Search - Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, Antoni Wit :: Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2; Schumann: Introduction & Allegro appassionato

Excellent Brahms Concerto

Gregory C. Dyer | Downingtown, PA USA | 01/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At any price, this recording of Brahms' second piano concerto is first rate. Most importantly, Biret's performance brings out the struggle and passion in the music. Biret is not ultra slick on the keyboard; however, this isn't a negative quality in keyboard music that is not very idiomatic in the first place. She personifies the Romantic conflict at the heart of the piece through her interpretation, which in turn highlights the minute details of the piano writing. Wit and his orchestra play their part as well, from the luscious openning horn solo to the last bars of the finale. Wit takes slower tempos, which may offend some listeners. However, the slower tempos more often than not tend to expand the epic nature of the score and allow the listener to absorb the beauty of the orchestration. The PNRSO may not be a major orchestra, but its performance is on par with what one would expect from a major orchestra. Even the sound engineering is spectacular, rendering a perfect balance between piano and orchestra in a crystal clear recording. As an added bonus, there is the Schumann Introduction and Allegro Appassionato for piano and orchestra. It really doesn't compare to the concerto musically, but it fills out an already superb disk very nicely. If you can find this disk, buy it."