Customer Reviews

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

After seeming some of the more tepid reviews of this CD, I felt obliged to come to its defense. The historical value of this CD alone merits 5 stars. Bernstein's speech in the beginning is very interesting (although I'm not a Bernstein fan) and the portion of an interview at the end with Glenn Gould (and I'm a big Gould fan)is also very interesting. In between was what I thought was a great performance of Brahms by two outstanding musicians. The sound quality is understandably not up to 21st century levels, but it pretty good by mid-20th century technological standards. According to the excellent linear notes that comes with this CD, Bernstein may have been strongly influenced by Gould's interpretation of Brahms. It seems Glenn had the last laugh!

I bought this disc because of Bernstein's famous speech and to hear just what was so bad about what Gould had done. I had never liked Brahms First Concerto before, despite being very favorably disposed toward Brahms in general and his Second Concerto in particular. I had listened to at least three different recordings before discovering this one, and lo and behold, upon hearing it the piece made sense to me for the first time. What more can I say?

Love it or hate it, the main reason for the release is for historical reasons. The performance, and especially Bernstein's pre-performance remarks, caused a huge controversy in the press, and the story has been relayed ever since.

This recoding, and the excellent liner notes, correct a lot of misconceptions: Gould was in favor of Bernstein's remarks; Gould's interpretation is no longer considered exceptionally slow by today's standards (meaning the Gould must have had some effect on a few of today's artists). It is fascinating to hear what all the commotion was about.

The most interesting part is that the critics fared the worst in the judgement of time: the critic from the New York Times absolutely seems ridiculous (in his review that was written in the form of a letter to an imaginary friend!) with his snide remarks that come off as a cranky senior citizen criticizing the youngsters on the stage. And the fact that so many other newspapers picked up the story as if it was a boxing match.

Reagrdless of recording quality (originally meant to be a mono radio broadcast), this is a fascinating performance that documents a very interesting concert in the history of an American conductor and orchesetra, and deserves this wide release. It shouldn't be the only recording of this Brahms concerto you should have, but it should sit right next to it.

Yes, and it pains me to say so: this recording is of historical interest only. The realization is great: GG is a genius of art, and a wonder of digital ability. Lenny and the NY Phil are good as well. The problem is that the microphone used for the live broadcast from which this recording was made was placed away from Gould and his piano, and way out in the auditorium above the audience. GG is almost literally drowned out by the idiotic-tubercular-spazmotic audience which hacks away, choking and spewing, during Gould's most exquisite piano solos. (Although I must say that at the end of the performance, that same audience gave GG a rousing standing ovation.)

Lenny Bernstein was cool, as was the NY Phil. The whole rhubarb over Gould's reading was created by media journalists who got paid by the penny-word: stupid, inane cretins frightened by Art. What a waste of artistic time! Afterwards at the cocktail party following this performance, Lenny told Gould, "You played so beautifully in the cadenza that I almost c**e in my pants [!]" (as cited in Bazzana, Wondrous Strange: the Life and Art of Glenn Gould).

It's really a shame that a decent recording wasn't made miked close to Gould's piano. What a loss for Art!

Not as outrageously slow paced as expected, the actual recording is a bit of an anti-climax when one considers the mythology that has surrounded this controversial recording. Bernstein's (included) disclaimer is as much complimentary as it is critical and is certainly a fine example of his erudition. Audience coughing impedes listening enjoyment considerably, but there is a great sense of musical sincerity in GG's rendering with a not totally unsympathetic orchestra and conductor. Not in the league of Gilels' or Zimmerman's recordings, but definitely worthy of space on a serious collectors shelf.

Anyone who listens to this recording with an open mind--with open ears--will appreciate the freshness and wonderful musicality of Glenn Gould's performance, especially in the first movement. And let's face it: this is the future for classical music. These old warhorses need to be aired out and led to a new watering trough once in a while or they'll surely die of "tradition." (Was it Oscar Wilde who said something to the effect that tradition is too often just an accumulation of bad habits?) Unfortunately, what one also hears on this CD is an outrageous amount of audience noise--an almost constant barrage of coughs, rattles and other, undefinable, noises. The sound engineers and re-masterers should be embarrassed to have their names on the album. What a shame that this was not recorded in a studio, as Gould would surely have wanted. It's understandable why this is the "first authorized release." Gould, who was such a stickler for technically good sound, would never have authorized it in his lifetime. Still and all, I'll certainly be listening to it again and again. (Bernstein's speech and Gould's bit of interview are added treasures.)

Mr Gould's recording offers something that is hard to come by in the world of Brahms: he understands the music.

Mr Gould, trained in the Bachian methods of counterpoint, saw far more music in this piece than any of you ever will. He even broke some of the traditional rules to try and prove his point. He deliberately alters tempo and dynamics to try and show us the beauty of brahms, in his hidden melodies and complex structures. Unfortunately his efforts were wasted. The masses of "classical music lovers" failed to see what he wanted them to. They thought he was just being difficult, because he wouldn't toss this piece over his shoulder as a means of displaying his virtuosity, as so many artists do. It just goes to show, that you can't trust the public with something as beautifully complex, musically speaking, as Brahms.

I'm sorry for all of you. Mr Gould was one of the greatest gifts to the world of music.

I've been seeking out Bernstein's earlier live recordings during his New York Philharmonic years ever since I came across a stimulating historical release of his Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony live from 1958 (IDIS 6577) that was conducted with such urgency and exhilaration, a stark contrast to his studio recording on Sony recorded the same year. Over the years, I've come to relish live recordings to hear conductors and artists as they actually sounded to concert audiences; artists often proclaim that the presence of an audience can bring about added spontaneity and excitement that is difficult to achieve in a sterile studio environment. So far, my conclusion is that 1950s/60s Bernstein live is much more exciting and persuasive than Bernstein in the studio. (Of course, DG recorded Bernstein live from the 1970s and 80s where he broadened his tempi that works for many pieces, e.g., Brahms Fourth Symphony or Sibelius First Symphony with Vienna [my personal favorites], but not for others, e.g., Elgar's Enigma Variations [avoid at all costs!].)

I'm not sure if this 1962 live recording of Brahms's mighty Piano Concerto No. 1 helps support my conclusions about Bernstein's added vitality in the concert hall compared to the studio, however, as right off we have Bernstein's pre-performance pronouncement that this performance will have significantly broader tempi, yielding to the wishes of his soloist, Glenn Gould. While others have provided the background on the historic nature of this recording, I will only add that Bernstein's speech is actually quite witty, and the audience laughs and reacts with seeming anticipation. For me, it is episodes like this that make live recordings worthwhile! Repeated listening of this speech, however, could grow tiresome during casual listening.

My experience with Brahms's first Piano Concert has centered on two recordings, the Curzon/Szell/London Symphony recording on Decca and the Douglas/Sinaisky/USSR Academic Symphony (also live) on Melodiya. While this Gould/Bernstein recording is indeed slower than either of these other excellent recordings that I've enjoyed for years - evident right from the very opening bars of the first movement - it is not that exaggerated or very far outside the bounds of reason (some may even be disappointed by this!). In fact, the pace of the performance seems to foreshadow how Bernstein would evolve later in his career (as others have pointed out, this performance is actually a tad quicker than Bernstein's later DG recording with Zimerman). Gould's playing is contemplative and measured, but never ponderous nor lethargic by any means. At the end of the performance, the audience applauds enthusiastically with none of the reported booing (perhaps the applause is faded out beforehand). Gould claimed he appreciated the booing, sensing that he had made a provocative statement, which he preferred over complacent audience acceptance of his performance ideas.

Being a re-mastered radio broadcast, this recording is not stereo, and it suffers from a quite audible bronchially-congested audience. For purists and audiophiles of modern sound, these problems may make them dismiss this recording out of hand. However, the sound is very clear and ranks with the very best radio broadcast recordings I've heard from this vintage! I do recommend this recording to fans of either Bernstein or Gould and for those willing to survey historic and live performances that have marked important milestones or shaped the discourse of classical music. Indeed, this recording is still discussed on these pages and elsewhere. For me, it is more than just a curiosity and is enjoyable in its own right (given my interest in live recordings).

Before posting this review, I re-listened to the Curzon and Douglas recordings for some direct comparisons. Szell's opening of the first movement for Curzon is faster and more dramatic with a greater sense of forward movement so that the music's structure is better articulated. Curzon's Adagio (second movement) is actually more than two minutes longer than Gould's rendition. And of course, the great Decca sound (recorded a month after the Gould performance) is truly outstanding, even by today's digital recording standards. Douglas' live recording is even faster paced with the expected spontaneity and excitement of a live event with an audience that is amazingly quiet until their fervent applause at the end (indeed, this Melodiya recording is of Douglas' performance at the 8th International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition from July 3, 1986, in which he won the gold medal - clearly, an important milestone event!). I'm sure I'll be pulling the Gould recording off the shelf on occasion, but I'm not replacing either of my studio Curzon or live Douglas recordings anytime soon!

I give 5 stars to this performance despite poor broadcast recording quality & outrageous freedom the pianist takes tempo-wise. First, I'm not one of those blind Gould admires who give 5 stars to every recording he made. Secondly, I'm familiar with all great recordings of this concerto. What makes this performance truly great is Gould's audacity to break the traditional mold of how piano concerto should be played, and to bring forth completely new and creative conception of the music.

Although, before the performance, Bernstein comments on 'who is the boss' problem in concerto performance, Gould has no interest in dazzling display of piano part. Neither the conductor nor the pianist is the boss here, but the symphonic grandeur of the music itself takes centre stage. It almost sounds like Bruckner symphony with added piano part. The effect is curiously thrilling and deeply romantic as architectural beauty and subtlety of the piano part are more vividly captured in unusually slow tempo. I've never come across more delicate playing of the slow movement since I listen to Fleisher's magical account.

The most unfortunate thing about this recording is the disgraceful audience on their coughing campaign throughout 1st movement. They apparently did not heed what Bernstein said before the performance. They are the miserable narrow-minded kind who believes composer's markings are holy doctrine and denies any other possibilities of interpretations. This recording is a monument to remarkable open-mindedness of the conductor and bravery of the artist as well as a testimony to disgusting conservatism of classical music world in general.

This recording of Brahms's first Piano Concerto is not so unorthodox as Leonard Bernstein says in his famouns speech. The tempi are slow, but there are recordings even slower (like Zimmermann's with Bernstein, DG). But the Glenn Gould's Brahms sounds like Bach, as everything he played!

It must be said that is a live recording, and you can hear people coughing, speaking etc. But it is a enjoyable performance of this concerto.

Nelson Camargo from São Paulo, Brazil