[bluto32]

Thanks for your verdict, Trung - I am quite tempted and may well take the plunge.

I am also considering the Curzon/Szell recording of No.1 which is available in these formats:

[asin]B00000JXZ6[/asin]
[asin]B001Q2RVQM[/asin]

Does anyone happen to know if there is a difference in remastering between these?
If there is no difference, I will go for the latter issue simply to have Curzon's No.2 as well, although the sound is reportedly not as good.

Bluto

[trung224]

Thanks for your verdict, Trung - I am quite tempted and may well take the plunge.

I am also considering the Curzon/Szell recording of No.1 which is available in these formats:

[asin]B00000JXZ6[/asin]
[asin]B001Q2RVQM[/asin]

Does anyone happen to know if there is a difference in remastering between these?
If there is no difference, I will go for the latter issue simply to have Curzon's No.2 as well, although the sound is reportedly not as good.

Bluto

   I have the first one on CD and the other on FLAC format. Both performances of 1st Concerto are the same mastering. Sound of second concerto is in mono, therefore not as good as the first concerto, but quite natural and perfect acceptable. However, if you want to hear Curzon in Brahms's No.2 Concerto, you should consider to grab the live performance on Orfeo, which is more spontaneous.

[bluto32]

Thanks again, Trung - very useful.
Bluto

[TheGSMoeller]

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


[asin]B0000029YK[/asin]

[kaergaard]

Coincidence: Finished only a few minutes ago listening to Daniel Barenboim performing this perfect Brahms Piano Concerto with Sergiu Celibidache conducting the Münchner Philharmoniker.
The other coincidence is that a short portion of this very same performance is shown in a newly released Arte documentary DVD : Sergiu Celibidache, Firebrand and Philosopher, which I enjoyed watching last night.

[Brahmsian]

What do others think of Kovacevic/Sawallisch and LPO for the Brahms' concertos?  Was my first exposure to Brahms concertos, years ago?

[Old Listener]

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


[asin]B0000029YK[/asin]

Fleisher / Szell is my favorite for the 1st PC by a long ways.  Serkin / Szell would be my second choice.

[Wanderer]

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


[asin]B0000029YK[/asin]

Among the very finest. Most highly recommended.

[Todd]

How about this one, Friends? Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? Praise?

[asin]B0000029YK[/asin]

Guess I'll have to be a dissenting voice here: I find it lightweight.  I haven't listened to it in a long time, and I have no plans to do so in the near or medium term future.  There are so many better choices available - Kuerti, Pollini II, and Gilels to start.

[bluto32]

TheGSMoeller - those Fleisher/Szell recordings were the first I ever heard of the two Brahms piano concertos, and No.1 bowled me over in particular - I return to it often. I now have a few more versions to compare it to: Ashkenazy/Haitink, Freire/Chailly, and Gilels/Jochum.

Regarding No.1, I would say that Fleisher plays it with less rubato than the others (hardly any at all), a little faster than Ashkenazy and Freire, and a lot faster than Gilels. It sounds more exciting to my ears, but is not as atmospheric as the Gilels. Technically I don't find much to choose between them. Not surprisingly the sound quality isn't quite as good on the Fleisher (1958), but it's still extremely good for its day; Sony did a great job with the remastering. Here's the 3rd movement on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAU8CCyIv7E

I haven't heard No.2 enough to make any comparisons.

Note: this cheap 5 CD box set has the same Brahms discs (identical remasterings) as well as Beethoven's PCs and a bonus Mozart PC.

[asin]B006XOBFN8[/asin]

Bluto

[jochanaan]

What do others think of Kovacevic/Sawallisch and LPO for the Brahms' concertos?  Was my first exposure to Brahms concertos, years ago?

I don't know this recording, but Kovacevic is a fine pianist and Sawallisch is one of my all-time favorite conductors, especially in Brahms!  I suspect this one's a winner.

[Brahmsian]

I don't know this recording, but Kovacevic is a fine pianist and Sawallisch is one of my all-time favorite conductors, especially in Brahms!  I suspect this one's a winner.

It is very good.  It is from this box set, which unfortunately I gave away and wished I hadn't. 

[asin]B00006HM8Y[/asin]

[trung224]

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


[asin]B0000029YK[/asin]

This is among my favorite Brahms's PC boxset, along with Gilels-Jochum and Serkin-Szell, stays perfectly between the grandiose Gilels and the fast, impetous Serkin.

[trung224]

What do others think of Kovacevic/Sawallisch and LPO for the Brahms' concertos?  Was my first exposure to Brahms concertos, years ago?

   Kovacevich's Brahsm PC1 is one of my favorite performance, fast-and-furious, young-man Brahms