A + on All Counts
Andre Gauthier | 10/09/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Read this part of my comments if you read nothing else. This CD looks as though it has Emil Gilels playing the Brahms 2nd concerto with Geza Anda playing the Ballades Op. 10. I assumed this when I bought the CD seeing the Brahms Concerto as the first piece and Gilels listed as the first pianist. Of course, had I looked more carefully I would have seen that the conductor's name, Ferenc Fricsay, was next to Anda's name at the very bottom. Ah well, don't be confused. Anda plays the concerto and Gilels the smaller solo pieces.
I am a lover of the work of Friscay from way back and his early death at the age of 49 in 1963 robbed the world of one of the truly great Hungarian conductors. A student of Bartok and Kodaly, the conductor was just becoming a well known and recorded figure when he passed away. I have several very fine recordings of his, some of them operas, and almost all with the Berlin Philharmonic. They always give away his signature rhythm and expansiveness. This Brahms Second Piano Concerto is no different. He guides it with a sensibility that reminds me of Jochum although his effort has a bit more give and take in it. He and Jochum share an ultra-legato approach to Brahms.
The playing of Geza Anda is the big surprise to me. I don't know his work well, I'm a bit embarrassed to say, (I did grow up listening to his Mozart concerti) but I'm certainly going to do some more research after hearing this concerto. This is truly one of the finest recordings of the piece I've ever heard, and is every bit the equal of Gilels with both Reiner on RCA and Jochum on DGG (that is a very high standard indeed!). He plays with a rich, bronze sound, and takes his time about things, although he can go as fast as he wants given the choice. The Berlin Philharmonic has never sounded more beautiful on any recording that comes to mind. This is DGG before they started to make everything sound the same for von Karajan. The 1961 stereo is congealed in a way that causes all the choirs of the orchestra to mix perfectly. I'd be hard pressed to find another recording with so many positive aspects to it, period.
The ballades, from 1976, are played with Gilels' singular insight into this composer. So many recordings of these pieces are just straight and dull. Sometimes Gilels can get a bit slow here and there, but it doesn't really matter. He is such a master of voicing and of the harmonic language of Brahms that you really should own these for the gems they turn out to be. I found this for $6.50 or so in the used section. It appears completely new to me. A fantastic bargain.
"
Exceptional Brahms all around
Joey Joe Joe Jr. Shabadoo | Boston, MA USA | 02/19/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I really don't have much to add to the previous reviewers sentiments, as I agree completely on all fronts. This truly is one of the finest Brahms concertos available, and the biggest surprise is that it's not better known. Anda is on top of his game in the concerto, and Fricsay's sensitive accompaniment is in complete rapport with his soloist. These two collaborated on a Bartok concerto cycle that is still considered a benchmark. I would rate this Brahms 2 on par with the great versions by Gilels/Jochum, Backhaus/Bohm and Fleisher/Szell, most closely resembling the Gilels DGG account in terms of tempi and phrasing. Gilels also appears on this disc, playing the op. 10 ballades. It's a pity Gilels recorded so little of Brahms' solo piano output, as his poetic, monumental playing style proves to reveal much insight into these works.
The sound here is very good on all fronts. The Concerto, recorded in 1960 at Jesus-Christus kirche in Berlin - which possessed a wonderful acoustic - really sounds very good for its age, although it hasn't been remastered. The Ballades, recorded in 1976, sound great as well. High-quality analog all around, if slightly bright. The booklet is, truth be told, somewhat worthless unfortunately. Oh well. The performances more than make up for it.
This is a great disc. While Gilels achieved a measure of fame in his lifetime, Fricsay and Anda are largely forgotten, and wrongfully so. Each were remarkably talented, Fricsay a rising star and Anda a great virtuoso in his day. Had Fricsay not died so young he would be a household name today, and unfortunately Anda's prime mostly spanned the pre-Stereo era. Don't miss this inexpensive little disc, as it turns out to contain some of the best Brahms around. Highly recommended.
FYI, the Brahms concerto is also available in remastered form on the Geza Anda compilation entitled Troubadour of the Piano, however it's out of print and rather expensive at this point."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1