Brahms: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 / Handel Variations, Op. 24 / Waltzes, Op. 39 [Original recording remastered, Original recording reissued]

Johannes Brahms (Composer), George Szell (Conductor), Cleveland Orchestra (Orchestra), Leon Fleisher (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Leon Fleisher
• Orchestra: Cleveland Orchestra
• Conductor: George Szell
• Composer: Johannes Brahms
• Audio CD (October 14, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered, Original recording reissued
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000029YK
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,296 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #12 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Variations
  • #16 in Music > Classical > Ballets & Dances > Waltzes

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15: I. Maestoso

2. Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15: II. Adagio

3. Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15: III. Rondo. Allegro non troppo

4. Variations (25) and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, for piano, in B flat major, Op. 24: Aria

5. Variations (25) and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, for piano, in B flat major, Op. 24: Variation I

6. Variations (25) and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, for piano, in B flat major, Op. 24: Variation II

7. Variations (25) and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, for piano, in B flat major, Op. 24: Variation III

8. Variations (25) and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, for piano, in B flat major, Op. 24: Variation IV: Risoluto

9. Variations (25) and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, for piano, in B flat major, Op. 24: Variation V: Espressivo

10. Variations (25) and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, for piano, in B flat major, Op. 24: Variation VI

See all 30 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83: I. Allegro non troppo

2. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83: II. Allegro appassionato

3. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83: III. Andante

4. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83: IV. Allegretto grazioso

5. Waltzes (16) for piano, 4 hands (or piano), Op. 39: No. 1 in B Major, Tempo giusto

6. Waltzes (16) for piano, 4 hands (or piano), Op. 39: No. 2 in E Major

7. Waltzes (16) for piano, 4 hands (or piano), Op. 39: No. 3 in G-sharp Minor

8. Waltzes (16) for piano, 4 hands (or piano), Op. 39: No. 4 in E Minor. Poco sostenuto

9. Waltzes (16) for piano, 4 hands (or piano), Op. 39: No. 5 in E Major

10. Waltzes (16) for piano, 4 hands (or piano), Op. 39: No. 6 in C-sharp Major. Vivace

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: BRAHMS,J.
Title: CON PNO 1/2/WALTZES/VAR & FUGUE
Street Release Date: 10/14/1997
Domestic
Genre: CLASSICAL COMPOSERS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great works; great performances by a heroic artist, April 5, 2000

By 

Allan Brain (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brahms: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 / Handel Variations, Op. 24 / Waltzes, Op. 39 (Audio CD)

Leon Fleisher was a major youthful talent, not to say"prodigy" in the '40s and '50s. Largely accompanied by theCleveland Orchestra and Szell, he recorded many of the greatest concertos for piano--all five Beethoven concertos in a set that was a best seller for years, the Schumann and Grieg concertos, and the two Brahms concertos. The Brahms are the best piano concertos ever written, I think, because they are endlessly inventive, always interesting musically and emotionally, and are showpieces not just for the piano, but also the orchestra. Fleisher and Szell are perfect partners in these works--one never gets the idea that either musician is showing off, yet these works are written such that there are sometimes what seem to be struggles, even combat, between the orchestra and the piano. (Just try listening to the second movement of the Brahms second concerto, and you will hear this.) That is the nature of the compositions, and that is among the reasons these particular performances work so well. Also included in this release are some solo works by Brahms, recorded in the mid-'50s. As one of the Sony "Heritage" releases, the package contains interesting information about the original recording sessions, photographs, and facsimiles of the original LP jackets.

I highly recommend this set and wish Sony would come out with a Fleisher edition; this is a wonderful artist who would have had a stellar career if he had not had the misfortune to suffer from the neurological problem directly related to his playing (carpal tunnel syndrome is a repetitive stress injury) at the peak of his career and at a time when classical music was still promoted even on prime-time television.

One can only admire Fleisher for his dedication and determination to continue his career in music. Let's hope he records the two-handed repertoire again too!

Finally, a word about the sound: it's not up to today's digital recordings, and there is some tape hiss, but these classic performances are not to be missed. You will want to hear these again and again. END

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Performances of High Caliber, December 11, 2000

By 

Scott D. Harris (Chattanooga, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brahms: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 / Handel Variations, Op. 24 / Waltzes, Op. 39 (Audio CD)

The Brahms concertos represent the summit of pianistic/orchestral combination in many respects and a listener to these performances would undoubtedly comprehend this statement, even if not musically trained. Szell and Fleischer make an effective team and one is happy Sony has rescued these performance gems from the archives.

The 1st Concerto dates from 1958 and is in surprisingly good sound for its age (actually somewhat preferable to the 2nd - more on that in a moment) and opens with an appropriately weighty flourish. Throughout Szell and Fleischer move through the concerto at a moderate pace with some, though not an overly great level of tonal muscularity. Perhaps the best way to describe this playing is to characterize it as Romantic writing played with an almost Classical feel and, at times, restraint. The Cleveland Orchestra is outstanding.

The 2nd Concerto, dated 4 years later in 1962, is also a successful performance though with an altered sound picture. Much less reverberance and an up-close sound stage make this a slighly less enjoyable performance. Severance Hall, the recording location, underwent renovation at the direction of Szell in late 1958-59 (after the recording of the 1st Concerto) but from this recording, the cure might have been worse than the disease. The performance is also tightly played, though certainly not without drama (2nd movement) and, once again, with a classical air. Cello contribution in the 3rd movement is very fine.

The Handel Variations and Waltzes (mono sound) make great, unusual couplings and show Fleischer's virtuosity favorably.

I'd recommend these performances to any Brahmsian and to any admirer of Szell/Cleveland Orchestra as they clearly demonstrate the excellence to which both were capable. Liner notes and pictures are impressive. I found Fleisher to be very good, without being outstandingly great, which might be heresy to some. If you want a really distinctive piano element in the Brahms concertos, try Zimerman/Bernstein on DG. Bottom line, however, is that this set is a great value and contains very fine performances of both works.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soloist and conductor in total agreement, November 10, 2005

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Brahms: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 / Handel Variations, Op. 24 / Waltzes, Op. 39 (Audio CD)

Leon Fleisher is not the most heroic or barnstorming soloist in these two titanic concertos, nor is he the most lyrical. But he and Szell found a perfect partnership. They both believed in streamlining Brahms--these are fast performances by the standards of Gilels or Barenboim--and maintaining a lean, propulsive line. As a result, they insure that Brahms's massive pairing of piano and orchestra doesn't sink under its own weight.

There aren't many touches of originality or even personality from Fleisher (I wonder if the always amusing David Hurwitz realizes, in his Amazon review, that Anton Fleishcer [sic] isns't on these discs!), and he could be more inward in the Second Concerto. Still, it's the partnership that dominates, as it should in works so symphonic in nature. I suspect that many listeners will find Fleisher more middle-of-the-road than they might anticipate. I would almost give him four stars in the Second Concerto, but that feels stingy.

By the way, contrary to what another reviewer speculates, Fleisher didn't injure his right hand by playing too much Brahms or banging too hard. It was a misifring of brain signals to the muscles (muscle dystonia) that afflicted his right arm; the disorder was recently cured with botox injecitons. I've heard him play a Brahms trio since then, and although at 73 he might not be able to sustain the murderous length of the two concertos, he sounds great--Fleisher is definitely a master of this composer.