# Your favorite Brahms Violin Concerto Recording



## Pyotr

Which is your favorite Brahms violin concerto recording?

Youtubes don’t count. Must be available on CD or download from Itunes/Amazon. I realize that some of these artists recorded it with more than one symphony so, you can add a comment about that if you want (e.g., Jascha Heifetz with Chicago Symphony). 

Select up to two of them. By alphabetical order.


----------



## realdealblues

I can't limit it to 2 so how about 4...

Arthur Grumiaux/Colin Davis/Philharmonia Orchestra 
(Grumiaux had the most gorgeous, rounded and warm tone as well as being a technical master)

David Oistrakh/George Szell/Cleveland Orchestra
David Oistrakh/Otto Klemperer/Philharmonia Orchestra 
(Oistrakh was a master of this work and both of these recordings are so good it's impossible to choose)

Jascha Heifetz/Fritz Reiner/Chicago Symphony (Still mind blowing after all these years, Heifetz was incredible)


----------



## Heliogabo

No Viktoria Mullova? This is a great one:


----------



## Guest

I am still very satisfied wih Milstein and Jochum


----------



## D Smith

Heliogabo said:


> No Viktoria Mullova? This is a great one:


Second Mullova, my favourite performance. Also submitted for your consideration: Julia Fischer.


----------



## Brahmsian Colors

1)Szeryng/Monteux/London Symphony
2)Oistrakh/Konwitschny/Saxon State Orchestra(really the Staatskapelle Dresden)--recorded in mono sound only.
3)Grumiaux/Van Beinum/Concertgebouw of Amsterdam


----------



## Pugg

Itzhak Perlman for starters, Heifetz / Grumiaux two other very good ones


----------



## Haydn man

Give me Anne-Sophie please with Karajan and the BPO


----------



## Enthusiast

Kremer's recordings - all three - are among my favourites. Also, Isabelle Faust's.


----------



## Animal the Drummer

My two favourites have been mentioned already. Grumiaux is my favourite violinist of them all and his earlier recording with Van Beinum is a marvel. His later one with Davis is enjoyable too, and the sound is richer, but Grumiaux's playing seems to me to flow just a tad less naturally than in his earlier performance and the accompaniment is surprisingly slipshod in one or two places. Among more modern versions I'm very fond of Fischer's nimble, kaleidoscopic reading. Even my envy of the fact that (like Grumiaux) she's also a fine pianist, in her case good enough to have played the Grieg concerto, doesn't spoil my enjoyment!


----------



## Judith

Definitely Joshua Bell!!


----------



## Pyotr

My two votes:

David Oistrakh: The gold standard. Scary good. 

Itzhak Perlman: I love his 1992 concert with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra the best. He makes it a more, I don’t know how to say this, joyous work than Oistrakh’s, who can be a little “full of himself” sometimes. 

Others:

Jascha Heifetz: Heifetz had that distinctive sound(rapid vibrato, fast tempi) that made his playing instantly recognizable; and there is no bigger Jascha Heifetz fan than me, but his rendition of this and also Bruch’s, doesn’t work for me. These works require a slower, more deliberate style.


----------



## Mal

I just listened to Heifetz/Reiner and Oistrakh/Klemperer head-to-head, and the winner is:









Heifetz's rendition works best for me; I like the rapid, flowing approach that he takes. Chicago also gives an astounding performance under its great conductor.


----------



## Olias

Definately Hahn for me. Amazing performance, great sound quality, great orchestra (ASMF), wonderful pairing with the Stravinsky, and its a Grammy winner too.


----------



## Pugg

I am still puzzled by the Riccardo Chailly, I didn't know he recorded this on his violin


----------



## Mal

Which Perlman? "Third Ear" suggests Giulini/Chicago gives better support than Barenboim/BPO. So, today, I tried Perlman/Guilini/Chicago back to back with Mutter/Karajan/BPO.

Firstly, Chicago are on form again, providing incisive, firm, exciting support and showing up Karajan's decline to great effect  

Secondly, Perlman matches his orchestra in incisiveness, firmness, and excitement. And he has a wonderful singing tone. Although Mutter's performance has moments of beauty and drama, overall, I much prefer Perlman. I actually gave up on Mutter (& especially Karajan) after listening to half of the first and second movements, Perlman I just had to listen to the end! I agree with Pyotr about Perlman being more joyous than Oistrakh, but Heifetz I also find joyous, and less "showy" than Perlman.

Perlman at times provides greater intensity and drama than Heifetz, and I love that singing tone, it's often very beautiful. But Heifetz's virtuosic flow avoids the "bogged down" feeling I had, towards the end of the first movement and other times, with Perlman. It's a beautiful bog, with mounds & flowers worth stopping and attending to; but Heifetz is an uninterrupted, strenuous, brisk walk through a beautiful Yorkshire vale, difficult to see how he can be topped. My order of preference so far is: Heifetz, Perlman, Oistrakh, Mutter.

P.S. I'm not a Karajan hater, I think his early sixties Beethoven and Brahms are wonderful.


----------



## Mal

Pugg said:


> I am still puzzled by the Riccardo Chailly, I didn't know he recorded this on his violin


Click on view poll results and you see "Riccardo Chailly, Hilary Hahn". Chailly is just as important as Hahn in this performance as it's not a violin solo.


----------



## Pugg

Mal said:


> Click on view poll results and you see "Riccardo Chailly, Hilary Hahn". Chailly is just as important as Hahn in this performance as it's not a violin solo.


Thank you, "problem" solved .


----------



## hpowders

The best I've ever heard (and I've heard A LOT!!!) is the performance by Rachel Barton Pine with the Chicago Symphony directed by Carlos Kalmar. Absolutely magnificent!


----------



## Pugg

Last night I heard Henryk Szeryng , It was very good, I think my mood today would be voting for him.


----------



## Pyotr

5-David Oistrakh
3-Jascha Heifetz
3-Anne Sophie-Mutter
3-Itzhak Perlman
2-Henryk Szeryng 
2-Julia Fischer 
2-Viktoria Mullova
2-Arthur Grumiaux
1-Hilary Hahn
1-Gil Shaham
1-Gidon Kremer
1-Isabelle Faust
1-Rachel Barton Pine
1-Milstein/Jochum
1-Lisa Batiashvili 
1-Joshua Bell
0-George Szell
0-Maxim Vengerov
0-Yakov Kreizberg
0-Eugene Ormandyz
0-Riccardo Chailly

As of this date, looks like Oistrakh is the winner(you can correct me if I’m wrong). A fitting champion. Of course, it is an open-ended poll so more can join the fun.

Tallying up the votes was awkward. Some of you mentioned three, so I only took the first two, John T voted “other” but didn’t tell us who these others are. Haydn67 clicked “Henryk Szeryng” but not “David Oistrakh”; maybe he didn’t realize that this was a multiple choice poll—that’s why Oistrakh’s tally is five. Same with Pugg, so I counted hers as Szeryng & Perlman.

Last night my wife and I watched the movie “There Will Be Blood” which is a 2007 American epic historical drama film based upon the Upton Sinclair's novel “Oil! “ Around the middle of the film they played portions of the third movement; and at the end, while the credits were rolling, they played the entire third movement. Kept waiting for the credits to mention the soloist and it was Anne Sophie-Mutter. Damn good, almost the best third movement I ever heard. But this work really blows me away in the first movement, after the orchestra finishes their introduction and the soloist plays for a few minutes. I’m not saying that “anybody can play the third movement,” but it’s in the first movement where Oistrakh & Perlman really shine. IMO.

Mal makes a good point about how the Perlman/ Oistrakh versions can get "bogged down" at the end of the first movement, whereas the Heifetz rendition seems to grow as it moves on. OK, as the OP of this thread I bestow the award of “Best second half of first movement” to Jascha. 

I have read that Brahms had plans to put this out as a four or five movement work. Glad he didn’t (visions of the Double Concerto dancing in my head).


----------



## Pyotr

*Guest the Artists*

To prove to everyone that I have nothing better to do, I recorded a 90-second melody from the first movement from four different recordings: Jascha Heifetz, David Oistrakh, Itzhak Perlman and Henryk Szeryng. Not necessarily in that order. That's the puzzle, see if you can guess the order (i.e., which is first, second, third and fourth). They are separated by 10 seconds of silence. I put it on youtube. Good luck.






7 minutes total.


----------



## AlanB

Another vote for Anne Sophie Mutter with Karajan.
If you can look beyond the recording quality and just listen to the playing of heavenly beauty try Neveu.


----------



## Mal

Pyotr said:


> To prove to everyone that I have nothing better to do, I recorded a 90-second melody from the first movement from four different recordings: Jascha Heifetz, David Oistrakh, Itzhak Perlman and Henryk Szeryng. Not necessarily in that order. That's the puzzle, see if you can guess the order (i.e., which is first, second, third and fourth). They are separated by 10 seconds of silence. I put it on youtube. Good luck.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 7 minutes total.


What's the answer?


----------



## Mal

"Spotify Discover" just threw the first movement performed by Janine Jansen my way in a new release from Decca with Antonio Pappano and the O... Santa Cecelia. The performance is great, really flowing and lyrical, and the sound is amazing. One amazon reviewer talks about hissing, another about "live performance issues", but I didn't hear any coughing or hissing. Anyway, this goes on my "most want to listen to again" list, along with Heifetz (unlike the other top scorers in this poll ...)

P.S. More film trivia: "Janine's recording of the Brahms will feature in the soundtrack to the major Dutch film - Public Works - (Publike Werken), released December 10, 2015. The film of a best-selling novel by Thomas Rosenboom, the story follows an Amsterdam violin-maker and his country pharmacist nephew in a tightly-composed historical drama."


----------



## PeterF

My 2 favorites were Oistrakh and Szeryng.
I also like recordings of Brahms Violin Concerto by Milstein, Fischer, Stern & Grumiaux.


----------



## majlis

Eugene Ormandy? It's true that Jeno Blau was a Hubay's pupil, that he begun as a violinist, and he recorded some light pieces before travel to USA and took the name of the ship in which he went. As a violinist, he was really good as a conductor of violin concerts.


----------



## amfortas

Pyotr said:


> To prove to everyone that I have nothing better to do, I recorded a 90-second melody from the first movement from four different recordings: Jascha Heifetz, David Oistrakh, Itzhak Perlman and Henryk Szeryng. Not necessarily in that order. That's the puzzle, see if you can guess the order (i.e., which is first, second, third and fourth). They are separated by 10 seconds of silence. I put it on youtube. Good luck.


I'm guessing #2 is Perlman. If not that, then #4. That's as much as I'll hazard.


----------



## Brahmsian Colors

Pyotr said:


> To prove to everyone that I have nothing better to do, I recorded a 90-second melody from the first movement from four different recordings: Jascha Heifetz, David Oistrakh, Itzhak Perlman and Henryk Szeryng. Not necessarily in that order. That's the puzzle, see if you can guess the order (i.e., which is first, second, third and fourth). They are separated by 10 seconds of silence. I put it on youtube. Good luck.
> 
> 1) Pearlman
> 2) Heifetz
> 3) Oistrakh
> 4) Szeryng


----------



## starthrower

Henryk Szeryng/Royal Concertgebouw


----------



## howlingfantods

There's a slight coldness to Heifetz that I like for this concerto--it has a tendency to get a bit gooey and cloying in other hands.


----------



## Pyotr

Haydn67 said:


> 1) Pearlman
> 2) Heifetz
> 3) Oistrakh
> 4) Szeryng


:cheers:

Nice! The hard part, I believe, was distinguishing between Pearlman's and Oistrakh's, since they are so similar in style, at least to my ear.


----------



## amfortas

Pyotr said:


> :cheers:
> 
> Nice! The hard part, I believe, was distinguishing between Pearlman's and Oistrakh's, since they are so similar in style, at least to my ear.


I suck at this.


----------



## Pyotr

majlis said:


> Eugene Ormandy? It's true that Jeno Blau was a Hubay's pupil, that he begun as a violinist, and he recorded some light pieces before travel to USA and took the name of the ship in which he went. As a violinist, he was really good as a conductor of violin concerts.


Meant to say Isaac Stern. Sorry.


----------



## Brahmsian Colors

Pyotr said:


> :cheers:
> 
> Nice! The hard part, I believe, was distinguishing between Pearlman's and Oistrakh's, since they are so similar in style, at least to my ear.


I find there's an almost deliberate suaveness at times to Pearlman's style. Oistrakh seems to convey a more natural flowing, integrated approach, with what I feel is a better balanced overall tonal presentation. These are my impressions of course. Others may or may not differ in their perceptions.


----------



## Gordontrek

This one


----------



## Pugg

I will stick with Itzhak Perlman.


----------



## Varick

It was between Heifetz and Oistrakh, but the fire of Heifetz wins out for me by a hair. I couldn't pick Perlman only because I do not believe he ever had the proper accompaniment for this piece. He is masterful at the violin, but on the Barenboim recording, once again Barenboim manages to flatten out any tension and intensity in the orchestration (one MUST have tension and intensity when performing anything of Brahms) which gives no platform of which Perlman can spring off.

Perlman's Guilini is much better, but there is a lackluster in the third movement. However, I find the second movement in this recording to be excellent.

V


----------



## Mal

G*iu*lini (not as bad as me spelling Zimerman as "Zinman" in a recent post )


----------



## shadowdancer

I would like to add one more Oistrakh performance to the discussion (from BBC Legends):
David Oistrakh, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent
Rec 1961 (Live)


----------



## Varick

Mal said:


> G*iu*lini (not as bad as me spelling Zimerman as "Zinman" in a recent post )


Follow me around Mal. I'll keep you busy all day long correcting my spelling and typos.

At least I talk good.

V


----------



## Pugg

Varick said:


> Follow me around Mal. I'll keep you busy all day long correcting my spelling and typos.
> 
> At least I talk good.
> 
> V


And being sincere as far as I can see.


----------



## Pyotr

Talking about a faux pas, moi! leaving Viktoria Mullova & Arthur Grumiaux off the list.


----------



## Rhinotop

My favorite recording: Ferras, Karajan, BPO, Deutsche Grammophon.


----------



## Ralphus

I struggled to find a recording that "did it for me" until I found Milstein/Fistoulari (ridiculously cheap on EMI Seraphim). To me, it's just about perfect. Recently, I've also taken to Lisa Batiashvili, Renaud Capucon, and Baiba Skride.


----------



## premont

Probably David Oistrakh.

But I may be biased, since I have seen/heard him play this concert at a memorable concert.


----------



## Joachim Raff

Brahms Violin Concerto has many super recordings. Its a concerto that demands a strong conductor and orchestra. Soloist approach is down to opinion. I have chosen my favourites two. First one can go towards the poll.

1st Choice:








2nd Choice:







(Vinyl pref) not the EMI digital remastered


----------



## Taplow

My number one favourite was not represented in the list (and I accidentally clicked Maxim Vengerov instead of "Other" … not an altogether bad choice anyway). But here is the recording that finally had me understanding the Brahms concerto as a truly great work. I never really _got it_ before hearing this:










Vadim Repin, with the Gewandhausorchester conducted by Chailly.


----------



## Allegro Con Brio

A couple not-to-miss historical recordings, despite the rough sound, are Szigeti/Harty and Huberman/Rodzinski (I learned about them from a thread on this forum back when I was a "lurker," and was utterly gripped by their poetry). Otherwise, Oistrakh is probably my favorite modern version. It really depends on whether you like it played in an improvisatory, "gypsy" style (as Brahms was influenced by Joachim) like fiddling around the fire at night; or in a more formal, polished way.


----------



## MarkW

It took me a bunch of hearings (live and recordings) to finally "get" it. I think it was Perlman with the New Mexico Symphony that did it for me in the mid-'70s. So in seeking out LPs that I could live with, without listening to dozens, I became quite comfortable with Milstein/Fistoulari.


----------



## DavidA

D Smith said:


> Second Mullova, my favourite performance. Also submitted for your consideration: Julia Fischer.


Fischer is really good


----------



## Ulfilas

A dark horse? I find this version completely satisfying:


----------



## jim prideaux

Looking at this thread at work 9I seem to be so far the only one daft enough to be here!) and it will be really useful as I have realised recently that I do 'need' an alternative recording. I have Abbado and Schlomo Mintz.....nothing wrong but, well.....

Oddly enough I seem to have heard the work on a dispropotianate number of times aas part of a concert....last time was at theProms a few years ago alongside Nielsens's 2nd....Nikolas Znaider (spelling?)


----------



## DavidA

It’s important with the Brahms that it’s not played too slowly as it then becomes like plum pudding. Heifetz sets the standard in how to manage the piece with a dazzling display of playing. If you like a slightly more relaxed approach try julia Fischer or Oistracht with Klemperer.


----------



## Brahmsianhorn

Favorite historical choices:

Huberman/Rodzinski
Kreisler/Blech
Heifetz/Koussevitzky
Szigeti/Harty

Favorite modern choices:

Krebbers/Haitink
Perlman/Giulini
Oistrakh/Klemperer
Milstein/Fistoulari

Numerous other wonderful interpretations as well - Busch, Neveu, Zimbalist, Ferras, Morini, Kulenkampff, Martzy, Kogan.

Some famous versions that I’ve never quite warmed up to: Szeryng/Monteux, Grumiaux/Van Beinum, and especially Heifetz/Reiner. The latter has always sounded coldly mechanical to me.


----------



## Rogerx

Joachim Raff said:


> Brahms Violin Concerto has many super recordings. Its a concerto that demands a strong conductor and orchestra. Soloist approach is down to opinion. I have chosen my favourites two. First one can go towards the poll.
> 
> 1st Choice:
> View attachment 131561
> 
> 
> 2nd Choice:
> View attachment 131562
> 
> (Vinyl pref) not the EMI digital remastered


These two will do for me.


----------



## Olias

Also submitted for your consideration: Julia Fischer.








[/QUOTE]

Nothing to do with the recording itself but I love the cute little leg bend thing she's got going on in the photo. Adorable.


----------



## Chi_townPhilly

1, Milstein
2. Francescatti



majlis said:


> Eugene Ormandy? It's true that Jeno Blau was a Hubay's pupil, that he begun as a violinist, and he recorded some light pieces before travel to USA and took the name of the ship in which he went. As a violinist, he was really good as a conductor of violin concerts.
> 
> 
> Pyotr said:
> 
> 
> 
> Meant to say Isaac Stern. Sorry.
Click to expand...

3. Edit


----------



## Rach Man

hpowders said:


> The best I've ever heard (and I've heard A LOT!!!) is the performance by Rachel Barton Pine with the Chicago Symphony directed by Carlos Kalmar. Absolutely magnificent!


I do agree with you. Barton-Pine plays this wonderfully, along with a superb conductor/orchestra.


----------



## The3Bs

Joachim Raff said:


> Brahms Violin Concerto has many super recordings. Its a concerto that demands a strong conductor and orchestra. Soloist approach is down to opinion. I have chosen my favourites two. First one can go towards the poll.
> 
> 1st Choice:
> View attachment 131561
> 
> 
> .
> ...


I concur wit your choice... This has been in my collection for a looong tome and the one I always come back to...

Even though I admire Jascha Heifetz and many of his recordings I have never warmed to his Brahms... too technically perfect and in my view misses the point on the emotional side.


----------



## DavidA

Olias said:


> Also submitted for your consideration: Julia Fischer.


Nothing to do with the recording itself but I love the cute little leg bend thing she's got going on in the photo. Adorable.[/QUOTE]

Agreed! The playing is brilliant too! And the double concerto coupling.


----------



## The3Bs

Allegro Con Brio said:


> A couple not-to-miss historical recordings, despite the rough sound, are Szigeti/Harty and Huberman/Rodzinski (I learned about them from a thread on this forum back when I was a "lurker," and was utterly gripped by their poetry). Otherwise, Oistrakh is probably my favorite modern version. It really depends on whether you like it played in an improvisatory, "gypsy" style (as Brahms was influenced by Joachim) like fiddling around the fire at night; or in a more formal, polished way.


You nailed it with the statement 
"
It really depends on whether you like it played in an improvisatory, "gypsy" style (as Brahms was influenced by Joachim) like fiddling around the fire at night; or in a more formal, polished way. 
"

That is where I think Heifetz misses the point in my view... technical perfect in a polished way...


----------



## DavidA

Listened to this last night. Had initially been put off by some snotty comments from critics but the performance is very fine indeed.


----------



## ZeR0

Oistrakh with Klemperer for me. His other two recordings with Szell and Konwitschny are great too.


----------



## perdido34

Szeryng, Monteux, London Symphony


----------

