Life enhancing recording of Brahms Piano Concertos.

Yup, the Fleisher/Szell go to the top of the heap for me, though I retain a fondness for the Curzon/Szell Brahms 1st, because I first learned this piece in college when that fine recording came out. Gee, I sound like Fredrik.....Let's see, that would include the Mahler 9th BPO with Barbirolli, the Bruckner 9th VPO with Mehta, Chopin Ballades with Ashkenazy, Bartok string quartets with the Fine Arts Quartet, Pictures at an Exhibition(Sophia) and the Carnegie Hall concert with Richter , and the list is endless. Only difference between Fredrik and I is one generation in time.....

Personally I could never quite come to terms with Gilels/Jochum, I don't know quite why. I think it may be down to the fact that I just don't take to Gilels' pianism. It's weird, I suppose, given so many people love these recordings so much - still, it would be boring if we all loved the same things.

I too am a huge fan of Fleisher/Szell/Cleveland (indeed, I was singing there praises recently on the board from which I believe you have come), I considered buying them when I got the Jochum set but chose the latter based on their rave penguin review. I think what is particularly special is that Fleisher and Szell as artists had a strong chemistry together (and I'm keen to get hold of their efforts on the Beethoven concertos at some point).

Another performance of the Brahms 1 of which I'm reasonably fond is the mono Kempff/Konwitschny/Staatskapelle Dresden account (part of a rather wonderful box of Kempff's 50s concerto recordings, centred round his excellent Beethoven cycle - though I'm not certain if this is still available).

Actually, my first encounter with the Brahms concertos was at the 2003 Edinburgh festival concerts where Mackerras and the SCO did all the symphonies and the concertos (with Zackarias). As I think I mentioned on my Brahms (symphonies) thread, I still kick myself that I didn't make these concerts as the radio relays confirmed they were truly special and they were what prompted me to look for CD recordings (sadly there are none with Mackerras as an accompanist, which is a shame).

regards, Tam

Dear Parry, Oldnslow, and Friends,

I have always loved both of these concertos and for years had Gilels on DG, in a very nice gatefold bargain issue. I wore them out I suppose, as I never sold them in 1991, when I parted with 600 odd LPs. I also had the two from Serkin and Szell (Cleveland on CBS?), but I did not particularly enjoy them. They were definately sold. Also I had Schnabel on CDs from Pearl (Szell and Boult respectively I think), but did not much enjoy these. AS's playing was not quite what I had hoped for after my significant admiration for his Beethoven playing!

I now have two of each.

Curzon with Szell, and Solomon with Kubelic in the D Minor, and Fischer with Furtwangler (BPO live 1942!), and Solomon again in the B flat. The issues are from Decca for Curzon, and the other three are from Testament.

I am wildly passionate about all four performances! I reserve these two concertos for very special occasions, indeed!

Dear Oldnslow. I shall be 45 this year, and it is nice to be thought of the way you write about it. Cheers!

All the best from Fredrik

Fredrik,

I can well believe you about the Furtwangler disc since it is also on the second of DG's two boxes of his live recordings from 42-44. I have only got the first so far but it is absolutely stunning stuff and the second is only a matter of time (all the more so if the first concerto is good). In case anyone missed my repeated mentioning of it on another thread, I cannot recommend the first box highly enough. What a document.

I don't know the Serkin Szell but (in the Penguin guide it gets a poorer review that the Fleisher). I urge you to have a listen to the Fleisher should you get the chance because they are very special performances.

regards, Tam (a mere young sprig of a 25 year old)

Dear Tam,

Do you suggest that Furtwangler was ever captured by the the microphone accompanying the First Concerto? I imagine that would be devastating before the Pianist ever entered! If so, who is the soloist? He worked with quite a few less known Pianists than Fischer of course, though he even, at one time, prepared a performance (not sure which concerto) with Horowitz or Rubenstien (of the two I am not sure?), but things did not go well, apparently. The concert was splendid, but that was a relationship which stopped immediately afterwards! In Berlin in 1926.

I must watch out for the Fleisher! What company issues them, please?

Kindest thoughts from Fredrik

Dear Fredrik,

I am being an idiot! The Furtwangler concerto in that box is the same one you're talking about (the second) with Fischer. That said, I would love to hear him in the first (but a quick trawl of Amazon suggests that's impossible). Suffice to say that wishful thinking has muddled my brain!

One of the things I love about Fleisher/Szell is the raw power in the opening of the first concerto. And yet, I never feel that Szell tramples, but rather the two artists compliment each other well.

Would have been fascinating to hear Furtwangler with Horowitz, whom I never really associate with concertos (though with Giulini/La Scala in Mozart 23 he is stunning, in the Emperor with Reiner less so).

The Fleisher is on Sony (and not cheap - one of the reasons I bought Gilels initially).

regards, Tam

Dear Tam,

Horowitz recorded the B Flat Concerto with Toscanini (RCA/HMV issues in UK on 78s). It was my first set of it, again on borrowed 78s! I did not actually like the performance that much, and was lucky to stumble on the Fischer with Furtwangler set on a second hand LP that was actually a very respectable transfer soon after. I think it may have been on Melodyia, which makes sense as that is where the tapes were till DG was presented them by the Russian Authorites in the mid 1980s!

After finding the Fischer performance I started to adore the music, which I already knew well.

Fredrik

Fredrik---I'm 62, and here I thought you were a generation OLDER than me due to your tastes in 78s! Hahaha.

Other than the Brahms 2nd with Edwin Fischer and Furtwangler, I don't have any recordings by Fischer. I would appreciate if you could list maybe a half dozen of your favorite Fischer recordings, including their sources and availability on CD. Also, are you familiar with the 4 CD set on Andante by Fischer? If so, what do you think of it?

Dear Oldnslow,

Fredrik is the Fischer expert, but I have recently enjoyed his reading of the Emperor (with Furtwangler and the Philharmonia), though I don't think it's quite as fine as the Solomon reading it probably ranks as a second choice (at least among the versions that I've heard).

I suggest you take a look at Fredrik's most recent post on the Mozart thread as he gives some Fischer recommendations there.

regards, Tam

Like Parry I always believed that Emil Gilels with the Berlin Philharmonic under Eugen Jochum was the best recording of one of my favourite piano concertos. Can some one let me know Sony Classical CD number for Leon Fleisher with the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell,so I can hear for myself.

flyfisher

The Amazon website shows the Sony 2CD set with catalogue number MH2K63225.

I've haven't heard them, so I can't compare them with the (to me) wonderful Gilels set, which I've had on LPs and two CD reincarnations.

Welcome to the Forum. Beware that it may lead to financial impoverishment!

Graham

Hi Graham
Thanks for the catalogue number. Like you I have got the Gilels recordings on LP and CDs. My ex-wife always knew when I was checking out my system because on went the Brahms No 1 Piano Concerto. It would be one of the ten classical records I would take to a desert island.
I take your warning about financial impoverishment on board, and having spent on a system upgrade, it is now the time to consider the critical bit- the music.
Regards