BaL 2.11.13 - Brahms Piano Concerto no. 1 in D minor

[Nimrod]

I agree with you, Slarty. I cannot understand why she played such a long piece from the recording of Barenboim and Barbirolli and then, nothing! Not even Barenboim playing a note! I too felt I had been short changed.
Nimrod

[amateur51]

Well said HS, Arrau was a great pianist and some time in the 1950s I heard him rehearse something in the confined space of St Pancras Town Hall with the LSO and Sargent.

It wasn't Brahms, can't remember what it was but I've never forgotten being surrounded by the music, which must have been as you experienced it.

Arrau was indeed a great pianist and the only one I ever heard sniff from the back row of the Balcony 9the highest seating area) at the Royal Festival Hall playing Brahms solo pieces

[BBMmk2]

The Gilels not available now?

[amateur51]

The Gilels not available now?

She booted it out early on, Bbm

[BBMmk2]

She booted it out early on, Bbm

What a cretin!!!!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

What a cretin!!!!

Boy, have you been missed, Bbm!

[EdgeleyRob]

She booted it out early on, Bbm

Blimey !!!! WHY ?

What a cretin!!!!

Ah that's why !

Welcome back BBM.

[Thropplenoggin]

What a cretin!!!!

Ungentlemanly conduct, sir. I didn't think you had it in you.

Let's hope Ms. Smith doesn't demand satisfaction. Brass bands at 20 paces.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Let's hope Ms. Smith doesn't demand satisfaction.

If she did, I suspect she'd find Bbm "too epic".

[amateur51]

If she did, I suspect she'd find Bbm "too epic".

[Nick Armstrong]

If she did, I suspect she'd find Bbm "too epic".

[BBMmk2]

indeed she would! I would send her to the tower!! :)

[Barbirollians]

What a cretin!!!!

I agree entirely - when she dismissed it as too drawn out my response was - what an eejit I got even crosser - so I had to go and have to calm down !

[Ferretfancy]

I recorded the programme from Freeview, but gave up listening to it after a while, just spinning through to the end to hear Harriet Smith's recommendation.

I already have many versions of this concerto, including Barenboim/Barbirolli, Fleisher/ Szell, Katchen /Monteux, both the Kovacevich performances and Curzon / Szell, so it wasn't a matter of urgency for me.

The reason I gave up listening was the quite ludicrous discrepancy between the rather poorly recorded voice of Harriet Smith and the low level of the musical examples. I know I have gone on about this before, but this BAL was a terrible example. At the very beginning the massive opening of the concerto with Barenboim and Barbirolli was so dim and distant that any orchestral detail was completely lost. It really doesn't make any sense to treat musical examples in this way. I don't know if Harriet Smith's contribution was edited in later, but I doubt if the person responsible was really monitoring the output.

It was interesting that Andrew McGregor's summary at the end was as crisp and as clear as you could wish. All in all I thought this BAL was indifferent and patronising.

[slarty]

I agree FF. Also it was a great pity that she dismissed the Brendel/Davis. She said "that with two live Brendels, I have taken the Abbado-BPO rather than Davis with the Bavarians".
I can only assume that she never listened to it at all. More's the pity for her. It would probably have been a strong recommendation.
It is simply one of the finest performances of this concerto that I have ever heard. For credibility, I have Barenboim-JB, Brendel-Abbado, Gilels-Jochum, Solomom-Kubelik and
Pollini-Thielemann.
This is a work that I prefer to hear as a live performance rather than a studio recording.
To quote another poster - This nails it for me.