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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Of The Finest Recordings Of Brahms' 2nd Piano Concerto,
By
This review is from: Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 / Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 (Audio CD)
I am grateful to Decca for combining both recordings of the final piano concerti composed by Brahms and Mozart; the Brahms is one of the finest I have heard. Wilhelm Backhaus demonstrate why he was one of the most acclaimed pianists of his generation, performing with much power, yet capable of ample tenderness when the score demanded it. I'm greatly impressed with his superb technical brilliance, which he maintains throughout both dramatic performances. In Karl Bohm he found a superb accompanist, who leads the Vienna Philharmonic in one of its usual warm, vibrant performances. There is ample splendid chemistry amongst Backhaus, Bohm and the orchestra. And yes, the sound quality is surprisingly superb, inspite of the age of the original analogue recordings.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Defintely One of the Very Best Brahms,
By BLee "bpslee" (HK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 / Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 (Audio CD)
I would echo what the other reviewer said of this record: this is definitely one of the best Brahms if not the very best. And this is so on the account of both the painist and the conductor. Meanwhile, I have heard a few other perfomances side by side including Arrau/Haitink, Gilels/Jochum, Brendel/Hintink and even Karin Lechner/Marturet etc.
This was not the only collaboration between Backhaus and Bohm even on Brahms No. 2. Here Bohm is most extraordinary, not only his Brahms but also his Mozart, so that both pieces in both parts are equally inspiring. The balance between the piano and orchestra is by far the best and there is a special chesmistry between the two, so that there is a lot of poetry on top of music. Suffice to say that this record offers a most gratifying musical experience that is now almost extinct. There is a saying that if we are looking for excitement from Brahms, one should turn to his Hungarian music, or perhaps to a lesser degree his No. 1 Piano Concerto written some twenty earlier, at a time when Schumann passed away and he himself in a turmoil. No. 2 we is essentially involved with the inspirations he incepted from the beauty of the Alps when he was approaching 50: when he was steady and mature enough. Well, perhaps such background doesn't show, and doesn't count at all: great music is open to all kinds of interpretation after all. Yet in view of such a background, criticism against Arrau's tempo or overall approach is hardly sustainable. The truth is, the performance as quoted is most satisfying, a perfect model for exams and competitions. Note particularly his beautiful tone, and his phrasings, so much so that all his notes are meaningful, each one of them, quite ready for first instance digestion. There was renowned Russian conductor who found Richter "oppressive" and in Arrau a living Brahms years after he had accompanied both pianists on Brahms. Gilels wasn't quite as "oppressive" as Richter albeit both were demanding, each in their own way. But the emphasis on the whole range as well as on each and every voice on the piano, armed with his sheer masculinity. That often put Jochum in a awkward position. Being a authoritative Bruchnerian, Jochum knew full well what this masculinity is about. Probably he did not quite agree with the pianist, and he was so busy rounding off such effects with the orchestra- and he has done it with so much grace. With respect, Brendel/Haitink is the least satisfying of all, that is to say including Karin, who simply lacks masculinity. However, take note that not everyone would readily appreciate Backhaus' greatness right away. His playing ( or recreation if you like) often baffles you at first, posing a lot of questions to you. It at first puzzles one as to why Mozart Concerto no. 27 was to be played that way, and even more so his Brahms. And the result is, we have to go deeper and deeper into the score and the background etc. But the remastered sound is really superb so that you will clearly hear the grandioso sound of the Bosendorfer he was playing, and you will note the subtle balance of his left hand part and when the pedel was on and the effects that he was painting etc. It is also noteworthy that Martha Argerich (Gulda's pupil), after she has become one of the world's top most pianist, remarked that she particularly found Backhaus amongst all recorded masters of the piano instructive ( not Rubinstein, not Richter.) And Idel Biret ( famous Naxos artist & Kempff's pupil) finds Backhaus' Brahms the golden yardstick. Last but not the least, the record is IN STEREO. So are Backhaus' Decca Beethoven Sonatas ( all with the exception of one ). The recorded sound of the sonatas are almost, but not quite as good as this one as remastered.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A magisterial and authoritative performance of consummate Brahms,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 / Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 (Audio CD)
This disc contains 2 concertos in the same key (B flat major) by Mozart and Brahms, performed by Wilhelm Backhaus on piano, with Karl Böhm conducting Wiener Philharmonker. The performance of Mozart's B flat concerto might not be everybody's favorite; it is an earnest and sincere performance nonetheless. The real treasure of this disc, in my opinion, is the Brahms B flat concerto.
Allow me to make a bold and personal statement: I have never heard any Brahms concerto performance (live or on record) which comes close to this recording in its grace and charm, and above all its understated yet overwhelming emotional power. Both the piano and orchestra playing are absolutely marvelous. However, what makes this recording so special was that some "miracle" seemed to have happened during the recording session: The piano and orchestra sounds are completely meshed with each other, and the music making seemed to come from a "whole". The excellent sound engineering and masterful transfer all add to the whole experience. This is a performance I worn out 2 audio cassettes (in grade school) before getting a CD. -- There is no way I can describe the "experience" in words. You have to experience it yourself! ---------- Backhaus performed in seventy seasons, and established himself as one of the greatest German pianists. However, English speaking countries (notably U.S. and U.K.) have curiously not warmed up to him. He met with Brahms and heard him conduct both his piano concertos with d'Albert (Backhaus's teacher) as soloist. This performance is not Gardiner's "revolutionary Brahms". It is, on the other hand, Teutonic tradition at its finest. Bachkaus would die 2 years after this recording was made. This recording, together with some of his Beethoven recordings, is a testament of his pianism. By the way, this has a sister version Brahms: Piano Concerto No.2/Mozart: Piano Concerto No.27, but they are both discontinued. Grab either one of them while they are still available. My highest recommendation.
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