# Brahms Piano Concertos



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I was interested to see that Hurwitz selected the Friere/Chailly recording as the best available. Mr. Hurwitz must be a paragon of good taste, since that's my favorite as well.

How about you? Who best magnifies the strengths of these concertos and minimizes their weaknesses? Who...overwhelms?


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

The recording I'd cite is one which hardly ever seems to get a mention from other classical _aficionados_ of my acquaintance, here or elsewhere, and that's André Watts playing no.2 with Bernstein and the New Yorkers. Watts' command of that fiendish piano part is positively Olympian and drew me right in from the first time I ever heard it in a radio broadcast. Some might prefer the sense of struggle that one gets (not surprisingly given the piece's difficulty) from numerous other soloists, but Watts' magisterial display nails it for me.


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

PC #1...Curzon and Szell with the London Symphony
PC #2...Gilels and Reiner with the Chicago Symphony


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Barenboim/Barbirolli all the way; the drama is cathartic. There’s an old one with Fischer and Furtwängler for No. 2 that is also arrestingly dramatic. I think these concerti need to be played with all the Romantic angst and grandeur that the performers can muster up. It’s Brahms pulling all the stops out and showcasing himself as a master of high passion, with achingly tender nostalgia in the slow movements.


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## Guest (Dec 11, 2020)

My favourite performance of the Brahms #2 is with VPO/Knappertsbusch/Curzon. It's somehow chunky and beefy but full of virtuosity and depth. I played the CD early in 2018 with some other great recordings of the 20th century for our community music group. They loved it as I do: yes, it's 'theatrical' but I don't care!!


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

I feel the Freire is dull, and I gave it several listens before selling it away.

I've posted elsewhere my list of essential recordings, plus those that are worth a listen.

For me, Schnabel is tops musically, while the Gilels/Jochum set is my go-to in modern sound. Some say the Gilels/Jochum is too stately in #2, but for me this magesterial interpretation works.

*Piano concerto No. 1 *

Artur Schnabel/George Szell (Naxos, Pearl)
Emil Gilels/Eugen Jochum (DG)
Solomon/Rafael Kubelik (Testament)
Clifford Curzon/George Szell (Decca)
Leon Fleisher/George Szell (Sony)
Daniel Barenboim/Sir John Barbirolli (EMI)
Artur Rubinstein/Fritz Reiner (RCA)

Further listening: Clifford Curzon/Enrique Jordá (Dutton, Decca, Pearl), Wilhelm Backhaus/Adrian Boult (EMI, Biddulph, Naxos, Andante), Clifford Curzon/Eduard van Beinum (Decca), Stephen Kovacevich/Wolfgang Sawallisch (EMI), Rudolf Serkin/Fritz Reiner (Sony, Dante Lys), William Kapell/Dimitri Mitropoulos (Music & Arts, Melodram, Arkadia), Rudolf Serkin/George Szell (1968) (Sony), Krystian Zimerman/Sir Simon Rattle (DG), Rudolf Firkusny/William Steinberg (EMI), Claudio Arrau/Rafael Kubelik (Orfeo), Vladimir Horowitz/Arturo Toscanini (APR, Memories), Hélène Grimaud/Andris Nelsons (DG), Claudio Arrau/Bernard Haitink (Philips), Gary Graffman/Charles Munch (RCA), Julius Katchen/Pierre Monteux (Decca), Krystian Zimerman/Leonard Bernstein (DG), Wilhelm Backhaus/Karl Böhm (Decca)

*Piano concerto No. 2*

Artur Schnabel/Sir Adrian Boult (Naxos, Pearl)
Emil Gilels/Eugen Jochum (DG)
Solomon/Issay Dobrowen (Testament)
Daniel Barenboim/Sir John Barbirolli (EMI)
Wilhelm Backhaus/Karl Böhm (1967) (Decca)
Edwin Fischer/Wilhelm Furtwängler (DG, Music & Arts, Testament)
Sviatoslav Richter/Erich Leinsdorf (RCA)
Emil Gilels/Fritz Reiner (RCA, EMI)
Rudolf Serkin/George Szell (Sony)

Further listening: Clifford Curzon/Hans Knappertsbusch (1955) (Orfeo, Archipel), Wilhelm Backhaus/Karl Böhm (1939) (EMI, Biddulph, Naxos, Dante), Myra Hess/Bruno Walter (Tahra, IDIS, AS), Geza Anda/Ferenc Fricsay (DG, Belart), Vladimir Horowitz/Arturo Toscanini (1940) (RCA, Naxos, Classica D'Oro), Leon Fleisher/George Szell (Sony), Clifford Curzon/Hans Knappertsbursch (1957) (Decca), Artur Rubinstein/Josef Krips (RCA), Hans Richter-Haaser/Herbert von Karajan (EMI), Claudio Arrau/Carlo Maria Giulini (EMI), Krystian Zimerman/Leonard Bernstein (DG), Maurizio Pollini/Claudio Abbado (DG), Nelson Freire/Riccardo Chailly (Decca)

.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

I imprinted on the Zimerman.


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## Simon23 (Dec 8, 2020)

1 & 2
Gilels/Jochum,
Arrau/Giulini,
Barenboim/Barbiirolli,

1
Curzon/Szell,
Rubinstein/Reiner,
Kempff/Konwitchny.

2
Fischer/Furtwangler,
Richter/Maazel,
Backhaus/Bohm (Decca).


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## Handelian (Nov 18, 2020)

They are of course some tremendous performances of these concertos.

I’d put Freire / Chailly near the top of the lust - whoever said it was dull must have been listening to a different recording to mine!

There is also:
Fleisher / Szell
Serkin / Szell

Sadly Richter never played no 1 but his recording of 2 is a must-have


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## Ned Low (Jul 29, 2020)

2nd piano concerto
Gilels and Jochum
I'm still struggling with the first piano concerto.


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## Handelian (Nov 18, 2020)

Ned Low said:


> 2nd piano concerto
> Gilels and Jochum
> I'm still struggling with the first piano concerto.


Try the first Gilles with Reiner. Fleeter of foot than his more legubrious trudge with Jochum


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## lextune (Nov 25, 2016)

Emil Gilels with Eugen Jochum is tough to beat.


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## perdido34 (Mar 11, 2015)

Fleisher/Szell and Serkin/Ormandy in both concertos "do it" for me, although I also like Gilels/Reiner/CSO. Jochum's conducting is just too draggy and anergic for me compared to these other conductors.


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## mparta (Sep 29, 2020)

perdido34 said:


> Fleisher/Szell and Serkin/Ormandy in both concertos "do it" for me, although I also like Gilels/Reiner/CSO. Jochum's conducting is just too draggy and anergic for me compared to these other conductors.


I think I respond (wrongly) to my conception of the pianist rather than what I hear with these pieces. They are pretty indestructible if the pianist can play them, very tough.

But Arrau in the 1st especially, the way he knows how to mold the second movement is just tremendous.

I grew up with Serkin/Ormandy and still am fond of that.

Then a little later was dazzled by Ashkenazy's ability to play them. Just get the notes out, and I like the recordings with Haitink/RCO, pretty fine.

And then the surprise to me, that Fischer/Furtwaengler 2nd mentioned above has some of the most beautiful playing of anything I've ever heard. I expected little because I have a conception of Fischer as a "small" player, early Beethoven, Bach, Schubert, but his Brahms is SO beautiful!!

As much as I admire Gilels, I've never been knocked out by the Jochum recordings, which to Brit critics seem canonical. I think they're doing what I described above, responding to a preconception. Gilels and Jochum should be great Brahmsians, therefore....

I had the Freire, didn't stick, don't think I still have them.

I agree with someone above who found the first piece a harder sell, after all, the opening is as much a threat as a theme, and the 2nd, from the horn to the cello, gives big tunes. But once I felt the deep in the middle movement of the first, all was forgiven. Not much on Brahms actually, but that slow movement is elemental, especially as played by Arrau.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

lextune said:


> Emil Gilels with Eugen Jochum is tough to beat.


What he said. For my taste they're tops.


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## Guest (Dec 30, 2020)

Another vote for Gilels/Jochum. I also like Zimerman/Bernstein and Berezovsky--I think he conducts No.1 and Dmitri Liss conducts No.2.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

mparta said:


> As much as I admire Gilels, I've never been knocked out by the Jochum recordings, which to Brit critics seem canonical. I think they're doing what I described above, responding to a preconception. Gilels and Jochum should be great Brahmsians, therefore.....


Well, then many others including myself are afflicted with this preconception sickness. I hope there is a cure. All these decades I really thought I was responding to the beauty, power, and eloquence of the actual recording itself.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Ashkenazy /V.P Haitnik ( old school)

Adam Laloum (piano)/ Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Kazuki Yamada


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## Agamenon (Apr 22, 2019)

Simon23: I agree with you. 1 & 2....! You are a master.

Gilels/Jochum,
Arrau/Giulini,
Barenboim/Barbiirolli,


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Ashkenazy with Haitink and the Concertgebouw for me too


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## mparta (Sep 29, 2020)

Fazioli said:


> Another vote for Gilels/Jochum. I also like Zimerman/Bernstein and Berezovsky--I think he conducts No.1 and Dmitri Liss conducts No.2.


This is a pianist with the chops to do this justice, for some reason I think not as well publicized. Sometimes that happens when the musician isn't self-promoting, or more likely, someone hasn't latched on to promoting him in order to make money. But he's really remarkable and not dull, recorded the Hindemith Ludus Tonalis. Okay, maybe that's not the best example lol, but not just a big 15 fingers kind of guy.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

This morning I listened to *András Schiff*'s 2020 ECM recording of both concertos acting as pianist and conductor with the *Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment*. I thought they were very well done, with the added benefit of using period instruments.










There is also a informative lecture about the concertos by Schiff, at the piano, on YouTube


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Haydn man said:


> Ashkenazy with Haitink and the Concertgebouw for me too


I still think they are top notch. The recording as such is also perfect, in my ears that is.


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## golfer72 (Jan 27, 2018)

Rogerx said:


> I still think they are top notch. The recording as such is also perfect, in my ears that is.


I agree as well. I actually lost the 2nd so just ordered one off Amazon


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

SanAntone said:


> This morning I listened to *András Schiff*'s 2020 ECM recording of both concertos acting as pianist and conductor with the *Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment*. I thought they were very well done, with the added benefit of using period instruments.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

Haydn man said:


> Ashkenazy with Haitink and the Concertgebouw for me too


I managed to get hold of a recording of number two with these artists and I think it's the most beautiful recording I've ever heard of this concerto.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

I first heard a Brahms concerto, the Second Piano Concerto, on _this_ recording (released 1959):









and it's still a favorite.

Conductor - Hans Swarowsky
Orchestra - Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Piano - Eduard Mrazek


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

Handelian said:


> Fleeter of foot than his more legubrious trudge with Jochum





lextune said:


> Emil Gilels with Eugen Jochum is tough to beat.


The duality of TC


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

My reaction to that performance has changed over time. When I first heard it I loved it, but I find it doesn't really hit the spot now.


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