Customer Reviews

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1; Schumann: Introduction & Allegro

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Beethoven said, "Music should bring tears to the eyes of woman and strike fire in the heart of man"... if any composition will most surely do that, it is this (Brahm's Piano concerto no. 1), and if any performance of this magnificent composition is to be judged the best, this one (Serkin and Szell) is definitely a candidate.

It's strange that when people talk about Brahms, they don't usually talk as often about the piano concerto number 1 as they should, in my opinion. This opus is Brahms through and through - no other of his works is as typical of his style as this one.

If any piece of music "strikes fire in the heart of man and brings tears to the eyes of woman", it has to be that massive first movement of the piano concerto number 1. And in this performance, Serkin and the Cleveland led by Szell are as inspired as performers ever get. In the louder parts of his "loud" compositions (like the first symphony, and the first piano concerto) Brahms generally does not demand subtlety - if it's loud, the louder and more powerful the better! And Szell seems to understand this and delight in it. And in the tender parts, Brahms is, of course, unabashedly sentimental - and Serkin executes this sentimentality to perfection.

As a reviewer I usually refrain from using extreme adjectives - but I must let up on that principle of mine for this performance of the Brahms concerto no. 1 ! There are parts in the first movement that make the hair literally stand on end; there are parts that make the tears flow as though one has never wept before; there are parts that are simply too mind-blowing for one to say what they do.

The first entry of the piano : that infinite tenderness. The drums rolling the first subject at places throughout the movement: the Cleveland executes the drum-roll to perfection.

And towards the end of the movement - the slow descent of the piano into the "sanctum sanctorum", which must surely rank as one of the most lyric passages in all of music! - and then the thunderous rise of the orchestra into that unforgettable, all-destroying climax -

I'm going astray with my words. I really cannot write a well-thought out review for this performance. Recalling that first movement makes me drunk. Just get the CD now! In my twenty years as a lover of Beethoven, Brahms and Schubert, this CD is one of the ten most precious in my collection.

This is the most compelling version of the Brahms Piano Concerto that i have ever heard. Rudolf Serkin and George Szell made many recordings together but none as imposing as this one. The 1st movement resembles the apocalypse with the Cleveland Strings lashing out the very first notes and Rudolf Serkin responding like a cobra striking his prey. Conviction and authority maintain this intensity throughout this movement. Serkin plays the adagio with supreme concentration and wonderful phrasing resulting in an inner depth that is mesmerizing. You feel as if nothing else exists or is of significance except the music at hand. Time stands still for just a moment. The 3rd movement has Serkin playing with a sparkling precision and power that is captivating. Serkin and Szell battle it out thru the counterpoint of this titanic movement which concludes in a unity of the forces displayed.

Serkin and Szell perform as if their life depended on it. Serkin provides power and majesty in the 1st and last movements..delicacy and tenderness elsewhere. Cleveland offers sharp ensemble as usual but Szell lets the music flow freely... No slave to his usual anal demand of precision and nothing more. Magnificent! you will not find a better version. Brahm's vision is brought forth in this shining collaboration. o.f.

My impression is that Rudolf Serkins (who is arguably one of the greatest 20th century pianists) plays the Brahms concerto in a very classical manner. I think this is consistent with the manner of the composition and what Brahms envisioned. (It certainly stands in stark contrast to the lyrical second piano concerto.) The classical interpretation is especially apparent in the final movement, where Serkin plays the legato detache notes with greater discipline than many contemporary pianists.

This is not to say that the interpretation is stiff, for Serkin has a flowing touch. What the listener will find is an exacting performance of Bach-like serenity and regularity (remember Brahms worshipped Bach, and often compared his own pieces with Bach's and Beethoven's - often to his dismay). Serkins also demonstrates his beautifully lyrical touch in the cascading melodies of Shumann's Introduction & Allegro.

I only have two recordings of the Brahms 1st Piano Concerto. Both are legendary and have the same conductor, George Szell. The earlier of the two recordings has Clifford Curzon as soloist. It may be legendary but I find the performance to be a neurotic mess. This Serkin recording, on the other hand, is simply wonderful, perfect in every way. I was lucky enough to hear the live performance in Severance Hall just before it was recorded. That performance was even better than this recording. If you can find this recording, buy it. You won't regret it.

If I had to put together a short list of candidates for 'greatest piano concerto recording ever' or some such inanity, this Brahms D minor would have to be on it. For good measure we also get two of the fine 'Introduction-and-Allegro' pieces by Mendelssohn and Schumann, easily of the quality of their piano concertos. It's harder to compare these performances with others, because sadly the pieces are little played, but any of us who know greatness when we hear it are not going to lose much sleep worrying that there might be 'better' performances out there somewhere.

Forget Serkin for a moment, the orchestras cover themselves with glory. In the Mendelssohn and Schumann it's the Philadelphia under Ormandy, in the Brahms it's Szell and the Cleveland. Mendelssohn's credentials as an orchestrator are eminent, Schumann's, to say the least, are less so; but if he could just find a solo instrument (particularly his beloved piano) to accompany he seemed to lose his stiffness, and the orchestral writing in this Introduction and Allegro Appassionato can stand up in any company. These days we do not hear much of the cloth-eared criticism of Brahms's orchestration that used to be commonplace, so there is such a thing as human progress. On paper the start of the D minor concerto looks dodgy, with only half the band playing. After all this is a very early effort with no precedent for its style -- but get the right conductor in the right mood and you get the right result. The sound, no less than the concept, is shattering.

This Brahms performance is said to date from 1968. I don't believe that! I may be mistaken, but this seems to be the identical performance that I bought around 1960 on the the strength of a review 2 or 3 years before. On the 1960 vinyl there was a lot of surface noise that spoiled my enjoyment, so I bought this disc and -- hallelujah -- it's the same performance (I think) and the obtrusive noise has gone.

The noises that remain are from an idea by Brahms brought to you by Professor Serkin and Dr Szell. Serkin's command of rhythm, phrasing and timing are really as phenomenal and unique as Michelangeli's better-trailed tone-quality. Serkin's own tone-quality, especially in his earlier years (up to say 1960) is also very hard to mistake, and as a rough and inadequate generalisation 'handsome' rather than 'beautiful' could be the word. Well, my idea of beauty easily takes in Serkin's sound. More than that, here and there in his recordings you will hear some of the most extraordinary sound-effects in all 20th century piano-playing, and the start of the Mendelssohn piece on this disc is one of them. But the big thing on this disc is the Brahms. There is a cryptic remark about Brahms on the sleeve of the vinyl version calling him 'this uncompromising and still poorly-understood genius'. That's brilliant, but maybe it can be expanded. He has always been widely understood at the irrational level, as music of such stupefying greatness is bound to be understood. At the intellectual level the critical gabble about him has demeaned the human intellect. If you are new, or even open-minded, to the composer and the main interpreter here, let this recording take you over. I envy you.

Aqui un conjunto de interpretes que no siendo lo famoso que debieran nos muestran una pequeña y grandiosa seleccion de lo que son capaces de lograr; Serkin un pianista del mejor nivel es absolutamente grandioso, George Szell un director pulcro y genial, y Eugene Ormandy uno de los mejores directores de todos los tiempos.
Szell conductor hungaro al igual que Ormandy, se presenta ante nosotros con una capacidad notable de llevar una direccion genial, sensible pero potente, la Orquesta de Cleveland que lo acompaña es sencillamente extraordinaria, para este concierto Serkin como el mejor de los mejores fluye en su piano haciendonos disfrutar de una obra bella, sutil y luminosa.
Ormandy por su parte se hace cargo de dos obras digamos mas ligeras pero definitivamente exquisitas, Introduction & allegro apassionato es como lo dice una pequeña introduccion para entrar de lleno en un energico y vibrante juego musical, Serkin como siempre genial. La otra obra es el capricho brillante y es mas que brillante, es ludico, es algo solemne y nos muestra mas de la capacidad de creacion de Mendelssohn, Ormandy y la Orquesta de Filadelfia suenan como siempre casi perfecto.
Un CD imperdible.