Brahms: Piano concerti nos 1 & 2

[visualnickmos]

The double concerto?

A load of rubbish. Brahms should have known better.

(Only my own assessment, of course and nothing to do with the horn parts)

HS

I don't actively dislike it, but it's not one of my fav. Brahms works. However, there are one or two (IMVHO) quite pleasing recordings which I spin occasionally. Francescatti/Fournier/Walter - Columbia Symphony Orchestra is OK. I think it's the case that as with much of Brahms, it's easily let down by less than top-notch performance - more than some other composers, perhaps..... (now there's an 'opener!' )

That's purely only IMVHO - which is probably rubbish, anyway....

[vinteuil]

Of the other concertos, I think the violin concerto is an outstanding vehicle for the soloists, second possibly only to the Beethoven.

The double concerto?

A load of rubbish. Brahms should have known better.


HS

... why is Hornspieler digressing from the subject of the Opening Post ?

[Sir Velo]

I'm glad you said that, HS - it's always struck me as being totally devoid of interest.

Will be interesting to see whether anyone comes along to defend it !

Well if you and Horny can see no merit in it then it clearly goes up in my estimation!

[Nick Armstrong]

Sort yourselves out, you two boys at the back!

At least we're not wearing our pants outside our tights, ferney....

[Sir Velo]

... why is Hornspieler digressing from the subject of the Opening Post ?

Clearly, the Horned one holds no truck with the decrees of Matthew 23:3.

[Rolmill]

Re the double concerto:

....it's always struck me as being totally devoid of interest.

Will be interesting to see whether anyone comes along to defend it !

I can never resist a challenge.....actually, I like it (especially the slow movement), but have only listened to recordings, never heard it live. I agree with Visualnickmos's comment that it may be especially sensitive to the quality of the performance, as it seems more emotionally restrained (imv) than the violin or piano concertos and could be overloaded by too much 'emoting' by the soloists. My favourite version is Stern/Rose/Ormandy, though I also like Oistrakh/Fournier/Galliera.

I think it is very different from his other concertos, hard to compare, but (to sidle back to the topic) I enjoy it at least as much as the D minor piano concerto, which has never grabbed me (either live or in recording) as much as the B flat - Anda/Fricsay is my reference recording for this, closely followed by the very different Gilels/Reiner and Richter/Leinsdorf versions.

Oh, and I have always liked the Beethoven triple concerto as well (if I am to see my credibility holed below the waterline, I may as well go down with all guns blazing ).

[Barbirollians]

I think that the Brahms double is fabulous albeit I agree about its vulnerability to a mediocre performance . Love lots of recordings of it but Oistrakh/Fournier and Mutter/Meneses are my favourites.

I was fascinated to read Stephen Hough's article that was how I felt on Saturday . I wonder what the effect of reversing the order of the concertos might have been ?

[Barbirollians]

I heard Alfred Brendel play no 2 in the RFH (on 27.06.1971) with the Philharmonia and Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, and had a look in "The Veil of Order" to remind myself what he had to say on the subject. Somewhat to my surprise, I'd forgotten, it is this

I am a long term fan of Brendel's playing especially in Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert but in my experience I am far from sure these concertos suit him - the performance of the First on that tribute double CD sounds a bit like he would rather be playing something else .

[gurnemanz]

May I join this club
I was blown away by the Arrau,Philharmonia,Guillini LP as a spotty teenager,my first Brahms record IIRC,and the 2nd concerto never compared after that.

I also saw Barenboim play it at the Bridgewater Hall as part of Barbirolli night in 1999,remarkable performance that was too.

I can combine two of those performers of yours with an at the time rare sortie for me to the Festival Hall in 1969 as an undergraduate. Still got the programme (2 shillings). It was Barenboim conducting the New Phil with Arrau in Brahms First followed by the Eroica. A great evening as far as I can remember, with some heavy breathing thrown in from Arrau.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I am a long term fan of Brendel's playing especially in Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert but in my experience I am far from sure these concertos suit him - the performance of the First on that tribute double CD sounds a bit like he would rather be playing something else .

The Brendel/BPO/Ababado recording of the Second Concerto is magnificent - I prefer it even to the Gilels/BPO/Jochum.

[Petrushka]

The Brendel/BPO/Abbado recording of the Second Concerto is magnificent - I prefer it even to the Gilels/BPO/Jochum.

They gave this at the Proms in 1991 (I was there) in the concert that had the William Tell Overture as an encore after Mahler 4! Agree it's a fine recording, one of the many on my shelves.

[EdgeleyRob]

Re the double concerto:



I can never resist a challenge.....actually, I like it (especially the slow movement), but have only listened to recordings, never heard it live. I agree with Visualnickmos's comment that it may be especially sensitive to the quality of the performance, as it seems more emotionally restrained (imv) than the violin or piano concertos and could be overloaded by too much 'emoting' by the soloists. My favourite version is Stern/Rose/Ormandy, though I also like Oistrakh/Fournier/Galliera.

I think it is very different from his other concertos, hard to compare, but (to sidle back to the topic) I enjoy it at least as much as the D minor piano concerto, which has never grabbed me (either live or in recording) as much as the B flat - Anda/Fricsay is my reference recording for this, closely followed by the very different Gilels/Reiner and Richter/Leinsdorf versions.

Oh, and I have always liked the Beethoven triple concerto as well (if I am to see my credibility holed below the waterline, I may as well go down with all guns blazing ).

Another fan of the Brahms double (I have Stern/Rose/Ormandy and Mutter/Meneses/Karajan) and LvB triple (Oistrakh/Rostropovich/Richter) here.

Interesting article on the Brahms (which oddly doesn't mention the Mutter/Meneses/Karajan recording)

http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics4/brahmsdouble.html

[Barbirollians]

The Brendel/BPO/Ababado recording of the Second Concerto is magnificent - I prefer it even to the Gilels/BPO/Jochum.

Interesting - I did have him with Haitink on cassette in the second and was never that taken with it .

[Barbirollians]

Another fan of the Brahms double (I have Stern/Rose/Ormandy and Mutter/Meneses/Karajan) and LvB triple (Oistrakh/Rostropovich/Richter) here.

Interesting article on the Brahms (which oddly doesn't mention the Mutter/Meneses/Karajan recording)

http://www.classicalnotes.net/classi...hmsdouble.html

The Stern/Rose/Walter nYPO account never seems to have made it to CD

[Bryn]

Re. the delightful Double Concerto, it's the Suk/Navara/CPO/Ancerl for me. First got it on LP, more recently the Ancerl Gold CD (though at nothing like its current crazy asking price on amazon.co.uk).