Brahms: Concertos for Piano No. 1 & 2, Fantasia Op. 116
Product Details
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
These performances mount the only serious competition as a complete set to the Leon Fleisher/George Szell versions on Sony Classical. Emil Gilels was an extraordinary virtuoso who decided to place his technical wizardry in the service of the most disciplined and demanding classical masterpieces. No piano concertos live up to this description more than the two by Brahms. Himself a pianist, Brahms placed every purely musical stumbling block that he could in front of the soloist--only audiences never notice because there's no gratuitous display at all. A performer who has not mastered these pieces doesn't necessarily miss notes; he or she just bores everyone to tears. Well, Gilels is never dull, and neither is Eugen Jochum, whose spontaneous-sounding yet sensitive accompaniments support his soloist every step of the way. --David Hurwitz
Amazon.com
Emil Gilels is magisterial in these concertos, his playing volcanic and poetic at the same time. Eugen Jochum and the Berlin Philharmonic add considerable grandeur to the undertaking, spanning Brahms's long developmental arches with convincing sureness. Within the warm ambience of Berlin's Jesus-Christus-Kirche, where both concertos were recorded in June of 1972, the engineers do a good job of capturing the pianist's ringing tone. --Ted Libbey
Customer Reviews
Scary
Jochum said this recording was the best thing he'd ever done, but obviously impressions vary. Maybe I had the advantage of limited expectations and a personal crisis the first time I heard it, but it literally made me shudder. The opening sequence, which others here have described as "ponderous," struck me with an almost religious clarity. I found it utterly convincing - a revelation, seemingly, of the true Brahms, which I had hitherto never grasped. I was never a big fan of Brahms before; his music seemed too dense, too murky. But this recording bring out an inner life in the music; a sleeping giant seems to awaken here. I listen to Brahms differently now.
I can name perhaps four or five recordings of similar power, including Furtwangler's version of Schubert's 9th with the Berlin orchestra, Beecham's version of Sheherazade with the Royal Phil., Bernsteins' version of Mahler's 5th with (I think) the New York Phil., and Haitink's version of the Shostakovich 5th with the Royal Concertgebouw. These are all desert island recordings in my opinion. Add now Jochum and Gilels' Brahms concertos.
I recommend this recording without reservation.
SPLENDID and ESSENTIAL
In short: No.1: As orchestral interpretation(Jochum-BP), only comparable with Giulini-Philharmonia and as piano playing only comparable with Arrau, Rubinstein and Curzon. Gilels' playing is romantic, powerful and splendid; Arrau's playing is philosophic, deep and deppressive; Rubinstein's playing is poetic,luminous and lively; Curzon's playing is lyric, thoughtful and elegant. No.2: Only comparable with Richter, Backhaus, Arrau and Anda.
This is not-to-be-missed and essential set for Brahms lovers. Superb recording and accoustic too(Jesus Christus Kirche,Berlin-Dahlem; 1972,Stereo). One of the greatest in every point of wiew.
One of Best Recordings of Brahms Piano Concertos!
Gilels is excellent on this classic recording of the Brahms Piano Concertos. Before these recordings came out of CD, I listened to these on LP records for hours and hours. I wore those records out.
The added bonus on the CD of the Fantasia is nice as well.
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