Schiff’s Brahms Concertos: Archetypal classics

[Barbirollians]

Gilel's first recording with Reiner is absolutely electric. Once you've heard it you'll never want to sleep through his remake with Jochum again.

I have heard it - but am still very happy to hear his later thoughts with Jochum. Perhaps because it was the first recording of the piece I owned after it won BAL sometime in the 1980s.

[Wolfram]

I have heard it - but am still very happy to hear his later thoughts with Jochum. Perhaps because it was the first recording of the piece I owned after it won BAL sometime in the 1980s.

On reflection I think my little joke about sleeping through the remake was probably a bit crass - so I apologise. The Berliners are magnificent for Jochum, and Gilels is magisterial. But I still think that once you've heard the passion and fire of the Reiner version it is difficult to get it out of your head. Linger too long over that opening horn theme, and don't recover quickly, and you're lost. In general tempi have got slower over the years since Gilels and Reiner made their recording and too many lose direction in the first movement at a slower speed, and the second movement, for me Brahms' greatest achievement, almost demands to be driven forward. Is this the greatest Romantic piano concerto of them all?

On the question of directing it from the keyboard; whereas I'm quite happy to listen to it on a 19th century instrument I do think that it's too big not to have a conductor. I think the cut off point should be the Emperor, anything from then onwards, with the possible exception of the Chopin concertos, really needs a conductor.

[cloughie]

On reflection I think my little joke about sleeping through the remake was probably a bit crass - so I apologise. The Berliners are magnificent for Jochum, and Gilels is magisterial. But I still think that once you've heard the passion and fire of the Reiner version it is difficult to get it out of your head. Linger too long over that opening horn theme, and don't recover quickly, and you're lost. In general tempi have got slower over the years since Gilels and Reiner made their recording and too many lose jdirection in the first movement at a slower speed, and the second movement, for me Brahms' greatest achievement, almost demands to be driven forward. Is this the greatest Romantic piano concerto of them all?

On the question of directing it from the keyboard; whereas I'm quite happy to listen to it on a 19th century instrument I do think that it's too big not to have a conductor. I think the cut off point should be the Emperor, anything from then onwards, with the possible exception of the Chopin concertos, really needs a conductor.

Bernstein’s Ravel sounds pretty good!

[Wolfram]

Bernstein’s Ravel sounds pretty good!

That's Lennie - he's not normal.

[cloughie]

That's Lennie - he's not normal.

Well - If he had done the LH concerto he’d probably have directed the orchestra with the RH!