Customer Reviews

Brahms: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 / Handel Variations, Op. 24 / Waltzes, Op. 39

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(1)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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.

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.

The American pianist Leon Fleisher (b. 1928) had extraordinary attainments when his performing career was interrupted by an ailment to his right hand at the age of 37. Fleisher continued peforming with his left hand and became a distinguished teacher and conductor of chamber ensembles. In 2004, he began playing the piano again with both hands.

Fleisher is best-known for the remarkable recordings of the Beethoven and Brahms concertos made during his prime, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra. This double CD is a reissue of Fleisher's recordings of the two Brahms piano concertos. It includes as well Fleisher's performances of two Brahms works for solo piano: the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24, and the Waltzes, Op. 39. This is a glorious CD for lovers of Brahms.

The highlight of the collection is Brahms's piano concerto no. 1 in D minor, opus 15. Although I offer a minority opinion, I have always responded more deeply to this passionate, stormy work of Brahms's young manhood than to the more famous second concerto that he wrote over 20 years later. In Brahms's earlier music personal feeling predominates over the structure, learning and formalism of the works of the composer's later years.

The first concerto is a large, bravura work in the romantic tradition, deeply indebted to Robert Schumann and Beethoven. I have always loved the long rhapsodic passages for the solo piano in the opening movement. Brahms initially conceived the work as a symphony but transformed the work into a concerto at the recommendations of friends. During its first performances, the work was booed and hissed. It received recognition only late in Brahms's career. The first movement is long and stormy, with the improvisatory piano solos I mentioned, fierce trills, and long runs for the soloist. The second movement is a tribute to Robert Schumann as well as a paean of love to Clara. The flamboyant and stormy finale takes the finale of Beethoven's piano concerto no. 3 as a model.

The Szell-Fleisher performance of this work dates from 1956. Both soloist and orchestra offer a gutsy, large scaled, powerhouse reading of this masterpiece of Brahms's youth. In his still-valuable reference work "101 masterpieces of music and their composers," Martin Bookspan described this recording as "a performance of towering strength, impassioned poetry and flowing lyricism." He aptly observed that "Fleisher's playing here is a throwback to the grand manner of another era -- doubly welcome because it is a rare commodity these days."

Fleisher and Szell recorded Brahms's second piano concerto in B flat major in 1962. Their reading of the second is on the whole more subdued and lyrical than their performance of the first. If not as earth-shaking as the earlier recording, it remains an excellent version of the Brahms second concerto.

The second is a monumental, granitic work in four large movements. Where the first concerto features display passages for the pianist, the second has been described as a "symphony with piano obligato" as the writing for the soloist is fully integrated with the writing for the orchestra. The work opens with a horn call, reminiscent of the opening of Schubert's ninth symphony, followed by a movement both lyrical and majestic. I particularly liked Fleisher's playing of the brief solo passages just after the first passage in the work for full orchestra. The unusual second movement is large,tragic and tumultuous in character. Brahms ironically described it as "a tiny, tiny wisp of a scherzo." The lyrical third movement features a duet between the piano soloist and a solo cello. The wonderful finale is a flowing and joyous rondo which relieves the tension of the earlier three massive movements. The critic, Donald Francis Tovey, said there were "no adequate words" for the finale. Tovey proceed to describe the mood of the finale as "We have done our work -- let the children play in the world which our work has made safer and happier for them." (Would that it were so.)

The two solo piano works are beautifully played and are of quite different types. The difficult "Handel variations" opus 24 is a work modeled on Beethoven's large sets of variations. It shows Brahms's as a learned composer, offering 25 short variations on a flowing theme by Handel and concluding with a large fugue. The opus 37 waltzes are a reduction of an earlier work of Brahms for two pianists. The work was intended for amateurs and features Hungarian and gypsy themes alternating with delightfully lyrical, Schubertian waltzes. These waltzes were among Brahms's most popular and financially successful compositions during his life.

Robin Friedman

Just a quick note. I owned both Fleisher/Brahms concertos on LP back in the 1970's. I have about fifteen different artists, all world class recordings of these wonderful concertos. When I heard Mr. Fleisher's, his playing set the standard for everyone to measure up to, (along with Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra's vision of the pieces.) In 1979, I had the honor of playing the first movement of the d minor concerto for Mr. Fleisher in a masterclass at Peabody, and the insight from that one lesson has lasted a lifetime. I would also like to mention for historical reasons, that Leon Fleisher was the first American pianist to win the Queen Elizabeth competition in Belgium, and one of the pieces he played in the competition was the Brahms 1st Concerto. Lastly, I have a recording on LP of Fleisher and (I think) the Julliard String Quartet playing the Brahms Piano Quintet. This has never been reissued, and I am about forced to buy one of those record players that will transfer it to digital. I would much rather buy a reissued CD, so PLEASE, will one of you recording labels reissue this !!! It is a great recording !!!

I owned the piano concertos on LP's (yes, black vinyl records) back when there were no CDs or even cassettes. I grew to love these pieces through those recordings. In hearing many artists perform them since since, I've found nothing to surpass these recordings. Fleisher's rendition of the first concerto, in particular, is "electric" in intensity. That same approach works great in the scherzo of #2, where the piano and orchestra conduct a fiery duel melodies and rhythms.

Having recently heard a concert performance that viewed Brahms through the lens of a Chopin Nocturne, I much prefer the straight-ahead, powerful, no-nonsense and no-"preciousness" interpretatino of Fleisher and Szell. Sure, maybe the sound or performance aren't as warm as more modern recordings, and the piano is much more "in your face" than it would be in the concert hall. But it's not bad, and to me, the performance is the thing. After hearing these, most other performances will seem tame, turgid, or meek in comparison. This Concerto #1 is muscular, youthful, brilliant Brahms, and #2 is excellent too.

I have never, until now, heard a recording that didn't make me want to go out and buy another recording of the piece to hear another interpretation of it. This one is so wonderful, so definitive, so perfect (something I thought no classical album could attain), that it makes me content (well, almost content) to just have these performances and dispense with all others. Of course, my common sense will prevail, and almost purely out of habit, I will buy more performances of these masterpieces, Gilels/Jochum and Binder (is it Binder, I forget)/Harnoncourt next in line. But really, these are the first recordings of these pieces to get, and if you can only get on recording of them, this is the one. The fillers, Waltzes and Variations for solo piano, are also marvellous. Wonderful.

The first concerto piano fhrom Johannes Brahms is one of the most difficult to play and obtain a deserved triumph. To face with such a lot of difficulties ; as pianist the score demands of you the apex of your skills; as conductor to avoid falling in a boring performing, due his length and inherent lyricism.
Brahms must sound epical ; you must convince yourself and then you play under this conception.
If you don't , you can sound extremely heavy ; your meditative approach is not enough: and that reminds me a couple versions of two remarkable pianists, one from Germany and the other from England; it's a valid conception but it lacks emotion and rapture.
Szell, Fleisher and The Cleveland orchestra gave us a unique performance filled with fire , passion and interpretative force.
The result was amazing. The strings from this orchestra may be lack the musculature of Philadeplhia but the whole sound gotten by Szell and the supreme commitment given by Fleisher threw this recording to unexpected levels.
In fact I just remember three other versions with similar approach; Kapell Mitropoulus from 1953, several steps before Serkin Ormandy Philadelhia, and finally an interesting recording at ending fifties, with Ogdon Stokowski from the seventies.
From beginning to end this recording is a hit. It has an internal state of tension and histamina that keeps you awaken, without loosing his deep musicality.
A great achievement in the case of Fleisher and obviously for Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra.
The Second Concerto is OK , but it never rreachs the level of the first and the Handel variations is played worthly.
Don't miss this set!

This recording of the Brahms piano concerti is simly the best available. It is true that at times the sound quality is a problem - at the beginning of the final movement of the first concerto the right speaker drops out entirely. (Although, for most of the recording I think the sound is probably better than most modern CDs - the expansiveness and realism is phenomenal, notwithstanding the tape hiss.) It is true that there are a few slips from Fleisher - in the first movement of the first concerto he slips off some of the octave leaps up the keyboard. However, no other recording matches this one for brilliance, passion and intensity.

Recorded before Szell became obsessed with details and, obviously, before Fleisher's tragic injury to his right hand, the two work together like few conductor/pianist teams ever have. The first concerto first movement is, at all times, heavy and dense; the tempo is much more appropriate than that taken by Curzon. It is deliberate and yet enthralling. This is contrasted not only with the brilliance of the final movement of the first concerto but also with the way in which the second concerto seems to float, particularly with the horn solo at the beginning.

The couplings are interesting for historical purposes, but when it comes to Brahms' solo work Katchen is, in my opinion, unsurpassed. The booklet accompanying the CDs is very elegant, containing some wonderful photographs and interesting commentary from Fleisher himself.

Brahms first piano concerto has never really been close to my heart. I've always loved his second however. But Leon Fleisher is so convincing in the first, in fact, plays as if he owns it. And he conviced me. Particulary his very classic, yet passioned playing in the Adagio. It made me put my book down so I could concentrate on the music better. I had never previously liked this concerto nearly so much.

Very competitive with the Serkin/Szell recordings. I still may slightly prefer Serkin in the Brahms second concerto, but I now see Fleisher as playing the finest first on CD. Since this is a bargain priced 2 CD set, you really don't loose. And the Handel Variations are also quite excellent.