Brahms: Piano Music, Op. 116-119 [Hybrid SACD] [Hybrid SACD - DSD]

Johannes Brahms (Composer), Elisabeth Leonskaja (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Elisabeth Leonskaja
• Composer: Johannes Brahms
• Audio CD (May 23, 2006)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Hybrid SACD - DSD
• Label: MD&G Records
• ASIN: B000EF7ZS6
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #506,510 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Capriciccio. Presto Energico

2. Intermezzo. Andante

3. Capriccio. Allegro Passionato

4. Intermezzo. Adagio

5. Intermezzo. Andante Con Grazia Ed Intimissimo Sentimento

6. Intermezzo. Andantino Teneramente

7. Capriccio. Allegro Agitato

8. Andante Moderato

9. Andante Non Troppo E Con Molta Espressione

10. Andante Con Moto

11. Intermezzo. Allegro Non Assai, Ma Molto Appassionato

12. Intermezzo. Andante Teneramente

13. Ballade. Allegro Engerico

14. Iintermezzo. Allegretto Un Poco Agitato

15. Romanze. Andante

16. Intermezzo. Andante, Largo E Mesto

17. Intermezzo. Adagio

18. Intermezzo. Andantino Un Poco Agitato

19. Intermezzo. Grazioso E Giocoso

20. Rhapsodie. Allegro Risoluto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cold, austere, December 28, 2007

By 

William Patry (Stamford, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brahms: Piano Music, Op. 116-119 [Hybrid SACD] (Audio CD)

I purchased this in order to see how these most beautiful of pieces would sound in SACD. The sound is excellent, although to me there a bit too much of what sounds like echo, which may be the result of the room in which the recording was made. (The label justifiably prides itself in the purity of its recording process).

My problem is with the performances, which while technically outstanding, to me come off as cold, austere. They lack the melancholy and deep passion that are the essence of the pieces. They sound like prose instead of the poetry they are, a particular problem for Opus 119. There are some unusual tempi too, like in Opus 116, No. 5, which has a strange retard that comes off sound like a hobby-horse.

Those who love Ms. Leonskaja may well love this disc, but I didn't and really wanted to.