# Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in Bb, op. 83



## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Over the weekend, I listened to the BBC3 "Record Review" podcast, and the Brahms concerto was the subject. Many of the classic recordings were discussed - Serkin/Szell, Richter-Leinsdorf, Schnabel/Boult, Gilels/Reiner, Kovacevich/Davis - but in the final analysis, the favorite was the DG recording with Zimerman, Bernstein, and the VPO.

I found this pretty surprising. I heard this recording a couple of years ago, and thought that it was pretty dreadful, largely due to Bernstein's self-indulgent conducting. Should I give this one another try? I don't remember this recording being mentioned in the last, fairly recent discussion of the piece. 

Also, any opinions about Angelich/Jarvi on Erato? I was favorably impressed by the snippets on the podcast, and a quick, slightly distracted hearing via Spotify.


----------



## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

For me, I’d rather have Arrau/Haitink. It’s fine if one is interested in only the 2nd. But I’d rather have the 1st and 2nd be excellent performances, and I think of these concertos as a pair.


----------



## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Richter-Leinsdorf has electricity others don't match.


----------



## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Larkenfield said:


> For me, I'd rather have Arrau/Haitink. It's fine if one is interested in only the 2nd. But I'd rather have the 1st and 2nd be excellent performances, and I think of these concertos as a pair.


IIRC, Arrau wasn't even mentioned during the podcast. That doesn't mean much to me, frankly - they recently reviewed the discography of Schubert's "Schwanengesang" without mentioning Hans Hotter.


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

I would suggest trying every version ever recorded because somewhere there is someone who thinks that each and every one is the best ever, no matter how obscure 

Personally ... Bachauer/Skrowaczewski/LSO with a nod to Barenboim/Barbirolli


----------



## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

My two favorite versions currently are Zimerman/Bernstein/VPO and Pollini/Abbado/BPO. So far, the concerto has held up extremely well. Out of nine versions, I have enjoyed listening to them all.


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

For a slender version than those mentioned, Mann/Mandeal. There's a cheap twofer including a good 1st too. I don't know Angelich.


----------



## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Becca said:


> Personally ... Bachauer/Skrowaczewski/LSO


I see that one's on Spotify. Since I'm a Skrowaczewski fan, I should try that. It wasn't mentioned in the podcast.



> with a nod to Barenboim/Barbirolli


Tom Service, who gave the podcast, played some of the new Barenboim/Dudamel recording, which he (and I) thought was dreadful. He did comment that "if you want Barenboim, find the earlier recording with Barbirolli" or words to that effect.


----------



## NLAdriaan (Feb 6, 2019)

I like Ashkenazy/Haitink and Brendel/Abbado in Brahms 2, but of course this is all very personal. And Brahms 2 is not in my personal canon, so I am not on a continuous search for better versions.

Obviously, in this radio contest they didn't make a choice for Gilels/Jochum/DG, which seems to be the better recording of Gilels.


----------



## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

NLAdriaan said:


> Obviously, in this radio contest they didn't make a choice for Gilels/Jochum/DG, which seems to be the better recording of Gilels.


I much prefer the recording with Reiner.


----------



## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Larkenfield said:


> For me, I'd rather have Arrau/Haitink. It's fine if one is interested in only the 2nd. But I'd rather have the 1st and 2nd be excellent performances, and I think of these concertos as a pair.


I'm listening to Arrau/Haitink this morning. I like their recording of the first concerto better than the second; the first movement of the latter is just too slow and ponderous.


----------



## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

wkasimer said:


> I much prefer the recording with Reiner.


I'm with NLAdriaan on prefering Jochum. It is more Brahmsian, more opulence and beauty. More magisterial. In both concertos you cannot beat Gilels/Jochum in modern sound IMO.

My favorites for #2, in order:

Artur Schnabel/Sir Adrian Boult (Naxos, Pearl)
Edwin Fischer/Wilhelm Furtwängler (DG, Music & Arts, Testament)
Emil Gilels/Eugen Jochum (DG)
Wilhelm Backhaus/Karl Böhm (EMI, Biddulph, Naxos)
Emil Gilels/Fritz Reiner (RCA, EMI)
Solomon/Issay Dobrowen (Testament)
Leon Fleisher/George Szell (Sony)
Sviatoslav Richter/Erich Leinsdorf (RCA)


----------



## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

I have Stephen Hough/BBCSO/Andrew Davis, because I found it used for a good price. The other is a Philips 3-fer with Alfred Brendel, RCO, Haitink. I seem to be drawn to the latter.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

wkasimer said:


> I much prefer the recording with Reiner.


same here........


----------



## jdec (Mar 23, 2013)

OP. No surprise for me. Zimerman/Bernstein has been my favorite performance for more than 20 years, and not only of the 2nd but for the 1st PC too.


----------



## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

If it was Tom Service doing the reviewing then is it any surprise that the result was "wrong". He has done a lot of harm to our musical life in Britain.


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

How is that, do you think?


----------



## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

wkasimer said:


> Over the weekend, I listened to the BBC3 "Record Review" podcast, and the Brahms concerto was the subject. Many of the classic recordings were discussed - Serkin/Szell, Richter-Leinsdorf, Schnabel/Boult, Gilels/Reiner, Kovacevich/Davis - but in the final analysis, the favorite was the DG recording with Zimerman, Bernstein, and the VPO.
> 
> I found this pretty surprising. I heard this recording a couple of years ago, and thought that it was pretty dreadful, largely due to Bernstein's self-indulgent conducting. Should I give this one another try? I don't remember this recording being mentioned in the last, fairly recent discussion of the piece.
> 
> Also, any opinions about Angelich/Jarvi on Erato? I was favorably impressed by the snippets on the podcast, and a quick, slightly distracted hearing via Spotify.


This has been an active topic on a U.K. based forum that I participate in. I listened to the winner a few times on Qobuz. I am not a fan of KZ, and LB can have his idiosyncrasies, so my expectations were low, but it's an enjoyable performance with a few interpretive quirks. Choosing it as the Library choice over the other 200 recordings out there is pretty outlandish however.
For me the worst feature of the album is the recorded sound which places the Piano very far forward


----------



## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Triplets said:


> For me the worst feature of the album is the recorded sound which places the Piano very far forward


As I recall, besides LB's self-indulgent conducting, I thought that KZ did a lot of insensitive banging on the keyboard. Perhaps it was partly the recorded balance.

But maybe I should give this one another listen.

Do you have other favorites?


----------



## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

wkasimer said:


> As I recall, besides LB's self-indulgent conducting, I thought that KZ did a lot of insensitive banging on the keyboard. Perhaps it was partly the recorded balance.
> 
> But maybe I should give this one another listen.
> 
> Do you have other favorites?


Fleisher/Szell is my long time favorite, Serkin/Szell not far behind. I have other recordings by Brendel and Arrau that are certainly worthy. There is a historical favorite-Horowitz/Toscanini a live concert on Pristine Audio.


----------



## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Enthusiast said:


> If it was Tom Service doing the reviewing then is it any surprise that the result was "wrong". He has done a lot of harm to our musical life in Britain.


So has not been providing a good service?


----------



## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Performances of this piece come and go, but I'm still partial to Gilels/Reiner/Chicago Symphony and Serkin/Szell/Cleveland Orchestra.


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

I almost forgot that somewhere I have this on vinyl...


----------



## AeolianStrains (Apr 4, 2018)

Anyone have Stephen Hough's recording with Mozarteumorchester Salzburg? Any opinions on it?


----------

