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

**Il Grande Inquisitor** · 25-10-13, 18:38

I wonder if this has been timed to take account of the new recording from Hélène Grimaud?

**Thropplenoggin** · 25-10-13, 18:57

I saw Pierre Laurent-Aimard mangle this work in an impeccable performance by the Philharmonia Orchestra and Christoph Von Dohnanyi. He turned it into two works: a very abstract solo piece for piano with orchestral outbursts/accompaniment.

So, not him.

(I'd probably plump for Fleisher w. Cleveland Orchestra/Szell).

**Barbirollians** · 25-10-13, 19:16

Ooh where do you stop . Gilels/Jochum. Kovacevich/Sawallisch, Angelich/Jarvi, Barenboim/Barbirolli , Arrau with Haitink and Giulini , Fleischer/Szell, Andsnes/Rattle, Solomon/Kubelik, SErkin/Szell, Rubinstein/Reiner ...

All have something to say - if I had to choose only one though I suspect the performance that has given me most pleasure over the years is the Curzon/Szell.

**Hornspieler** · 26-10-13, 08:28

Originally posted by Barbirollians View Post

Ooh where do you stop . Gilels/Jochum. Kovacevich/Sawallisch, Angelich/Jarvi, Barenboim/Barbirolli , Arrau with Haitink and Giulini , Fleischer/Szell, Andsnes/Rattle, Solomon/Kubelik, SErkin/Szell, Rubinstein/Reiner ...

All have something to say - if I had to choose only one though I suspect the performance that has given me most pleasure over the years is the Curzon/Szell.

I would add Julius Katchen, Emil Gilels and Claudio Arrau to that distinguished list.

HS

**neiltingley** · 26-10-13, 11:24

Originally posted by Hornspieler View Post

I would add Julius Katchen, Emil Gilels and Claudio Arrau to that distinguished list.

HS

Ogdon with Stokowski live on M & A. Simply phenomenal on every level.

**Nick Armstrong** · 26-10-13, 12:10

Originally posted by Il Grande Inquisitor View Post

I wonder if this has been timed to take account of the new recording from Hélène Grimaud?

100% certain I'd have thought. Having sat about 3m away from her playing it the other week, I'll be interested to hear how it fares....

Gilels/Jochum almost every time, though I did/do like the Zimerman/Rattle recording too.

**Sir Velo** · 26-10-13, 12:26

Fond memories of a youthful Barry Douglas (flush with the laurels from his Tchaikovsky success) going full knots at the solo part, with Skrowaczewski and the LSO lending a restraining hand on the tiller.

Re the Curzon/Szell collaboration: probably apocryphal but love the story about how Szell, increasingly riled by Curzon's inability to play the solo part without error, got up and went over to the Steinway and proceeded to play impeccably what Curzon had just made a horlicks of; turn to Sir Cliff and say, "Now Clifford, do you think you could possibly do it like that?"

**Zucchini** · 26-10-13, 13:59

Originally posted by Caliban View Post

Having sat about 3m away from her [Grimaud] playing it the other week, I'll be interested to hear how it fares....

Will you go to No.2 in January? I booked for the Oxford one a long time ago and heard her give a magnificent No.1 at Symphony Hall last year.

PS A couple of years back I sat on the RFH platform about 3m from Daniel Barenboim as he played LvB Op.111. I give Helene the edge on good looks

**Richard Tarleton** · 26-10-13, 14:16

Originally posted by Sir Velo View Post

Fond memories of a youthful Barry Douglas

Likewise - I heard him in the 80s give a fine account of it in Belfast, with the Montreal/Dutoit.

My first live Brahms 1 was Bruno Leonardo Gelber, who also recorded it at some point. Not a name I've heard in a while. His Wiki entry notes his stubby fingers.

**Barbirollians** · 26-10-13, 14:30

Originally posted by Richard Tarleton View Post

Likewise - I heard him in the 80s give a fine account of it in Belfast, with the Montreal/Dutoit.

My first live Brahms 1 was Bruno Leonardo Gelber, who also recorded it at some point. Not a name I've heard in a while. His Wiki entry notes his stubby fingers.

There is a recent release from Audite of BLG playing the Brahms 1 and very good it is too - coupled also with a splendid live Schumann Cello Concerto with a teenage Jacqueline du Pre .I would recommend it highly .

Amusing as it maybe that Curzon would make mistakes - the finished result is superb.

**vinteuil** · 26-10-13, 15:28

I understand he originally conceived this work as a sonata for two pianos - so it is good to see that the naxos series 'Brahms : Four Hand Piano Music' includes both the version for piano duet (one piano four hands) published in 1864 and the version for piano duo (two pianos four hands) published in 1873. They are vols 9 and 17 in this series, with Silke-Thora Matthies & Christian Köhn.

I do hope they get a mention : they certainly deserve it.

**Sir Velo** · 26-10-13, 16:34

Originally posted by Richard Tarleton View Post

My first live Brahms 1 was Bruno Leonardo Gelber, who also recorded it at some point. Not a name I've heard in a while.

Denon (remember them?) house pianist for a while, IIRC.

**Roehre** · 26-10-13, 16:49

Originally posted by vinteuil View Post

I understand he originally conceived this work as a sonata for two pianos - so it is good to see that the naxos series 'Brahms : Four Hand Piano Music' includes both the version for piano duet (one piano four hands) published in 1864 and the version for piano duo (two pianos four hands) published in 1873. They are vols 9 and 17 in this series, with Silke-Thora Matthies & Christian Köhn.

I do hope they get a mention : they certainly deserve it.

I concur that these four-hand versions deserve a mentioning.

The work however started as a project for a symphony.
There was an earlier version of the concerto/symphony/four-hands-sonata which included a scherzo.
Brahms ultimately decided the material was best suitable for a three mvt piano concerto, though e.g. the use (doubling) of the bassoons in the very opening shows that he was not completely at home in the art of orchestration (despite the two serenades opp.11 and 16).
The scherzo eventually found a place in the Deutsches Requiem, though in a slower tempo than originally envisaged.
Whatever, the Blitzkrieg opening of the work was too much for the public at the premiere in Leipzig. Critics and public alike trashed the work.

**Barbirollians** · 26-10-13, 17:22

What are the Zimerman/Bernstein recordings like ? I see their B Flat Concerto is still in the catalogue at full price ! The D Minor apparently superseded by the Rattle is deleted .

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

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

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