Customer Reviews

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 [Hybrid SACD]

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The Brahms D minor Concerto is a difficult work to pull off successfully: the piano part is ungrateful, and often drowned out by an overorchestrated accompaniment. Also, many pianists--most notably Glenn Gould--tend to drag the tempos beyond all reason. Rubinstein, who was ten years old when Brahms died, would never have considered such a nonsensical approach. The Concerto was written early in Brahms career, and was the work of a passionate young man. In essence, Brahms without the beard.

This is the first stereo recording, taped in 1954, to be made of this Concerto. (The stereo version, however, was not released until 1977). It says something for the original producer, RCA's legendary Jack Pfeiffer, that with SACD remastering the sound holds up very well. The performance is excellent also, with superb accompaniment from Reiner, the very antithesis of the dragged out, boring approach that has recently tested concert audiences' endurance. Although over a half century old, this is still one of the very few "essential" recordings for any Brahms collection, along with the Fleischer/Szell and Serkin/Szell performances.

It would have been nice if RCA included some of the solo Brahms pieces Rubinstein recorded in 1959 (they were also part of the Living Stereo series), as this disc is not well filled. But for those who prefer quality over quantity, this disc is a must.

Apparently the first-ever release of this 1950s classic in RCA's Living Stereo CD (and now SACD) reissue series, this collaboration between Artur Rubenstein and Fritz Reiner has all of the fire AND sparkle demanded by the more angst-ridden of Brahms' two piano concerti. Here and there the recording shows its age, but the magnificence of the music-making here transcends any minor sonic limitations.

I cannot praise this recording highly enough.

Brahm's First Piano Concerto is my favorite piece of music period and I have dozens upon dozens of recordings. This is the best.

The Soundmirror team who re-mastered this recording for SACD have performed nothing short of a sonic miracle. It's the equivalent of a musical time machine...the recording sounding as fresh and alive as the day it was recorded.

This is the closest that I have ever come to putting on a recording and then being transported to a live concert and this concert features two of the great geniuses of 20th Century musical performance, Rubinstein and Fritz Reiner. For a recording over 50 years old, the quality of performance and execution is just astonishing.

Rubinstein is known as a Chopin interpretor but I think he's even better with Brahms, closer to the composer's inspiration and spirit. Reiner seems to relish this music. The rapport between both artists (captured here) serves Brahms as no other recording has quite managed to do. I was floored when I came across this. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This is the best deal in music. The Living Stereo SACD series comprises the best that music has to offer.

This SACD reproduces the first stereo recording made of this concerto, in April of 1954. Despite the early date, the recording is first rate, characterized by an unusually close perspective on both piano and orchestra. Many of the details of Brahms' scoring come through more clearly than in many later recordings, especially the woodwinds (which are unusually present, and spread across the stereo image) and the low strings, which are reproduced with superb fidelity. A slight mis-tuning of a couple of upper piano notes is the only notable flaw. (It is also interesting that Reiner had the Chicago Symphony strings in the older european seating plan with 1st. violins on the left, 2nd violins on the right, and the basses on the left, which the recording reproduces accurately. The following season, he had the strings adopt the "American" seating plan used by most orchestras today, with both violin sections to the left and basses to the right.)

Rubinstein's way with Brahms is fascinating to listen to. He was known for his ability to clarify the musical phrasing of composers such as Chopin, and he does the same thing with Brahms, without ever neglecting Brahms' counterpoint. Rubinstein has a natural feel for rubato that he constantly uses to shape musical phrases and enable a sense of forward motion. He is ably abetted in this by Fritz Reiner, who also understands the uses of rubato, without ever losing the sense of the music's architecture. In that sense, this recording is an object lesson in romantic style.

I compared the first movement of this recording to a couple of others I had on hand. Horatio Guitierrez recorded this concerto for Telarc with Andre Previn directing the Royal Philharmonic. The sound quality, as one expects from Telarc, is very fine, with the tympani parts especially vivid. However, the performance seems very slow and static compared to Rubenstein and Reiner. It is not so much a matter of overall speed--the timing of the first movement of Guitierrez and Previn is only about 30 odd seconds slower. But there is nowhere near the same use of rubato to shape and enliven their performance--Previn from the first plods along at a steady tempo and Guitierrez dutifully follows.

I have the LP issue of Rudolf Serkin's recording with George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra (mid-1960's). The sound of the recording is nowhere near as good as the 1954 Rubenstein/Reiner rendition--the piano is clear, but sounds monophonic and the orchestra is some distance behind the piano, which results in many internal details of scoring being covered. I would expect the CD version to have a cleaner background and possibly better tonal balance, but the problem of the artificial perspective would remain.

Serkin and Szell do not lack for speed--their first movement is just over 21 minutes long, which is fast, compared to most other versions. Serkin also knows how to phrase and shape the music. Still, he lacks the natural rubato and feel for legato that Rubenstein displays. In loud passages, Serkin tends to bang a bit, and Szell and his orchestra display the sharp-edged attack they were known for. I have always respected this recording, while not particularly enjoying it. (Footnote: in the late 1940's, Serkin recorded this concerto with Fritz Reiner conducting the Pittsburgh Symphony. While the sound is not very good mono, I have always enjoyed that recording for its vigorous, straightforward approach. Reiner is the type of conductor who can adapt himself to his soloist, and he brings out the best in Serkin.)

Short review: this historic stereo recording is one of the best that has been made of this concerto. Highly recommended.

This is a marvel of a performance and a superb recording, the likes of which we aren't going to get once again in a lifetime.

This was one of the rarest collaboration between Rubinstein and the CSO with Reiner.
The other two recording they made together are the Rachmaninoff Paganini-variation and Rachmaninoff second piano concerto (where the relation between Reiner and Rubinstein went sour), non of these two recordings got the SACD treatment, unfortunately.

The Brahms piano concerto recording (with Leslie Chase recording engineer) was made in 1954 at the very dawn of the stereo era - using tube gear, two channel tape and pair of omnidirectional microphones that superbly captured the old Chicago hall acoustics and with it a full-body piano tone - is one of the greatest recording achievements.
The playing of the orchestra and pianist is a celebration of fiery, boldness and "togetherness" which goes here hand in hand.
If ever there were two great performances of this piano concerto capture on tape, this is one, while the other is the Curzon/Szell 1961 recording by Decca.

We are blessed and lucky to have this stereo analogue tape from 1954 survive and we are double lucky to have a superb SACD version of it made.
Any one with decent hearing and decent playback system should grab the SACD before stocks are exhausted, as Sony stopped making those, fired the transfer to SACD team.
No more RCA Living-Stereo SACDs, no more superb sound - a business decision that reflects mediocrity and stupidity that goes hand in hand there. A most regrettable decision.

As things stand now, there will be no more RCA Living-Stereo releases in SACD, so grab this treasure while you still can.

This is one of the oldest recordings in the Living Stereo reissues on SACD. This is the best this performance has ever sounded. Transfered from the original two channel tapes, the sound is incredibly natural and spacious for 1954. Rubinstein, known for his Chopin, tackles the Brahms. It's an above average performance, but Rubinstein doesn't plunge the intense depths of tragedy the same way that Curzon with Szell does. His performance is good, but doesn't have the searing emotions that Curzon and Kapell (with Mitropolous) give to this work. Reiner adds a few minor re-orchestrations in the score, namely the timpani upon the entrance of the basses in the first two minutes of the 1st movement. Reiner's french horns are severely underpowered compared to Szell and the London Symphony Orchestra. You can barely hear them in some parts of the recording. The strings of the Chicago Symphony pale to the London Symphony. Plus the Decca engineering is superior to RCA. And this is just a standard cd issue too. All in all, an average performance that doesn't come anywhere close to Curzon and Kapell. Running a direct comparison between Kapell, Rubinstein sounds so dull and boring, with no searing insights or penetration of the score. Brahms is clearly not his forte. His performance doesn't grab your attention the way Kapell and Curzon does. Reiner's conducting is tightly controlled (as expected) but doesn't allow for the tragic discourse unfold in a suspenseful or interesting manner. Just listen to Szell and hear what's missing. The huge orchestral climax in the middle part of the first movement, where the the brass come right before the piano reintroduces the main theme of concerto, lacks the punch and impact that Szell provides. One has to wonder if Reiner was bored with the performance. Avoid this one. There are plenty of other great RCA Living Stereo SACD re-issues. This isn't one of them.

This is just a stereo recording. If you think that SACD is being offered you will be disapointed just like me.