BaL 1.10.22 - Brahms: Double Concerto in A minor

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

10.30 a.m.
Building a Library
Roger Parker recommends a recording of Brahms Double Concerto in A minor

The Double Concerto was Brahms' last orchestral work, composed in 1887. It was written partly as a gesture of reconciliation towards his friend the violinist, Joachim. The old friends had fallen out over Joachim's divorce. The concerto has been praised for its "vast and sweeping humour". It needs two brilliant and well-matched soloists.

Available recordings:-

Salvatore Accardo, Siegfried Palm, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI di Roma, Bruno Maderna *s
Salvatore Accardo, Heinrich Schiff, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Kurt Masur
Lisa Batiashvili, Truls Mørk, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle (DVD/Blu-ray)
Lisa Batiashvili, Gautier Capuçon, Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann (DVD)
Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis, Jeremy Denk, Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Erling Blöndal Bengtsson, Endre Wolf, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Stockholm, Stig Westerberg *
Willi Boskovsky, Emanuel Brabec, Wiener Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Adolf Busch, Herman Busch, French National Radio Orchestra, Paul Kletzki
Alfredo Campoli, André Navarra, Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Renaud Capuçon, Gautier Capuçon, Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Myung-Whun Chung
John Corigliano, Leonard Rose, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Bruno Walter
Christian Ferrara, Janos Starker, Orchestre National de Radio France, Jean Martinon, Charles Bruck
Christian Ferras, Paul Tortelier , Philharmonia Orchestra, Paul Kletzki
Julia Fischer, Daniel Müller-Schott, Netherlands Philharminic Orchestra Amsterdam, Yakov Kreizberg *
Zino Francescatti, Pierre Fournier, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Pierre Monteux
Zino Francescatti, Samuel Mayes, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch
Zino Francescatti, Pierre Fournier, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter
Ivry Gitlis, Maurice Gendron, Orchestre National de France, Michel Tabachnik
Elena Graf, Emanuel Graf, Landesjugendorchester Baden-Wurttemberg, Christoph Wyneken *
Arthur Grumiaux, Maurice Gendron, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Hans Müller-Kray *
Jascha Heifetz, Emanuel Feuermann, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy
Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky, RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Alfred Wallenstein *
Sara Trobäck Hesselink, Claes Gunnarsson, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Trio Poseidon, Neeme Järvi
Ulf Hoelscher, Wolfgang Boettcher, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Sir Neville Marriner *
Oleg Kagan, Natalia Gutman, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Saulus Sondezkis *
Oleg Kagan, Natalia Gutman, USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Yevgeni Svetlanov
Ilya Kaler, Maria Kliegel, Ireland National Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Constantine
Mark Kaplan, David Geringas, SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Michael Gielen
Gidon Kremer, Mischa Maisky, Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein
Gidon Kremer, Clemens Hagen, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Georg Kuhlenkampff, Enrico Mainardi, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Carl Schuricht
Enrico Mainardi, Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Orchestra del Festival di Lucerna, Wilhelm Furtwängler *
Mihaela Martin, Frans Helmerson, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Bucharest, Cristian Mandeal *
Yehudi Menuhin, Leslie Parnas, Casals Festival Orchestra, Pablo Casals
Yehudi Menuhin, Paul Tortelier, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Paavo Berglund *
Nathan Milstein, Gregor Piatigorsky, The Robin Hood Dell Orchestra of Philadelphia, Fritz Reiner
Mischa Mischakoff, Frank Miller, NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini *
Lydia Mordkovitch, Raphael Wallfisch, London Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Pablo Fernandez, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Manfred Honeck,
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Antonio Meneses, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Gordan Nikolitch, Tim Hugh, London Symphony Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Primoz Novsak, Susanne Basler, Bamberger Symphoniker, Heinz Wallberg,
David Oistrakh & Pierre Fournier, Philharmonia Orchestra, Alceo Galliera
David Oistrakh, Mstislav Rostropovich, Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell
David Oistrakh, Åke Olofsson, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stig Westerberg
Manoug Parikian, Erling Blöndal Bengtsson, English Chamber Orchestra, Norman Del Mar
Edith Peinemann, Enrico Mainardi, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Hans Müller-Kray *
Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim *
Itzhak Perlman, Mstislav Rostropovich, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Itzhak Perlman, Mstislav Rostropovich, London Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Philippe Quint, Zuill Bailey, North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, Grant Llewellyn
Vadim Repin, with Truls Mørk, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly *
Benjamin Schmid, with Ramon Jaffé, Lutoslawski Philharmonic Wroclaw, Daniel Rasikin
Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Enrico Mainardi, Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Janos Starker, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ferenc Fricsay *
Erik Schumann, Mark Schumann, Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Shelley
Gil Shaham, Jian Wang, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado *
Hagai Shaham, Raphael Wallfisch, Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, Daniel Raiskin
Josef Sivó, Vladimir Orloff, Wiener Symphoniker, Wolfgang Sawallisch
Isaac Stern, Yo-Yo Ma, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado
Isaac Stern, Leonard Rose, Orchestre National de France, Eugene Ormandy
Isaac Stern, Leonard Rose, Cleveland Orchestra,George Szell
Isaac Stern, Leonard Rose, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter
Josef Suk, André Navarra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Karel Ancerl *
Henryk Szeryng, János Starker, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink *
Jacques Thibaud, Pablo Casals, Pablo Casals Orchestra of Barcelona, Alfred Cortot
Emmy Verhey, Janos Starker, Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Arpad Joo *
Jiří Vodička, Jan Páleníček, Filharmonie Hradec Králové, Ondřej Kukal
Mira Wang, Jan Vogler, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Peter Oundjian
Antje Weithaas, Maximilian Hornung, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Andrew Manze
Tianwa Yang, Gabriel Schwabe, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Antoni Wit
Thomas Zehetmair, Antonio Meneses, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Kurt Sanderling
Qian Zhou, Qin Li-Wei (or Sebastian Comberti), Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra, Jason Lai *
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Heinrich Schiff, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch
Pinchas Zukerman, Ralph Kirshbaum, London Symphony Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach *
Pinchas Zukerman, Amanda Forsyth, Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra
Pinchas Zukerman, Lynn Harrell, New York Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta

* = download only

[Bryn]

Sill Josef Suk, André Navarra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Karel Ancerl for me.

[Mal]

On CD, I have Zino Francescatti, Pierre Fournier, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter in the wonderful "Bruno Walter conducts Brahms" box set, and a Naxos disk with
Ilya Kaler, Maria Kliegel, Ireland National Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Constantine, where it appears with the Schumann Cello Concerto. I look forward to re-visiting these two performances.

[Pulcinella]

On CD, I have Zino Francescatti, Pierre Fournier, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter in the wonderful "Bruno Walter conducts Brahms" box set, and a Naxos disk with
Ilya Kaler, Maria Kliegel, Ireland National Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Constantine, where it appears with the Schumann Cello Concerto. I look forward to re-visiting these two performances.

I too have that Naxos recording, as well as the Oistrakh/Fournier/Philharmonia/Galliera version.
Can't say I listen to either with any regularity or enthusiasm; for me, the double doesn't compare with the violin concerto and the two piano concertos, which all get frequent airings.

[makropulos]

My favourites are (in no particular order)
Schneiderhan, Starker, Fricsay (DG)
Francescatti, Fournier, Walter (Sony)
Suk, Navarra, Ancerl (Supraphon)
I don't have many other versions, but am very fond of these three.
For something in more modern sound I'm tempted to explore Zimmermann, Schiff and Sawallish on EMI/Warner.

[edashtav]

The Double is my favourite Brahms concerto and I play one of my three classic versions in most years:

Christian Ferras, Paul Tortelier, Philharmonia Orchestra, Paul Kletzki
David Oistrakh, Mstislav Rostropovich, Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell
Henryk Szeryng, János Starker, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink

I must revisit them before Saturday as I’ve never decided which interpretation gets my vote.

[cloughie]

Schneiderhan, Starker, Fricsay (DG)
Ferras, Tortelier, Kletzki (EMI)
Stern, Rose, Ormandy (SONY)

What a lovely listen this work always is!

[richardfinegold]

I have several but Stern/Rose/Ormandy is the one to take home

[smittims]

I have a feeeling this work might have started life (in sketch stage) as another piano trio. I've often imagined a conjectural reconstruction. The works surrounding it are chamber works, and orchestral music gets rarer in Brahms' middle age, almost as if he'd rather stop writing for orchestra. But the finished version is wonderful and has attracted so many fine performances It's a hard task to choose one.

[Mal]

I too have that Naxos recording...

I just listened to it again and thought the first movement was rather good, plenty of Heifetz-like power & dynamism from both soloists, and the Irish orchestra sounding like a big American orchestra. But I thought it was lacking lyricism, which became a much bigger problem in the final movements! I found my enthusiasm draining completely away, and from being rapt in the first movement, I started scanning the reviews by the start of the third... Maybe I'll have more luck with Walter...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I have a feeeling this work might have started life (in sketch stage) as another piano trio. I've often imagined a conjectural reconstruction. The works surrounding it are chamber works, and orchestral music gets rarer in Brahms' middle age, almost as if he'd rather stop writing for orchestra. But the finished version is wonderful and has attracted so many fine performances It's a hard task to choose one.

That’s an interesting theory. It would indeed work well as a piano trio. However, the idea that Brahms wrote fewer orchestral works in middle age doesn’t seem to be backed up by the evidence. The 4 symphonies were late works too.

[Mal]

The Double is my favourite Brahms concerto and I play one of my three classic versions in most years:

Christian Ferras, Paul Tortelier, Philharmonia Orchestra, Paul Kletzki
David Oistrakh, Mstislav Rostropovich, Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell
Henryk Szeryng, János Starker, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink

I must revisit them before Saturday as I’ve never decided which interpretation gets my vote.

Good plan! Please tell us which wins the vote, I'll do the same with my two.

[Darloboy]

Surprisingly, this work hasn't featured in BaL since 1983 - I have no idea what the previous recommendations were.

[Bryn]

Good plan! Please tell us which wins the vote, I'll do the same with my two.

The Szeryng/Starker/RCO/Haitink looked attractive, so I thought I'd have a quick look on amazon.co.uk. The only customer review gave it but 1 star! However, on checking out the content of that review, it turned out to comprise nothing but a moan about the non-delivery of the CD. No consideration of the performance or recording at all.

[Parry1912]

Surprisingly, this work hasn't featured in BaL since 1983 - I have no idea what the previous recommendations were.

The Capuchons/Chung recording was the Gramophone Collection choice last year.