BaL 4.10.14 - Brahms: Piano Quartet no. 1 in G minor Op. 25

[verismissimo]

Yes, it can - but more rehearsal time is spent "getting the balance right" when the performers use 20th Century pianos rather than those for which the composers wrote. (Especially if the piano at the venue is one more suited to the Rachmaninoff concertos than to chamber Music.)

Five miles from Deddington and its Steinway is my own village, King's Sutton, and in our parish church we have a well-restored Broadwood of 1870. It's the same basic size as the Steinway, but is still wood-framed and produces at a rough estimate about 50% of the volume level of the modern instrument. And its overall sound is, if anything, closer to an early Broadwood than to a Steinway. I suppose that's why Broadwoods, having been world leaders, lost the plot.

The Brahms pianist from Deddington, Viv Maclean, came to do another concert on it the following day - Mozart and Beethoven. I thought it was heavenly!

[BBMmk2]

Surely, half the time, r balance between piano and other players, it is the bravura of the pianist that seems to want to be heard above the strings, which is not the ideal whole. It should be part of the team, and not the superstar/diva.

[Stanley Stewart]

A most refreshing complete performance of the BAL choice, today (6 Oct) - an antidote to s.a.d! 42 mins of unalloyed and lyrical joy, now on minidisc and an ideal companion for the Hollywood Qt/Aller recording of Op25 on CD.

A dreich day here at York and my afternoon listening will include Brahms St Qts, Op67. Op51, No1/Takacs Qt on Hyperion, and the Capucon's/Braley complete Beethoven Sonatas for Violin & Piano.

[Don Petter]

Surely, half the time, r balance between piano and other players, it is the bravura of the pianist that seems to want to be heard above the strings, which is not the ideal whole. It should be part of the team, and not the superstar/diva.

A team art in which Pressler excelled!

[David-G]

This was played at the 2011 East Neuk Festival, by Christian Zacharias and the Leopold String Trio, in the fine acoustics of Crail church. The work was new to me, and made a deep impression. This was very much a "chamber" performance, sensitively played as always by this pianist. It was very much a highlight of the festival.

[Don Petter]

Surely, half the time, r balance between piano and other players, it is the bravura of the pianist that seems to want to be heard above the strings, which is not the ideal whole. It should be part of the team, and not the superstar/diva.

There was another example of this in today's CotW, when the first movement of the third Piano Quartet was played by Hamelin and the Leopold String Trio.

It sounded more like a piano concerto with Hamelin overbearing the others, not that it mattered too much as their muddied contribution seemed to lack any feeling for the shape of Brahms' phrases. I'm sure a better illustration could have been chosen.

[Nick Armstrong]

Mr Hamelin has dexterity in lorryloads but since his Albeniz Iberia, everything I've heard by him has led me to doubt his musicality. A prodigious gymnast of the keyboard - not my favourite sport.

[vinteuil]

Mr Hamelin has dexterity in lorryloads but since his Albeniz Iberia, everything I've heard by him has led me to doubt his musicality. A prodigious gymnast of the keyboard - not my favourite sport.

I think his Haydn is stylish - and musical.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000N2H832

[Bryn]

I think his Haydn is stylish - and musical.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000N2H832

As is his Ives.

[kernelbogey]

These fine musicians played it very well at the concert, but it made me realise that, using a modern Steinway with modern string setup makes the whole thing far too loud, the piano dominating [....]

I cannot for the moment remember whether it was Schoenberg, who made a heavenly orchestration of this piece, or Brahms himself who said that the pianist always plays too loudly: I've heard the quote several times on R3 in intros to the piece.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I cannot for the moment remember whether it was Schoenberg, who made a heavenly orchestration of this piece, or Brahms himself who said that the pianist always plays too loudly: I've heard the quote several times on R3 in intros to the piece.

'Twas, indeed Arnie.

(I read "a heavily orchestrated version" - I really shouldn't have gone to Specsave!)

[kernelbogey]

[...]"a heavily orchestrated version" [...]

[Nick Armstrong]

I think his Haydn is stylish - and musical.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000N2H832

Tant mieux! Haven't heard that - I should...

[Barbirollians]

I tend to agree about Hamelin . More of a sporting than artistic event some of his CDs .

[DoctorT]

I have had great pleasure from his recent Janacek recording, On the Overgrown Path Book 1. Well reviewed in IRR and on CD Review.