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BRAHMS Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 • Stephen Hough (pn); Mark Wigglesworth, cond; Salzburg Mozarteum O • HYPERION 67961 (2 CDs: 9759)

Having only just reviewed a disappointing set of the Brahms piano concertos with Hélène Grimaud and Andris Nelsons for the last issue, I was very optimistic about this new set, given Stephen Houghʼs distinguished reputation and winning track record of outstanding recordings. My optimism was not only justified, it was repaid tenfold. So stunning are these performances and recordings, I am still awestruck and barely know where to begin describing them. First off, letʼs dispense with timings. In every movement but the finales of both concertos, Hough and Wigglesworth are faster than Grimaud and Nelsons, not by that much, mind you, but enough to give Hough and Wigglesworth an edge in forward momentum and thrust. But as Iʼve said so many times before, tempo is only one measure of our perception of the pace of a performance. Conductor Wigglesworth puts an interesting spin on Brahmsʼs Maestoso marking for the first movement of the First Concerto. Dignified, stately, and majestic, itʼs anything but. The orchestraʼs opening salvo—with its kettledrum roll and ff octave Ds in the horns, violas, and double basses, joined a bar later by the clarinets, bassoons, violins, and cellos—is like the bursting open of the gates of Hell and the unleashing of its fires upon the face of the Earth. Itʼs an apocalyptic vision that will startle you out of your seat. Iʼve never heard the beginning of this Concerto delivered with such a punishing punch to the solar plexus; it knocked the wind right out of me. In short order, itʼs followed by that inexpressibly sad, yet caressingly comforting, subsidiary theme, played with a feeling of such absolution it would melt stone. I have to admit that upon first receiving this release for review, I questioned how successful the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra would be in bringing off such a big, expansive, Romantic score, having previously tended to associate the ensemble with a modestly sized orchestra specializing in repertoire from the Classical period. My assumptions and doubts were ill-founded. At full force, the Salzburg band numbers 91 players, which are way more than necessary or what are called for by Brahmsʼs two piano concertos. In the First Concerto, woodwinds, brass, and timpani together add up to only 15, and even if you maximized the strings to say, 12, 12, 8, 8, and 4, youʼd still have fewer than 60 players. The Second Concerto uses the same complement of woodwinds, brass, and timpani, with one of the flutes doubling on piccolo. Neither of the concertos uses the trombones, contrabassoon, or tuba variously called for by Brahms in his symphonies. Here I am, well into this review, and I havenʼt even come yet to Stephen Hough. I just wanted to make clear first what phenomenal playing Mark Wigglesworth draws from the Mozarteum orchestra and what a fantastic interpreter of these Brahms scores he is. Is it too much to hope that he, the orchestra, and Hyperion will team up to record the symphonies? Hough, unsurprisingly, is a master of this domain. His well-received 1991 recording of the two concertos for Virgin Classics with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Andrew Davis established Houghʼs Brahms credentials, but those performances canʼt match the electrifying synergy that exists between Hough and Wigglesworth in these new versions. Houghʼs subtle rubato, nuanced Luftpausen, and building of long arches in ever upward spiraling dynamic calibrations lead with infallible intuition to Brahmsʼs sweeping climaxes. Both Hough, with his left hand, and Wigglesworth, coaxing the cellos and double basses with his baton, bring out Brahmsʼs almost Baroque-like ostinatos and recurring motivic fragments lurking deep in the lines below the surface in a way that not only make them audible, but further add to the sense of imposing structural integrity projected by these performances. Hough, as always, of course, is a real powerhouse of a player, with a commanding technique and indefatigable stamina that make him an ideal pianist for these two towering Romantic concertos. Iʼm surprised that Hyperion never got around to them as part of its “Romantic Piano Concerto” series. Where the B♭-Major Concerto is concerned, fairness demands that I note Wigglesworthʼs equally slow, drawn-out opening measures, the same metronomic anomaly I called attention to in my previous review of the Grimaud and Nelsons performance. I donʼt know where this particular practice arose or what justifies it, but I see nothing in the score that can square a tempo thatʼs practically Largo for the three quarter-notes and a triplet sounded by the first horn in measure one, with a tempo that takes off Allegro on the same three quarter-notes and a triplet in the full orchestra at the commencement of the big orchestral exposition 28 bars later, after the pianoʼs introductory cadenza. Thereʼs no change in the initial tempo marking of Allegro moderato or metronome indication of 92 to the quarter-note. I will say, though, that if you have to perpetuate this seemingly habitual misreading, Wigglesworth, the orchestraʼs first horn player (Willi Schwaiger, I presume), and Hyperionʼs recording engineer have conspired to create the most atmospheric projection of those opening horn calls Iʼve ever heard. With just the right amount of ambient reverberation, the effect is that of the alphorn echoing across alpine meadows in the TV commercial for Ricola cough drops. I know that may strike you funny, but I guarantee itʼs a sound that will instantly transport you to a place somewhere in the Swiss or Austrian Alps. Special commendation must also go to the orchestraʼs principal cellist, Marcus Pouget, for his rapturously played solo in the Second Concertoʼs third movement. Hough, of course, plays gloriously throughout, with thunderous fortes and pointed rhythmic accents in Brahmsʼs angst-ridden passages, and delicate whispers in the quiet, calm moments. There are too many recordings of these concertos in the catalog, some having significant historical interest, to say that these new ones from Hough, Wigglesworth, the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra, and Hyperion are the best ever to have graced the grooves, but I can definitely say that for the foreseeable future these are the performances of the Brahms piano concertos I shall be listening to before all others. Urgently recommended. Jerry Dubins

This article originally appeared in Issue 375 (May/June 2014) of Fanfare Magazine.

MusicWeb Review of Leon Fleisher &

Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 (1854/58) [4648] Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel for solo piano, Op. 24 (1861) [2510] Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83 (1878/81) [4726] 16 Waltzes for solo piano, Op. 39 (1864, arr. solo piano 1867) [1812] Leon Fleisher (piano) Cleveland Symphony Orchestra/Georg Szell rec. 21-22 February 1958 (Op. 15), 19-20 October 1962 (Op. 83) Severance Hall, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; 31 May, 1, 14 June, 5 July, 9, 17 August 1956, Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City, USA (Op.24); August 9th-17th 1956, Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City, USA (Op. 39). ADD SONY CLASSICAL MASTERWORKS HERITAGE MH2K 63225 [7205 + 6544] Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 (1854/58) [5143] Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83 (1878/81) [5144] 7 Fantasias for solo piano, Op. 116 (1892) [2144] Emil Gilels (piano) Orchestra/Eugen Jochum rec. June 1972, Jesus Christ Church, Dahlem, Berlin, Germany (Op. 15, 83); September 1975, Concert Hall, Turku, Finland (Op. 116). ADD 447 446-2 [5143 + 7337]

There are a large number of recordings of the Brahms piano concertos. It can be quite bewildering as well as time-consuming choosing the finest available versions. For my recommendation I have settled on established accounts from two eminent pianists: the American Leon Fleisher on Sony and Ukrainian-born Emil Gilels on Deutsche Grammophon. Fleisher was born in 1928 in San Francisco and was in his early to mid-thirties when he made these recordings. Released on the CBS Epic label (now Sony) they were made four years apart at Clevelandʼs Severance Hall: the First in 1958 and the Second in 1962. Szell was Hungarian by birth and raised in Austria. He was one of a group of Hungarian-born conductors who made such an impact on American musical life including Dorati, Reiner and Ormandy. From his appointment as music director in 1946 Szell moulded the Cleveland players into one of Americaʼs finest orchestras. Fleisher first performed with Szell in 1946 at Ravinia with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra playing Brahmsʼ First Concerto. In the booklet notes Fleisher explains that he recorded the First Concerto on two different , “my piano CD199 [Note: Steinway], having been delayed en route from New York by a snowstorm, arrived only in time to be used for the second and third movements.” The Fleisher disc also includes impressive solo piano performances of the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24 and the set of 16 Waltzes, Op. 39. They were both recorded in 1956 with mono sound at the Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City.

Emil Gilels, born in 1916 at Odessa in the Ukraine, was aged fifty-five when he recorded the Brahms Piano Concertos in 1972 at the Jesus Christ Church in Berlin Dahlem - a renowned recording venue which is still in high demand today. Jochum was steeped in the Austro-German tradition and was thought of as a specialist of Bruckner and Brahms. Bavarian-born, he was the first chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra holding that post for 11 years from 1949. In the Deutsche Grammophon booklet the recording engineer Klaus Scheibe wrote that Gilels knew the Second Concerto extremely well and had already recorded it prior to these 1972 sessions. However, he had, “hardly ever played the First Concerto and needed some persuasion to undertake it.” One might have expected Karajan, so prolific in the recording studio, to have taken the baton for these recordings not Jochum. Interestingly Karajan recorded the Second Concerto a number of times but never made ventured the First Concerto. In an interview that Jochum gave not long before his death in 1987 he singled out these Brahms recordings with Gilels for particular praise. My set on Deutsche Grammophon 447 446-2 also includes Gilelsʼs sensitive performances of the Brahms 7 Fantasias for solo piano, Op. 116. These he recorded in 1975 at the Turku Concert Hall in Finland.

Brahms started writing the three movement First Concerto in 1854 around the time of the suicide attempt by his friend and mentor . It was Brahmsʼs first large-scale work for orchestra and had its origins in the first movement of a Sonata in D minor for Two pianos. It would be another seventeen years before Brahms was to complete his First Symphony. The D minor Concerto was introduced in January 1859 at Hanover with Brahms as soloist and Joseph Joachim . Szell and the Clevelanders on Sony Masterworks Heritage provide a thrilling orchestral introduction to commence the massive and dramatic first movement Maestoso. It just throbs with ferocity. One immediately notices how Fleisher strikes the keys with fluidity and often tenderness. The glorious lyrical theme with Fleisher playing alone is spine-tingling, delicate and intimate. Occurring just prior to the recapitulation the first theme is as angry as a storm at sea with the second dance-like and soft in mood. There is rock-solid playing throughout from both soloist and orchestra. Surprisingly the virtuosic coda felt squally rather than stormy. On DG the Maestoso of Jochumʼs orchestral opening sounds suitably angry but not quite as fierce as Szell. Jochum noticeably slows the pace before allowing it to erupt with great drama. Jochumʼs tempi fluctuate markedly throughout and he takes three minutes longer than Szell. Gilelsʼ finger-work feels a touch deliberate and not quite as poetic as that of Fleisher. In the coda Gilels and Jochum supply impressive drama. In the Adagio Fleisher provides highly expressive playing of a meditative almost reverential quality. Everything is shaped with absolute care. Gilels offers a searching performance of the Adagio that feels slower than Fleisher although has virtually the same timing. Gilels is suitably contemplative although I wasnʼt entirely happy with his articulation which at times felt rather uneven. The final movement - a Rondo - Allegro non troppo - sees Fleisher playing the syncopated rhythms swiftly with great purpose. He robustly brings out the nervous anxiety of the writing. With an interpretation of extremely high quality Gilels elects to take the music at a noticeably slower pace with marginally less vigour.

It was more than twenty-two years later when Brahms completed his Second Concerto. Much of the writing was undertaken at his Austrian holiday home in the Alpine resort of Pörtschach am Wörthersee on the shore of Lake Wörth. The score was completed in January 1881 and premièred in November that year in Budapest under the baton of Alexander Erkel with Brahms as soloist. Cast in four movements the Second Concerto is very different from the First Concerto being more symphonic in nature and just as challenging for performers.

On Sony the terse and rather angry piano part of the opening movement Allegro non troppo is interpreted briskly and responsively by Fleisher. After the recapitulation Fleisherʼs figuration is fluid, just overflowing with colour. I was struck by the strong sense of tension generated by Szell and the Clevelanders and the elevated degree of drama in the coda. In the DG account with the Berlin Phil the short weeping horn solo that opens the score is beautifully in tune. Using the wisdom of many yearsʼ experience Gilels conveys considerable tone colour even if his playing lacks Fleisherʼs spontaneity. Seemingly effortless technical command by Fleisher in the Scherzo displays impressive dynamics. Thereʼs also a masterly rubato that feels so instinctive. This is serious, forceful and stormy playing. I found the conclusion beautifully realised with a wealth of drama. Gilelsʼs reading of the challenging Scherzo feels urgent and hard driven yet secure. Jochum ensures that the orchestral section at the conclusion conveys breathtaking excitement. In the Andante the song-like cello solo played by Jules Eskin - the Cleveland principal - pulses with intense sadness. I loved Fleisherʼs introspection. His playing is imbued with a sense of longing that contrasts beautifully with the disconcertion and windswept conversation of the writing. In Jochumʼs account the prominent cello part played by Ottomar Borwitzky initially sounded rather pallid. The playing is brisker than that of Eskin before he slows down to display a desirable yearning quality. Gilels is achingly tender - quite beguiling with an engrossing central section of tension and anger. In Fleisherʼs hands the final Allegretto grazioso is delightfully playful. Itʼs almost impudent with the Cleveland orchestra revelling in such joyful writing. Fleisher is an assured player and makes short work of the broad rhythmic contrasts and the splendid succession of memorable themes. At first Fleisherʼs coda is vivacious and carefree before speeding up and building to a satisfying conclusion. Gilelsʼs buoyant playing feels so fresh and fluid providing impressive lyricism and a wide palette of colour. Gilelsʼs coda is good-humoured and imparts a gratifying ending to this marvellous score. I always feel that Brahms was leading me to expect a conclusion of angst-ridden drama instead of one that is so good natured.

Some listeners have not been entirely happy with the sound quality of Fleisherʼs accounts especially in the Second Concerto. I am not of that persuasion and have no major reservations over the sound in either of the concertos. Although not perfect in terms of clarity and balance I found Fleisherʼs playing to be well recorded. The mono sound of Fleisherʼs solo piano scores from 1956 at the Columbia Studio in New York City is not quite as clear as that accorded to his Concertos although in no way did I feel that this detracted from my listening pleasure. Gilelsʼs sound quality in the concertos is well balanced and reasonably clear without being exceptional. The 7 Fantasias were successfully recorded. I found this playing extremely impressive over the two Brahms Concertos however my principal recommendation must go to Leon Fleisher whose majestic performances have greater drama and poetic slow movements. He is pacier in the faster movements with a wider range of dynamic and additional power.

Michael Cookson

My principal recommendation must go to Fleisher whose majestic performances have greater drama and poetry. Editor's note It should be noted that these are not new re-issues - the review has been written so that Musicweb International has commentary on two of the legendary recordings of these concertos.