Piano Concerto No 2 [Import]

The Second Piano Concerto of Brahms, which the composer wrote a quarter of a century after No. 1, is perhaps the longest of its type in the active repertoire, coming in at just over fifty minutes. It takes a great deal of skill to navigate this sizeable work. Andre Watts is the pianist with that kind of skill, as is aptly demonstrated in this 1968 recording of the concerto with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. Watts and Bernstein make for a good partnership here; and Watts' own playing, particularly in the tricky and violent scherzo and the almost Mozartean final movement, is superlative. Bernstein's conducting and the performance by the New York Philharmonic is at its world-class best.

Rounding out this recording is Bernstein's 1971 essay of the work that gave Brahms the impetus to work on symphonic essays--the "Variations On A Theme By Haydn." Although it has been established that the theme Brahms thought to be by Franz Joseph Haydn (supposedly from a wind divertimento in B Flat) is probably by someone else, that does not diminish the popularity of this twenty minute-long work. As usual with Bernstein's golden years with the New York Philharmonic, his interpretation of the Haydn Variations is top-notch.

Highly recommended for all classical music lovers.

Bernstein and Watts here turn in a subtle, nuanced performance of Brahms' 2nd Piano Concerto. The NY Phil under Bernstein's direction provides excellent accompaniment. Watts doesn't proceed with reckless abandon - tempos are relaxed except for the second movement, where Bernstein and Watts move things up a notch. Watts' playing highlights the lyricism and underspoken points of the piano part. Balance between soloist and orchestra is excellent and, overall, the sound quality is generally good for a recording made at Avery Fisher in 1968.

The Haydn Variations make a nice filler and are also played with the same lyricism evident in the Concerto.

This particular disc is not one often mentioned in the same breath as Fleischer/Szell, Gilels/Jochum, and Pollini/Abbado, but it definitely has something to offer. Brahmsians take note!

André Watts joined Leonard Bernstein in this recording of the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in 42 years ago 1968 at a point in time when the young Watts at age 22 was approaching the height of his popularity with American Orchestras. After hearing the now older André Watts in performance with Bramwell Tovey and the LA Philharmonic giving his current interpretation of this fiendishly difficult and very long concerto it is fascinating to return to this fine recording now, thankfully, held in the library as the popular Royal Edition. This recording finds Watts more eloquent and more in touch with the dreamlike qualities that Brahms so eloquently placed in the concerto as contrasts to the demanding pyrotechnics that mark the majority of the work. Bernstein provides a similar approach to the piece as Watts and the result is a smooth, if not always convincingly involved performance. At the present André Watts is more a firebrand than this earlier performance would indicate. He now storms through the rapid passages like a locomotive at full steam, filling the hall with thunderous sound - if with some inexact playing. Yet when he reaches the third movement 'duet' with the cello he is as soulful as the performance on this recording, and he even seems to be more sensitive to the partnership with the cellist instead of trumping the limelight. So if listeners are able to hear a contemporary performance of this great piano concerto at the hands of André Watts they will hear the best of both versions!

Bernstein gives a taught and thoughtful reading of the 'Variations on a Theme of Haydn' that fills out this CD, and this performance continues to be one to treasure even when compared to the many fine recordings by other 'more Brahmsian' conductors. This recording is a fine one to won, especially at the very reduced price that accompanies all of the Royal Edition recordings placed back on the shelves by Sony Records. Grady Harp, January 10