Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
Tue, Apr 9 2013, 6:12PM
#2
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
You're right, Covenant. Grimaud is superb on Brahms, particularly in the few recordings she has made of his solo works, like the Piano Sonata, op.5, on Denon. However, do you think this recording with Sanderling is any sort of something "new"? Definitely, it's not "historical", but it is rather old, albeit quite good and worth exploring, as you suggested.
Parla
Tue, Apr 9 2013, 6:30PM
#3
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
Yes, a fine performance, and interesting: as you say Parla, it's not very new. it was recorded in 1997, when Grimaud was 26 years old.
Tue, Apr 9 2013, 11:14PM
#4
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
Ok it's not that new and actually it's not as good as she was at Symphony Hall (I think, aural memory is hard to be accurate about). I'd love her to record it again as I suspect she has grown into the piece.
Wed, Apr 10 2013, 8:56AM
#5
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
Hi and FYI
Grimaud has recorded both Brahms piano concertos with Andris Nelsons. Orchestras were the BRSO and the VPO respectively. Release date not known to me so I leave that to DG :-). Late(r) this year I would guess...
Grimaud/Sanderling is a true favourite of mine. Add the not very well known Koppel/Dausgaard (EMI) and I have a duo that don't stand behind any of the classics in my opinion. Could also be something for you (reading this) !
:-) Tommy
Wed, Apr 10 2013, 11:16AM
#6
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
That is very good news! I will keep my eyes open.
Wed, Apr 10 2013, 7:56PM
#7
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
Going to give the Grimaud/Sanderling a try. The first piano concerto is young man's music and can sometimes be treated as too weighty, too important. Pollini/ Bohm has been my first choice up until now but Brahms was no Beethoven.
Thu, Apr 11 2013, 2:01AM
#8
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
I cannot agree with that, Grimauds version of Nº 1 is only a modest performance of this work, It seems that Brahms piano concertos because of his technical demands and physical exigences, are (in general, I say) more appropiate for men pianists than for women. And facts demonstrates this, because exists only a limited number of women pianists that played and recorded this works: Myra Hess, Moura Lympany, in the past, and to day Elizabeth Leonskaja, Idil Biret, and a few more that I dont remember now. Brahms piano concertos seems to be properly field of the men, not women. Exccuse my english please. oscar.olavarria
Thu, Apr 11 2013, 2:39AM
#9
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
I don't think the women in the club (and most of the men as well, I guess) would agree with you, Oscar. Grimaud was quite good as a young wild, passionate and precise pianist, in her youth. As she grows older, I find her more mature but less unique in her style. Of course, she cannot be the same, but I prefer the young captivating in her playing Grimaud.
I have seen (particularly in Asia) quite a few (young) female pianists performing glorious Brahms (not only the concertos).
Parla
Thu, Apr 11 2013, 3:34PM
#10
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
"I have seen (particularly in Asia) a few.....female pianists performing glorious Brahms" (Parla said)
Dear parla, that confirms what I say, because Grimaud -like we know- is not an assian pianist, which would be the other Brahms female pianists, that you say??oscar.olavarria
Thu, Apr 11 2013, 3:58PM
#11
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
For authenticity Brahms should only ever be played by bearded victorians.
Fri, Apr 12 2013, 2:18AM
#12
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
Dear Oscar, I wrote "quite a few", not "a few"...female pianists...
By the way, the young Grimaud has made few very impressive Brahms solo piano recordings and her Piano Concerto's ones are quite viable. I'm not sure whether the mature Grimaud (with the not so eclectic or stable Andris Nelsons) would sound so arresting in the upcoming releases of the concertos (on DG), as Tommy has informed us (above post #5).
We'll see...
Parla
Fri, Apr 12 2013, 2:56AM
#13
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
only a limited number of women pianists that played and recorded this works: Myra Hess, Moura Lympany, in the past, and to day Elizabeth Leonskaja, Idil Biret, and a few more that I dont remember now.
Also Dubravka Tomsic.
Fri, Apr 12 2013, 4:04AM
#14
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
And let's not forget the redoubtable Gina Bachauer, who recorded a majestic, technically impressive and grand manner-like Brahms Second Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra under Stanislaw Skrowaczevski.
Fri, Apr 12 2013, 5:06AM
#15
RE: Brahms' piano concertos, which are the best??
Absolutely right, Carlos! Bachauer was such a solid and great pianist in the most demanding works of the repertory. I have seen her live and the memory of her concerts are still vivid as ever.
Parla
A lot of the posts are recommending older recordings so to be different may i suggest that you try Helene Grimaud in No 1 with Statskapelle Berlin and Sanderling. I heard her play this at Symphony Hall here in Birmingham last year and was struck by the performance. I think this recording is well worth exploring.