BaL 16.03.19 - Brahms: Piano Concerto no. 2 in B flat

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

09.30
Building a Library: Tom Service picks a personal favourite from among the recordings of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83.
At once majestic and virtuosic, introspective and symphonic, Brahms teasingly described his near hour-long, four-movement concerto as a ‘tiny, tiny piano concerto with a tiny, tiny wisp of a scherzo.’ It’s an endlessly recorded staple of the repertoire, a challenge to soloist, conductor and orchestra alike.


Available recordings:-


Joaquín Achúcarro, London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis (DVD/Blu-ray)
Adrian Aeschbacher, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Adrian Aeschbacher, Berliner Philharmoniker, Paul van Kempen *
Géza Anda, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Géza Anda, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Otto Klemperer
Geza Anda, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik
Géza Anda, Südwestfunkorchester Baden-Baden, Hans Rosbaud
Nicholas Angelich, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi
Claudio Arrau, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam, Bernard Haitink
Claudio Arrau, Philharmonia Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini
Claudio Arrau, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Paul Kletzki
Claudio Arrau, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Wiener Philharmoniker, Bernard Haitink
Emanuel Ax, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Gina Bachauer, London Symphony Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski *
Wilhelm Backhaus, Dresden Staatskapelle, Karl Bohm
Wilhelm Backhaus, Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
Wilhelm Backhaus, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Hans Müller-Kray *
Wilhelm Backhaus, Saxon State Orchestra, Karl Böhm
Wilhelm Backhaus, Wiener Philharmoniker, Carl Schuricht
Daniel Barenboim, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Daniel Barenboim, Münchner Philharmoniker, Sergiu Celibidache (DVD)
Daniel Barenboim, New York Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta
Tzimon Barto, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Christoph Eschenbach
Boris Berezovsky, Orchestre Philharmonique de l’Oural, Dmitri Liss
Idil Biret, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit
Alfred Brendel, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Alfred Brendel, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Yefim Bronfman, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta
Yefim Bronfman, Cleveland Orchestra, Franz Welser-Möst (DVD/Blu-ray)
Rudolf Buchbinder, New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert *
Rudolf Buchbinder, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Rudolf Buchbinder, Wiener Philharmoniker, Zubin Mehta (DVD)
Robert Casadesus, Orchestre National de France, Carl Schuricht *
Robert Casadesus, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini
Van Cliburn, Moscow Philharmonic, Kyrill Kondrashin (DVD)
Van Cliburn, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner
Todd Crow, American Symphony Orchestra, Leon Botstein
Clifford Curzon, Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Clifford Curzon, Wiener Philharmoniker, Hans Knappertsbusch
Clifford Curzon, London Symphony Orchestra, George Szell
Misha Dichter, Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, Kurt Masur (SACD)
Youri Egorov
Filippo Faes, Jungen Philharmonie Köln, Volker Hartung
Edwin Fischer, Berliner Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Edwin Fischer, Sinfonieorchester Basel
Leon Fleisher, Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell
Péter Frankl, Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tamás Vasari
Nelson Freire, Gewandhausorchester, Riccardo Chailly
Walter Gieseking, Berlin Philharmonic, Robert Heger
Emil Gilels, Berliner Philharmoniker, Eugen Jochum
Emil Gilels, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin
Emil Gilels, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner
Emil Gilels, Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester, Mario Rossi
Nelson Goerner, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tadaaki Otaka
Hélène Grimaud, Wiener Philharmoniker, Andris Nelsons
Horacio Gutierrez, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Andre Previn
François-Frédéric Guy, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Paavo Berglund
Marc-André Hamelin, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton
Dame Myra Hess, Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter *
Vladimir Horowitz, NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini
Stephen Hough, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Davis
Stephen Hough, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Mark Wigglesworth
Eugene Istomin, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy *
Jeno Jando, Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra, Alexander Rahbari
Julius Katchen, London Symphony Orchestra, János Ferencsik
Wilhelm Kempff
Sunwook Kim, Hallé, Sir Mark Elder
Stephen Kovacevich, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis *
Stephen Kovacevich, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch
Norman Krieger, London Symphony Orchestra, Philip Ryan Mann *
Anton Kuerti, Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal, Joseph Rescigno *
Adam Laloum, Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Kazuki Yamada
Alicia de Larrocha, Deutches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Eugen Jochum
Karin Lechner, Berliner Symphoniker, Eduardo Maturet *
Konstantin Lifschitz, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
John Lill, Hallé Orchestra, James Loughran
John Lill, USSR Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky
Anna Malikova, Duisburger Philharmoniker, Jonathan Darlington *
Vincenzo Maltempo, Mitteleuropa Orchestra, Marco Guidarini
Wolfgang Manz, Enescu Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra, Cristian Mandeal *
Ivan Moravec, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Jiri Belohlavek
Elly Ney (piano), Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Franz Konwitschny *
Garrick Ohlsson, BBC Symphony Orchestra, James Loughran (DVD)
Garrick Ohlsson, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Tadaaki Otaka *
Gerhard Oppitz, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis
Jorge Federico Osorio, Asturias Symphony Orchestra, Maximiano Valdes *
Cécile Ousset, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Kurt Masur *
Joshua Pierce, Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirk Trevor *
Maurizio Pollini,Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann
Maurizio Pollini, Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Kalle Randalu, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi
Sviatoslav Richter, USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Hermann Abendroth
Sviatoslav Richter, George Enescu Symphony Orchestra of Bucharest, George Georgescu
Sviatoslav Richter, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin *
Sviatoslav Richter, Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin *
Sviatoslav Richter, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf
Sviatoslav Richter, Orchestre de Paris, Lorin Maazel
Sviatoslav Richter, Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Yevgeny Mravinsky (SACD)
Sviatoslav Richter, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch
Svjatoslav Richter, Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI, Mario Rossi
Arthur Rubinstein, Orchestra Sinfonica RAI di Torino, André Cluytens
Arthur Rubinstein, London Symphony Orchestra, Albert Coates *
Arthur Rubinstein, Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester, Christoph von Dohnányi
Arthur Rubinstein, RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Josef Krips
Arthur Rubinstein, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch *
Arthur Rubinstein, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy
Arthur Rubinstein, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Witold Rowicki *
Rico Saccani, Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra
Artur Schnabel, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Adrian Boult
Rudolf Serkin, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy
Rudolf Serkin, Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell *
Dimitris Sgouros, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Emil Tabakov *
Solomon, Philharmonia Orchestra, Issay Dobroven
Martino Tirimo, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Yoel Levi *
Dubravka Tomsic, Radio Symphony Orchestra Ljubljana, Anton Nanut *
George Walker, Eastman Philharmonia Orchestra, Howard Hanson *
André Watts, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein
Alexis Weissemberg, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI di Torino, Peter Maag
Friedrich Wührer *
Yakov Zak, Leningrad Philharmonic, Kurt Sanderling
Krystian Zimerman, Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein
Krystian Zimerman, Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein (DVD)


* download only

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

At least we have a cast iron guarantee that this will NOT be a twofer.

I haven't quite completed the list, but I thought I'd better put something here to avoid a panic.

[Barbirollians]

Didn't the Solomon recording win last time despite its age . Can't argue with it - it is marvellous .

Just so long it isn't the very overrated Freire/Chailly. The Arrau/Giulini is available on CD in the Warner Original Jackets series . The Rubinstein/Coates is available on a Naxos CD. The Rubinstein/ Krips is in the the Sony Rubinstein Brahms box which is still available in a box of 9 CDs.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Thanks again for your titanic efforts in drawing up the list. Looking at it - and thinking of the masculine/feminine music thread elsewhere - it's a very male list isn't it? Also amazing the greats who haven't recorded it . Not to mention those who can't leave it alone - would never have guessed there were so many Richter / Rubenstein recordings ...

[Barbirollians]

I think that must be Kletzki not Klecki as the Presto site has it .

[Bryn]

I think that must be Kletzki not Klecki as the Presto site has it .

Indeed.

[vinteuil]

I think that must be Kletzki not Klecki as the Presto site has it .

... Paul Kletzki was born Paweł Klecki in Łódź, Poland.

Kletzki is the English/German transliteration of the Polish Klecki.


.

[Bryn]

... Paul Kletzki was born Paweł Klecki in Łódź, Poland.

Kletzki is the English/German transliteration of the Polish Klecki.


.

So either "Paul Kletzki" or "Paweł Klecki" but surely not "Pauł Klecki".

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

So either "Paul Kletzki" or "Paweł Klecki" but surely not "Pauł Klecki".

Unless this is one of the Brexit compromises Mrs May is hoping to achieve this week?

[vinteuil]

.

... also, of course, (one of my favourite versions) -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brahms-Concerto-Version-Christian-2013-11-19/dp/B01M5HROWM

.

[Bryn]

.

... also, of course, (one of my favourite versions) -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brahms-Concerto-Version-Christian-2013-11-19/dp/B01M5HROWM

.

Much cheaper as a download, replete with booklet pdf, from QOBUZ.

[vinteuil]

Much cheaper as a download, replete with booklet pdf, from QOBUZ.

... is vol 18 available on qobuz?

( I bought the CD for £4-52 in March 2014... )



.

[Bryn]

... is vol 18 available on qobuz? . . .

Oops. Let down by Google. Not on QOBUZ currently. That Amazon price is horribly inflated.

[vinteuil]

François-Frédéric, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Paavo Berglund

... this should be :

François-Frédéric Guy, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Paavo Berglund


.

[pastoralguy]

Fabulous work in compiling the list, Alpie!

One of my all time favourite works.