Favorite Brahms Concerto

[ChamberNut]

Another Brahms' poll  0:)

[not edward]

I predict the Double Concerto will finish last.

[Don]

I picked the Violin Concerto that will likely be a very popular choice.

[PaulR]

piano concerto #1

[Haffner]

PC #1 definite. Like the VC tho.

[BachQ]

PC 1 in d minor all the way, baby ..........

[Brian]

As recently as two weeks ago, the Double Concerto would have finished dead last on my personal list. It just didn't appeal to me at all. But then again, none of the Brahms concerti are my favorites - the slow movements of the First Piano Concerto and the Violin Concerto are absolutely beautiful, but I'm not a big fan of either work's finale. And a terrific new recording of the Double Concerto has rapidly - really rapidly - changed my mind about the work. I still find the four-note introduction to the slow movement to be dumb, but have fallen head over heels for this work. I wonder what's so different now; if a little switch flicked on in my head, or if a new approach made me more open to the piece, or what. Oh well - the Double Concerto and I are friends now 



This is the disc which, within two listenings, totally turned around my opinion of the piece. My old recording was Isaac Stern and Yo-Yo Ma on CBS.

[ChamberNut]

Brian, so many people say the same thing.  At first, they didn't like Brahms or just couldn't 'get into' his music....and then all of a sudden it is like a light switch goes on!    I'm glad to hear you and the 'Double' are now buddies.  0:)

[ChamberNut]

The Double Concerto was the work that made me say "Hey, I actually kind of like Brahms!".  It was my main introduction to his music.

Now, he is a very close 2nd to Beethoven as my favorite composer overall.

I chose the Violin Concerto, but it was a toss-up with the D-minor piano concerto.  Sorry Dm 

[Brian]

Brian, so many people say the same thing.  At first, they didn't like Brahms or just couldn't 'get into' his music....and then all of a sudden it is like a light switch goes on!    I'm glad to hear you and the 'Double' are now buddies.  0:)

Yep.    That's how it was years ago with the Fourth Symphony, too. I actually had an intense dislike for it, for a while, and then one day it was a powerful revelation. Except that nothing had changed (same recording - Kleiber/Vienna). The other three symphonies came to me much more naturally though, as has the piano music.

[Joe Barron]

Piano Concerto No. 2--- period, paragraph, end of story, that's all she wrote, go home.

Do I sound uncertain? Every movement of this piece contains exquisite, memorable moments. When I recall any music from a Brahms concerto, the odds are excellent it will be from this one.

[Wanderer]

I predict the Double Concerto will finish last.

My psychic told me so.

[rappy]

One of the piano concertos.
Very difficult decision. If I believed in God, I'd say the first one was written by him and the second by his human son.
So I chose #1.

[BachQ]

One of the piano concertos.
Very difficult decision. If I believed in God, I'd say the first one was written by him and the second by his human son.
So I chose #1.

darn good answer .........

[rappy]

Thanks 

Btw., of course all the concerti are gorgeous.

[hornteacher]

Tough choice, but I'm going with the violin concerto.  I tend to listen to that a lot more often.

[anasazi]

Tough choice, but I'm going with the violin concerto.  I tend to listen to that a lot more often.

What if Hilary played piano though?  ;-)

[hornteacher]

What if Hilary played piano though?  ;-)

Darnit you caught me.   

[Symphonien]

Piano Concerto No. 2, easy.

[btpaul674]

hmmm I just heard Kyoko Takezawa play the Brahms Violin Concerto a few days ago with Columbus SO. I still pick the first piano concerto.