Brahms Piano Concerto No 2 on record

[cloughie]

Jochum, yes, but I reckon the Reiner even better.

Yes, Bryn, that Reiner recording, once on Victrola had some pzazz to it!

[BBMmk2]

I heard Kyrstian Zimmerman’s recording of Brahms’s PC 1 yesterday, how fantastic that was. This was with the BPO under Rattle. I don’t think they have recorded No.2?

[Barbirollians]

Yes KZ only recorded it with Lenny BBM.

Is there something technical about the Brahms concertos that explains why so few women play them? Cecile Ousset made a well received recording of the Second in the 1970s and I think Helene Grimaud has recorded them but it seems very few others .

[BBMmk2]

Yes KZ only recorded it with Lenny BBM.

Is there something technical about the Brahms convertos that explains why so few women play them? Cecile Ousset made a well received recording of the Second in the 1970s and I think Helene Grimaud has recorded them but it seems very few others .

Héléne Grimauld recorded those with the Bavarian RSO, and Andris Nelsons

[Barbirollians]

Yes Gina Bachauer recorded the Second and it seems there is a record of Alicia de Larrocha playing that too . Also Leonskaja .

[Barbirollians]

Cecile Ousset's account can be had very cheaply on Amazon from Berlin Classics - it is very good indeed she lacks nothing in power and there is a great deal of very lovely playing too . Well conducted too by Masur .

[pastoralguy]

What I love about these boards is that they often provide impetus to dig out recordings I've not heard for ages. I love the Stephen Hough discs not least 'cause I heard him do the First Concerto at the Albert Hall during the Proms years ago. The fact that his recordings of these mighty works were made in Salzburg whilst I was there adds a slight layer of involvement.

[cloughie]

Yes Gina Bachauer recorded the Second and it seems there is a record of Alicia de Larrocha playing that too . Also Leonskaja .

With LSO/Dorati available on a Reader's Digest Brahms box which also has LSO/Horenstein Sym 1 and RPO/Reiner Sym 4.

[Barbirollians]

Here's an outlier 1928 Rubinstein/Coates on Naxos according to the sleeve notes - they had hardly rehearsed , the piano was out of tune and put far away from Coates near the brass .

A recipe for disaster surely ? It comes across as very seat of your pants but is very quick only 40 minutes and terrifically exciting . Coupled with one of the most musically and emotionally interesting recordings of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1 I have ever heard with Barbirolli - a bargain at £1.50 in Oxfam.

[BBMmk2]

I rather enjoyed Pollini’s account with Karl Böhm recently.