Brahms: Piano concerti nos 1 & 2

[BBMmk2]

I what clossus these concerti are! they seem quite unsrumountable but are real true ,asterpieces of the Romantic Piano Concerto.

It would be interesting to find out what other board members thinbk of these concerti?And performances you own?

I have that classic of classics, imo, of Emil Gilels/Berliner Philharmoniker/Eugen Jochum and nelson Friere too.

[Alison]

I find I am enjoying these works a lot more as I get a bit older !

It was a great thrill to play the Ashkenazy accounts under Haitink (VPO) the other night.

Perhaps not 'first choices' but a thought provoking listen.

A word for the Bishop-Kovacevich recordings on both Philips and EMI too.

[teamsaint]

Love them both. Proper music !
Works I would be happy to duplicate.Only have my big box versions, Lechner/Berlin Symphony/Marturet.

[EdgeleyRob]

I what clossus these concerti are! they seem quite unsrumountable but are real true ,asterpieces of the Romantic Piano Concerto.

It would be interesting to find out what other board members thinbk of these concerti?And performances you own?

I have that classic of classics, imo, of Emil Gilels/Berliner Philharmoniker/Eugen Jochum and nelson Friere too.

Love that BBM.

And this Brahms 2 feels so right.

[teamsaint]

and just as an afterthought to my rather inadequate post, I hate going very long without listening to something by the great man. I can't even say why. it just is that way.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

For my sins, I'm not a huge Brahms fan, but I make an exception for both of these works. Truly magnificent.

[Black Swan]

I do like them but don't listen to them often. I have Ashkenazy and Gilels.

J

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I have that classic of classics, imo, of Emil Gilels/Berliner Philharmoniker/Eugen Jochum

These are superb, aren't they!

Brendel and Abbado with the BPO is a good team, too.

I also picked up the Barenboim. Mehta/NYPO recordings in a charity shop - showing how marvellous these works are even in less than incandescent performances.

And then, in No1, there's Gould with Bernstein and the NYPO: exactly as Lennie says - "fascinating"!

[Ferretfancy]

I do seem to have quite a few versions! Apart from Gilels, here are three sets I would not want to be without -Katchen/ LSO Monteux, Fleischer / Cleveland Szell, and Solomon /Philh.Kubelik. Of single recordings there are Curzon in No. 1, and Richter in No. 2. More recently, there's a splendid Emmanuel Ax performance of No.2 with the BSO and Haitink.

[Petrushka]

Like Alison, I've come to appreciate these works as I've got older, in my case into my mid-fifties. I have a marked preference for the 2nd over the 1st but greatly enjoy both. I seem to have acquired quite a few versions in recent years and have the Gilels/BPO/Jochum, Arrau/Concertgebouw/Haitink, Pollini/BPO/Abbado, and Brendel/BPO/Abbado in both concertos. Among single issues of the 1st PC I have Rubinstein/Chicago SO/Reiner while of the 2nd PC I have Anda/BPO/Karajan, Fischer/BPO/Furtwängler, Anda/Cologne RSO/Klemperer and, my favourite Brahms PC recording of all, Backhaus/VPO/Böhm.

I was also present at the Ax/COE/Haitink Proms in 2011.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... Fleischer / Cleveland Szell ...

Oh yes! It's been years since I last heard these: must see if I can find copies.

[rkyburz]

My collection here is not quite as abundant as with the Beethoven concerti - but here's what I have (my ratings from 2009 in parentheses):

Nr.1 d minor: Rubinstein / Reiner, CSO (3.3); Gilels / Jochum, BPO (4.3); Pollini / Abbado, BPO (5.0); Pollini / Böhm, VPO (3.0); Serkin / Szell, CO (4.0)

Nr.2 B major: Rubinstein / Krips, RCASO (3.5); Fischer / Furtwängler, BPO (4.2); Gilels / Jochum, BPO (4.0); Pollini / Abbado, BPO (5.0); Richter / Leinsdorf, CSO (4.0); Ashkenazy / Mehta, LSO (3.8); Backhaus / Böhm, SSO Dresden (4.0); Backhaus / Böhm, VPO (3.5)

Two days ago, a friend of mine was raving about a HIP version (live recording) of the d minor concerto with Hardy Rittner (on a historic Erard piano from 1854) with l'Arte del Mondo under Werner Ehrhardt — I'm tempted to go for this: has anyone listened to this recording?

[Barbirollians]

I have far too many versions of both concertos but if I had to keep only one set it would be my introduction to the works - the magnificent Gilels/Jochum set. Though they would be dragging Curzon/Szell No1 and Richter/Leinsdorf in 2 and most of all Solomon's recordings of both out of my fingers !

[gurnemanz]

I always associate Claudio Arrau with the first PC because his was the first performance I saw live. I can't remember if it was Proms or RFH. I don't actually own a recording by him.

[Belgrove]

These are magnificent works that admit many valid and equally convincing interpretations.

I always preferred 1 to 2, the latter always seemed more lightweight in comparison, principally because of the last movement which seems to shrug off the serious and uncompromising nature of the opening two, and the serenity of the third movements. That was until Pollini's recording with Abbado conducting the BPO. The second movement is as stern and austere as anything you are likely to hear, but very beautiful for all its rigour and crystalline precision. In the last movement he maintains a severity that does not let the listener off the hook. A monumental interpretation, but not for the faint-hearted.

As for no. 1, Gilels, Brendel, Kovacevich, Arrau all offer profound insights. I liked the way Brendel would sometimes play the third movement attacca in concert. Not so keen on Pollini in this (but not heard his latest with Thielemann). Gould once for curiosity sake.

Would that the Ax/Haitink performances at the 2011 Proms be released. These were very special and memorable concerts.