[LancsMan]

Just listening to CD review and Brahms 1st Piano Concerto. This is my favourite post Beethoven 19th century piano concerto (Brahms 2cnd is too middle aged). I've heard that even Britten (a notorious dis-liker of Brahms) liked it.

Any way in my book there's no competition!!!!

 

[Art Rock]

I prefer Schumann and Grieg over Brahms. In fact, I prefer both over Beethoven's five.

 

[Garlic]

What recording are you listening to?
It's great, but overall I prefer the 2nd - what do you mean by too middle aged?
I like both more than any of Beethoven's concertos.

 

[joen_cph]

The 1st PC has been a steady favourite among Brahms` works for me too.

Horowitz/Walter, Manz/Mandeal and Woodward/Masur are some of my most treasured recordings. The first one mentioned has swifter tempi than usual, which I suspect were more customary in Brahms own time than now, and the last two are overall more conventional recordings.

 

[LancsMan]

What recording are you listening to?
It's great, but overall I prefer the 2nd - what do you mean by too middle aged?
I like both more than any of Beethoven's concertos.

I was listening to a comparative review of several recording - I myself have the Clifford Curzon with the LSO under George Szell.

What do I mean by too middle aged? Brahms orchestration can sometimes be rather full (overweight?) and this is more the case in the second. The first is much leaner. Plus the second seems to have mellowed out (well certainly in the slow movement) - is mellowing out part of the aging process?

All I know is the first is young man's music and it grabs me by the throat in a way the second just doesn't - much as I like it too.
.

 

[Vesteralen]

Brahms' 1st has always been my favorite piano concerto as well. It is a young man's work emotionally, but not technically. There is more of a mellow nature to the 2nd, but it also has its impassioned moments, and as a composition it is marvelous in the way it builds itself on fragments.

By the way, I have listened to many versions of the 1st over the years, but for my money, Curzon/Szell has always been the best in spite of the heavy breathing in the second movement.

 

[Ukko]

The single long-stemmed rose on the keyboard.

 

[moody]

Brahms' 1st has always been my favorite piano concerto as well. It is a young man's work emotionally, but not technically. There is more of a mellow nature to the 2nd, but it also has its impassioned moments, and as a composition it is marvelous in the way it builds itself on fragments.

By the way, I have listened to many versions of the 1st over the years, but for my money, Curzon/Szell has always been the best in spite of the heavy breathing in the second movement.

The heavy breathing is Szell

 

[DavidA]

The Brahms first piano Concerto is certainly a titanic piece. But it needs a titanic performance to bring it off. Like Serkin with Szell or Curzon also with Szell. The second is not middle aged unless made to sound that way. Try Richter and Leinsdorf for how it should sound or Serkin's early recording with Ormandy - full of fire! Interesting that although the Gilels / Jochum is highly rated his earlier version with Reiner is far more up tempo and therefore better.

 

[Ukko]

Just listening to CD review and Brahms 1st Piano Concerto. This is my favourite post Beethoven 19th century piano concerto (Brahms 2cnd is too middle aged). I've heard that even Britten (a notorious dis-liker of Brahms) liked it.

Any way in my book there's no competition!!!!

I'm pretty sure you haven't heard 10% of the 'competition'. A survey of Michael Ponti's recordings would up that percentage.

 

[joen_cph]

.... or, likewise in the 2nd, try Horowitz/Toscanini or Manz/Mandeal (with Manz, the 2nd Concerto lasts around 44 mins). There´s also the old Rubinstein/Coates from the 30s (40mins), but the sound is dated and the playing somewhat irregular.

 

[DavidA]

Just listened to CD review. Very good overall review by Harriett Smith. Must listen again to the Freire / Chailly again.

 

[Itullian]

Barbirolli/Barenboim for me.

 

[GodNickSatan]

Certainly one of my favourite works. I'd put it right alongside Beethoven's 4th piano concerto.

 

[moody]

You want a young man's approach to both concertos, then try Leon Fleischer with George Szell.
A very great Brahms pianist who died much too young was Julius Katchen, his recordings of all the piano music still set the standard, his recordings of the concerti are terrific.

 

[ShropshireMoose]

You want a young man's approach to both concertos, then try Leon Fleischer with George Szell.
A very great Brahms pianist who died much too young was Julius Katchen, his recordings of all the piano music still set the standard, his recordings of the concerti are terrific.

I've not heard Fleisher's recordings, something of a serious omission which I must take steps to rectify. I still think, of the ones I have heard, that Rubinstein's recording of the 1st with Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an outstanding performance (which I have gone on about at length somewhere else!) Solomon's recording of the 2nd with Dobrowen and the Philharmonia is a good strong performance, I also like Backhaus's late recording with Bohm and the Vienna Philharmonic, it has a warm feel to it which I, personally find very enticing, and Brahms' orchestration certainly doesn't sound overweight to my ears at any rate.

 

[DavidA]

You want a young man's approach to both concertos, then try Leon Fleischer with George Szell.
A very great Brahms pianist who died much too young was Julius Katchen, his recordings of all the piano music still set the standard, his recordings of the concerti are terrific.

I've just bought a complete set of Fleischer's recordings. His Brahms is young and fiery - as it should be. Performances up there with the very best. He really was a remarkable young pianist before his hand crocked.

 

[StlukesguildOhio]

I like Fleisher/Szell and Gilels/Jochum.

 

[Ukko]

Rubinstein/Leinsdorf/BSO. ( Serkin/Szell/Cleveland for #2)

 

[hreichgott]

Spelling is Fleisher if you go a-searching.