Brahms Piano Concerto No 2 on record

[Barbirollians]

Have recently for a song added the Zimerman/Bernstein to my collection. Wonderful playing and in particular articulation from Zimerman . VPO and Bernstein seem to be having a great time too. Adds up perhaps to less than the sum of its parts. Very good though.

If not quite - Solomon /Dobrowen with Dennis Brain sending shivers up the spine with his horn playing
Gilels/Jochum
or Richter and Leinsdorf.

Which recording is your favourite ?

[Tony Halstead]

Have recently for a song added the Zimerman/Bernstein to my collection. Wonderful playing and in particular articulation from Zimerman . VPO and Bernstein seem to be having a great time too. Adds up perhaps to less than the sum of its parts. Very good though.

If not quite - Solomon /Dobrowen with Dennis Brain sending shivers up the spine with his horn playing
Gilels/Jochum
or Richter and Leinsdorf.

Which recording is your favourite ?

1) Leon Fleischer/ George Szell/ Cleveland Orchestra
2) Rudolf Serkin / George Szell/ Cleveland Orchestra

[EdgeleyRob]

Spooky,I've just been listening to this,which I adore

[Petrushka]

Wilhelm Backhaus, Vienna Philharmonic, Karl Böhm but have several more on the shelves. I've generally preferred the 2nd Piano Concerto over the 1st but latterly have found that the 1st has now 'clicked' with me and now like both equally.

The 2nd has been fairly lucky on disc.

[Don Petter]

1) Leon Fleischer/ George Szell/ Cleveland Orchestra
2) Rudolf Serkin / George Szell/ Cleveland Orchestra

My favourite is Serkin/Ormandy/Philadelphia.

Not, as far as I know, ever on CD. On LP as ABL3170.

[BBMmk2]

Emil Gilels and Jochum!

[Hornspieler]

Have recently for a song added the Zimerman/Bernstein to my collection. Wonderful playing and in particular articulation from Zimerman . VPO and Bernstein seem to be having a great time too. Adds up perhaps to less than the sum of its parts. Very good though.

If not quite - Solomon /Dobrowen with Dennis Brain sending shivers up the spine with his horn playing

Gilels/Jochum or Richter and Leinsdorf.

Which recording is your favourite ?

In fact, BB, only the opening of the concerto, written for 1st horn in B flat, highlights Dennis Brain (and in the recapitulation.

Those beautiful high solos (written for horn in F) is played by the 3rd horn and all of the second movement is written for 3rd and 4th horns, with 1st and 2nd horns tacent.
I believe that the 3rd horn part on that recording was played by the Australian horn player Roy White, who returned to his native country shortly afterwards
I'm sure that Tony will confirm that.

NB when valve horns were only in the earliest stages of development, composers such as Brahms and Schumann preferred to write for two pairs of 1st and 2nd horns, particularly when the work was in a minor key and almost invariably, the higher parts were played by the second set of 1st and 2nd horns horns pitched in the relative major or dominant key (now allotted to 3rd and 4th horns in current music scores)

Confused? You are not alone!

Happy Mothers Day! (where applicable)

HS

[cloughie]

Wilhelm Backhaus, Vienna Philharmonic, Karl Böhm but have several more on the shelves. I've generally preferred the 2nd Piano Concerto over the 1st but latterly have found that the 1st has now 'clicked' with me and now like both equally.

The 2nd has been fairly lucky on disc.

There is also an earlier Backhaus with Schuricht which is really good. I agree with you about it being lucky and there are many good 'ns to choose. Two of my long-term favourites are Katchen LSO Ferencsik and Ashkenazy LSO Mehta.

[Barbirollians]

In fact, BB, only the opening of the concerto, written for 1st horn in B flat, highlights Dennis Brain (and in the recapitulation.

Those beautiful high solos (written for horn in F) is played by the 3rd horn and all of the second movement is written for 3rd and 4th horns, with 1st and 2nd horns tacent.
I believe that the 3rd horn part on that recording was played by the Australian horn player Roy White, who returned to his native country shortly afterwards
I'm sure that Tony will confirm that.

NB when valve horns were only in the earliest stages of development, composers such as Brahms and Schumann preferred to write for two pairs of 1st and 2nd horns, particularly when the work was in a minor key and almost invariably, the higher parts were played by the second set of 1st and 2nd horns horns pitched in the relative major or dominant key (now allotted to 3rd and 4th horns in current music scores)

Confused? You are not alone!

Happy Mothers Day! (where applicable)

HS

I am sure you are right . I was referring most of all to the very opening bars.

I am sure I read once that some conductors or maybe it was just Beecham would give the 1st horn some of the other horn's parts to play when Dennis Brain was in the orchestra.

[BBMmk2]

What other recordings be good to acquire?

[Petrushka]

In addition to the Backhaus/VPO/Böhm, other fine versions I have are:

Pollini/BPO/Abbado
Gilels/BPO/Jochum
Bishop[-Kovacevich]/LSO/Colin Davis
Arrau/Concertgebouw/Haitink
Anda/Cologne Radio SO/Klemperer
Anda/BPO/Karajan
Fischer/BPO/Furtwangler
Brendel/BPO/Abbado

Not sure how or why I've managed to collect so many!

[BBMmk2]

In addition to the Backhaus/VPO/Böhm, other fine versions I have are:

Pollini/BPO/Abbado
Gilels/BPO/Jochum
Bishop[-Kovacevich]/LSO/Colin Davis
Arrau/Concertgebouw/Haitink
Anda/Cologne Radio SO/Klemperer
Anda/BPO/Karajan
Fischer/BPO/Furtwangler
Brendel/BPO/Abbado

Not sure how or why I've managed to collect so many!

Brendel/BPO/Abbado looks interesting,as does the Kovacevich/LSO/Davis!! :)

[Barbirollians]

Richter and Leinsdorf I recommend BBM to anyone who loves Gilels/Jochum.

[richardfinegold]

Fleisher/Szell remains the standard for me. Recently reissued in 24 bit remasterings.

[Nick Armstrong]

Richter and Leinsdorf I recommend BBM to anyone who loves Gilels/Jochum.

I like the latter pair in No 1 but the former pair is my top choice for No 2