Favourite Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto Recording

[zhiliang]

Hi everyone,

Care to list down your favourite Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto Recording? I am currently starting to colelct this piece and presently the only ones i have heard is the late recording by Rubinstein/Ormandy and Zimmerman/Bernstein. I have heard that the Richter one and Gilels ones are classics. Any suggestions or recommendations?

Zhiliang

[Noah]

As you said, Richter with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Leinsdorf is classic.

[erik-]

Elisabeth Leonskaja with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra directed by Kirt Masur (TELDEC)

and

Claudio Arrau with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra directed by  Bernard Haitink (PHILIPS)

[thracozaag]

Hi everyone,

Care to list down your favourite Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto Recording? I am currently starting to colelct this piece and presently the only ones i have heard is the late recording by Rubinstein/Ormandy and Zimmerman/Bernstein. I have heard that the Richter one and Gilels ones are classics. Any suggestions or recommendations?

Zhiliang

 The Gilels/Reiner recording is arguably the greatest PIANO recording ever made.

[zhiliang]

How about the Pollini/Abbado recording on DG? Anyone heard that?

[thracozaag]

How about the Pollini/Abbado recording on DG? Anyone heard that?

 Boring would be an understatement.  Stick with either the Gilels/Reiner, Richter/Reiner, or the Horowitz/Toscanini.  

[IgnazPaderewski]

Gilels/Reiner!!!!!!!!!!!! even better than his later one with Jochum. steer clear of Horowitz, Kissin, and Elly Ney

[Noah]

 Boring would be an understatement.  Stick with either the Gilels/Reiner, Richter/Reiner, or the Horowitz/Toscanini.  

What's the matter with Pollini in the Brahms concertos ? His Brahms 1 is one of the worst things I've heard. I'm going to see him in June play it, hopefully it'll be better !

[thracozaag]

What's the matter with Pollini in the Brahms concertos ? His Brahms 1 is one of the worst things I've heard. I'm going to see him in June play it, hopefully it'll be better !

 I don't know...I remember vivdly falling asleep when he played the 1st concerto in Philly many years ago.  

[zhiliang]

What's the matter with Pollini in the Brahms concertos ? His Brahms 1 is one of the worst things I've heard. I'm going to see him in June play it, hopefully it'll be better !

Luckily, i almost bought it that day at Borders due to the great reviews it got on Grammophon CD guide. And i could not get to hear out the disc first. What about the Brendel and Abbado one?

In what ways are the Gilels/Reiner better than Gilels/Jochum one? More exciting?

Anyone have any comments ont the Rubinstein recording? Heard that he is also quite a good Brahms player and of course Brahms is one of his favourite composers still young.

Zhiliang

[thracozaag]

Luckily, i almost bought it that day at Borders due to the great reviews it got on Grammophon CD guide. And i could not get to hear out the disc first. What about the Brendel and Abbado one?

In what ways are the Gilels/Reiner better than Gilels/Jochum one? More exciting?

Anyone have any comments ont the Rubinstein recording? Heard that he is also quite a good Brahms player and of course Brahms is one of his favourite composers still young.

Zhiliang

 The Gilels/Reiner is much more exciting.  Jochum holds Gilels back, the 1st concerto suffers from this as well, pity he didn't record the D minor with Reiner as well.
 Yes, the Rubinstein recording is wonderful, as well, but as with much of Rubinstein, I'd imagine a live performance being even better.
 I also neglected to mention Fleisher's recording with Szell.

[trunks]

Hi ziliang,
Apart from Artur Rubinstein you have mentioned, look for Julius Katchen. Any discussion of good Brahms interpreters without mentioning these two pianists would be incomplete.