Brahms/Handel Variations and Fugue - Favorite Recording?

[bjm412]

What is the best/your favorite recording of Brahms' Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel (op.24)?

I have Katchen's rendition, which is absolutely amazing. This made me fall in love with the piece. Sublime performance.

[steinwaymodeld]

Katchen was solid

but i prefer Richter's live one, Ernst Levy and Egon Petri

[pianistimo]

alexei lubimov isn't bad.  kinda sparkly playing.  not as 'choralish' as light.  you'll never find as clear of playing, though.  it's one of a kind.

https://www.rhino.com/store/digital/detail.lasso?upc=809274998668

[fnork]

I have a great Brahms CD with Francisca Skoogh, she includes the Handel suite on which Brahms made the variations, too:
https://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=5921

[burstroman]

I've always liked the recording by Arrau.

[mikey6]

Solomon was good, and Katchen.

Just to add, since this piece is in my repertoire atm, that fugue is the most horribly un-pianistic, uncomfortable piece i've ever played!

[fnork]

really? I read it through once (slowly) and the fugue seemed okay but I might be wrong after just a readthrough of course... what are the difficulties in it?

[imbetter]

ive never listened to this piece and theres no youtube video. were can i listen to it for free?

[mephisto]

ive never listened to this piece and theres no youtube video. were can i listen to it for free?

Here is the only non-commercial recording I can share with you. As I belive it's against the rules of this forum to post commerical recordings. It's a Pletnev recordings from the Wigmore Hall 27.10.1995.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/654b17

[imbetter]

thank you very much mephisto

[thalberg]

I have Emmanuel Ax's recording.  It's not bad.

[jinfiesto]

Stephen kovacevich has a recording... And I thought it was pretty good.

[nodoubt328]

Just heard Katchen's recording which also made me fall in love with the piece. Splendid.

[retrouvailles]

Just heard Katchen's recording which also made me fall in love with the piece. Splendid.

Did you have to revive a nearly 2 year old thread to say that?

[communist]

Pletnev's is very good and tds's is very good.

[edwardweiss]

 As one might expect from me, three 'outsiders'. Number one-the very great Egon Petri, recorded 1938. Number two- Jorge Bolet, recorded `1980. And last of all-Sergio Fiorentino, recorded 1965. BTW-the fugue is not too unpianistic if you have worked your way through most of Brahms'  '51 Exercises'!

[ramseytheii]

As one might expect from me, three 'outsiders'. Number one-the very great Egon Petri, recorded 1938. Number two- Jorge Bolet, recorded `1980. And last of all-Sergio Fiorentino, recorded 1965. BTW-the fugue is not too unpianistic if you have worked your way through most of Brahms'  '51 Exercises'!

Unpianistic is unpianistic, no matter how many exercises you do.

In any case, Brahms wrote piano music deliberately to be unpianistic, according to Charles Rosen.  He was the sort of Anti-Liszt of the piano; his exercises are also very uncomfortable.

The fugue is not pianistic, but it is not the most awkward thing Brahms wrote.

Walter Ramsey

[ramseytheii]

Katchen was solid

but i prefer Richter's live one, Ernst Levy and Egon Petri

I love Ernst Levy, I didn't know he recorded this.. how can I hear it?  Is it published?

Also, is the Petri published?

Walter Ramsey

[edwardweiss]

 Petri's performance is on 'Egon Petri Volume 3' which was on Pearl-Pavilion label. I do not know whether it is still available. Number is GEMM CDS 9078.

[communist]

I love Ernst Levy, I didn't know he recorded this.. how can I hear it?  Is it published?

Also, is the Petri published?

Walter Ramsey

His performance is on YouTube