# Your favorite Brahms' Handel Variations.



## silentio

I like Leon Fleisher's. How about you?


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## hpowders

Yes. That's a good one.

John Lill and Idil Biret are quite fine also.


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## hpowders

By the way, I must proclaim that the Brahms Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel just may be my favorite solo piano work of all time.

There! I feel better now!


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## Bettina

Arrau's rendition is my favorite. I enjoy the drama and passion that he brings to (or brings out in) this work. He makes it sound almost Lisztian--a good thing in my book!


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## hpowders

Bettina said:


> Arrau's rendition is my favorite. I enjoy the drama and passion that he brings to (or brings out in) this work. He makes it sound almost Lisztian--a good thing in my book!


I save Arrau for the Schumann Symphonic Etudes.


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## chesapeake bay

I like Mikhaïl Rudy and Idil Biret but I haven't listened to the others mentioned yet.


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## Bulldog

I have five favorites: Fleisher, Cohen, Petrushansky, Petri and Solomon.


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## chesapeake bay

Also glad you started this thread so I remember to listen to it again, quite enjoyable


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## silentio

hpowders said:


> By the way, I must proclaim that the Brahms Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel just may be my favorite solo piano work of all time.
> 
> There! I feel better now!


While at the time of this writing, I still consider either his _Klavierstucke_ Op.118 or Schuman's _Davidsbundlertanze_ my most favorite solo piano work, I do think that the Handel Variations is the best of its genre (yes, better than Goldberg and Diabelli). I'm not alone then


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## silentio

chesapeake bay said:


> I like Mikhaïl Rudy and Idiel Biret but I haven't listened to the others mentioned yet.


Right, I forgot Rudy!


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## hpowders

silentio said:


> Right, I forgot Rudy!


When I first saw "Rudy", I thought you were name-dropping Rudolf Serkin. The Brahms Handel Variations were right up his alley.


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## hpowders

Bulldog said:


> I have five favorites: Fleisher, Cohen, Petrushansky, Petri and Solomon.


Sounds like a Wall Street law firm.

Why waste another post? No. The Haydn Variations isn't a favorite of mine.


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## silentio

Sorry for diverging the topic a bit. Speaking of Brahms and variations, do you guys like the *Haydn* variation played by two pianos?


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## Bettina

silentio said:


> Sorry for diverging the topic a bit. Speaking of Brahms and variations, do you guys like the *Haydn* variation played by two pianos?


Yes, but I prefer it in the orchestral version. The orchestral timbres (especially the oboe, horn and bassoon) suit the theme very nicely.


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## Pugg

silentio said:


> I like Leon Fleisher's. How about you?


Julius Katchen to start with.


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## Pugg

Bulldog said:


> I have five favorites: Fleisher, Cohen, Petrushansky, Petri and Solomon.


May I add Ashkenzy and Perahia?


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## Marinera

hpowders said:


> I save Arrau for the Schumann Symphonic Etudes.


I'm still considering which Schumann's symphonic etudes to acquire and I 've read very good reviews about Pollini's version. I think I'll just have to listen to them all on youtube or spotify.


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## hpowders

Marinera said:


> I'm still considering which Schumann's symphonic etudes to acquire and I 've read very good reviews about Pollini's version. I think I'll just have to listen to them all on youtube or spotify.


John Lill is good. Also Arrau is fine.

The Symphonic Etudes is my favorite composition by Schumann.


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## lextune

Julius Katchen.


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## hpowders

^^^Yeah. That's another good one.


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## Pugg

lextune said:


> Julius Katchen.


Almost unbeatable.


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## lextune

He had a very powerful connection to all of Brahms' music.


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## Biwa

Recently I've been spinning Jonathan Plowright's.


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## Mandryka

Bulldog said:


> I have five favorites: Fleisher, Cohen, Petrushansky, Petri and Solomon.


Have you heard Schliessmann? I haven't because I'm not interested in the other music on the CD but if you say he's interesting I'll download it.

The Cohen, is that Patrick Cohen? I was thinking of getting his Chopin mazurkas, but I've held off so far.


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## arnerich

The great thing about variations are that each pianist will play each one a different way. The Brahms for example is basically one piece with 25 movements. In general I find variation form so enjoyable to listen to because there's so much room for interpretation, you'll never know what tempo the next one might be! 

Brahms' Handel variations are such a wonderful set of character variations. A superb piece from start to finish.


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## majlis

Katchen and Solomon for me.


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## Guest

Julius Katchen is my first choice,I have one other recording ,Ashkenazy.


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## Animal the Drummer

Walter Klien for me. He did a solitary but magnificent Brahms recital on Turnabout in the days of LP and the Handel Vars.are part of the programme. I wish he'd recorded more Brahms - his version of the concertos especially would have been fascinating.


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## hpowders

One of the best Brahms Handel Variations I have ever heard is by Peter Miyamoto.

He plays with a wonderful sense of rubato. The recording is one of the finest reproductions of a piano I've ever heard and the dynamic range is wide-the louder passages will knock your socks off!


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## Bulldog

Mandryka said:


> Have you heard Schliessmann? I haven't because I'm not interested in the other music on the CD but if you say he's interesting I'll download it.
> 
> The Cohen, is that Patrick Cohen? I was thinking of getting his Chopin mazurkas, but I've held off so far.


I don't recall ever hearing the Schliessmann. As for Cohen, it's Arnaldo Cohen on the Vox label.


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## tdc

This version by Kovacevich sounds great to me, it seems to be highly regarded. (Some interesting information on the work included under this video).


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## Rhinotop

Barenboim (DG) and Bolet (Decca)


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## silentio

tdc said:


> This version by Kovacevich sounds great to me, it seems to be highly regarded. (Some interesting information on the work included under this video).


I like Kovacevich in Brahms too. His intermezzi op.76 are well-thought.


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## Pugg

Traverso said:


> Julius Katchen is my first choice,I have one other recording ,Ashkenazy.


Please do try the Murray Perahia, they are fabulous.


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## ShropshireMoose

Solomon, Jorge Bolet, Julius Katchen, Egon Petri, Murray Perahia, are all versions I wouldn't be without, but if pushed for just one I would undoubtedly go for Benno Moiseiwitsch's 1953 recording on Testament, he plays them superlatively well, and it also happens to be coupled with what is, in my opinion the finest performance that I've ever heard (and trust me, I've heard a lot) of Schumann's Fantasy in C. It is a disc that should have an honoured place in any decent collection of piano recordings, and I add the cover here for any wise person who wishes to investigate further:


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## silentio

ShropshireMoose said:


> Solomon, Jorge Bolet, Julius Katchen, Egon Petri, Murray Perahia, are all versions I wouldn't be without, but if pushed for just one I would undoubtedly go for Benno Moiseiwitsch's 1953 recording on Testament, he plays them superlatively well, and it also happens to be coupled with what is, in my opinion the finest performance that I've ever heard (and trust me, I've heard a lot) of Schumann's Fantasy in C. It is a disc that should have an honoured place in any decent collection of piano recordings, and I add the cover here for any wise person who wishes to investigate further:
> 
> View attachment 91814


I like Moiseiwitsch's Fantasy in C and listen to it quite often on Youtube, but didn't know that it was released by Testament with such great combo. After giving him a try for the Handel variations, I was mesmerized. Thanks for sharing!


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## hpowders

Leon Fleisher.


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## Larkenfield

Another Julius Katchen fan here.


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## hpowders

Honorable mention goes to Idil Biret.


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## Mandryka

Anatol Ugorski.


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## Vaneyes

Three are equally fine for me. Similar timings. :tiphat::tiphat::tiphat:

*Kovacevich*






*Gelber*






*Richter*


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## Vaneyes

Marinera said:


> I'm still considering which *Schumann's symphonic etudes* to acquire and I 've read very good reviews about Pollini's version. I think I'll just have to listen to them all on youtube or spotify.


For your consideration. :tiphat:


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## Vaneyes

hpowders said:


> I save Arrau for the Schumann Symphonic Etudes.


I save Arrau for my wife, when she gets me started.

Related:

http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/Arrau


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## Mandryka

Marinera said:


> I'm still considering which Schumann's symphonic etudes to acquire and I 've read very good reviews about Pollini's version. I think I'll just have to listen to them all on youtube or spotify.


Pollini is very good I think, especially if you can find a live recording. I've never heard better than his live recordings from the mid 1970s

Other names to check out in this are Alfred Cortot, Natan Brand and Ernst Levy.


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## David Phillips

majlis said:


> Katchen and Solomon for me.


Katchen and Solomon for me too!


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## David9

Leon Fleischer's is mighty fine


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## Guest

This one, unequivocally:


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## MusicSybarite

I'd say Barenboim and Bolet.


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