Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3; Brahms: Rhapsodies; Intermezzo

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
It is a pity that Van Cliburn's various recordings of this music have not been consolidated on a single CD, for they are among his best efforts. There is warmth in his manner, which comes out in supple, graceful phrasing, and remarkable beauty of tone and touch. These are lyrical readings that project a deep sense of nostalgia, even if the melancholy is not as bleak as in Glenn Gould's utterly northern accounts. --Ted Libbey

Tracks:

Con No.3, Op.37 in c: Allegro con brio - The Philadelphia Orch/Eugene Ormady
Con No.3, Op.37 in c: Largo - The Philadelphia Orch/Eugene Ormady
Con No.3, Op.37 in c: Rondo: Allegro - The Philadelphia Orch/Eugene Ormady
Rhap, Op.79, No.1 in b
Rhap, Op.79, No.2 in g
Intermezzo, Op.118, No.1 in a
Intermezzo, Op.118, No.2 in A
Ballade, Op.118, No.3 in g
Capriccio, Op.116, No.3 in g
Intermezzo, Op.116, No.6 in E

Amazon.com

It is a pity that Van Cliburn's various recordings of this music have not been consolidated on a single CD, for they are among his best efforts. There is warmth in his manner, which comes out in supple, graceful phrasing, and remarkable beauty of tone and touch. These are lyrical readings that project a deep sense of nostalgia, even if the melancholy is not as bleak as in Glenn Gould's utterly northern accounts. --Ted Libbey

The Rubinstein Collection (Limited Edition) [Box Set]

Average customer rating:

There were greater talents.
This Is No Lesson in Economics...
CLASSICAL MUSIC AT ITS MOST EXPENSIVE (AND BEST)
It's actually not so expensive
A Superb Reissue

The Rubinstein Collection (Limited Edition) [Box Set]

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00001O2XZ
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Amazon.com

A retail price of $1,600 for a box set? Granted, it's not something most of us can afford. But, for piano buffs and fans of Artur Rubinstein, this mammoth limited-edition 94-CD set might be an investment to consider. For starters, BMG has collected all of the approved studio recordings of Rubinstein (including 200 or so that have never been on CD) and added a handful of previously unreleased recordings and some interviews. The lot has been remastered for this collection using the latest technology (RCA's disc-and-a-half Highlights sampler actually showcases some of the more dramatic remasterings)--a good thing, when you consider that many of these master tapes have a lifetime's worth of surface noise. You get a lavishly illustrated book with essays and photographs and a nice case to store the works; everything but the credit plan is included, really. Of course, it's up to you to decide whether you want 706 recordings of 347 pieces played by the same great pianist. And, though owning Rubinstein's three complete cycles of Beethoven's concertos might sound tempting, will you really listen to each of them? Probably not, but if you need 'em, here they are. (His Chopin cycles, on the other hand, you will listen to repeatedly!) It's easily one of the most impressive and comprehensive box sets that classical music has seen: a true career overview with excellent remastering and handsome packaging that reflects the collection's price tag (unlike some box sets that are just that: CDs in boxes). Do you need it? Probably not. Will you want it? You bet. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

There were greater talents........2005-05-30

I must confess that I hate Rubinstein's sound as a pianist, but his dedication and verve were notable. Think though of Claudio Aurru's gifts, remarkable... I feel that to love Rubinstein one must love a world of safe emotional borders and sameness; sorry A.R fans. jb

This Is No Lesson in Economics..........2004-10-10

It is a natural tendency when reviewing items in this price-point to contemplate cost-effectiveness first and foremost. Considering that CDs have no nutritional value and cannot keep kids off crack, I am uncomfortable recognizing, much less crossing, some line in the sand where space ordinarily reserved for record-reviews must yield to amateur musings on the evils of conspicuous consumption or macroeconomic conceptions of social justice. Let's assume for the moment that this box set is free, removing from our purview the materialistic thrill or global economic blight one might seek and/or wish to stave off in purchasing it.

Rubinstein's "official" recorded output is astounding. It spans 5 decades, and encompasses significant forays into the oeuvre of dozens of composers. Though technique is generally expected to decline with age, few pianists live to be 96 years old. Rubinstein the pianist and Rubinstein the musician reached their highest collective summit when Rubinstein the man was well into his 60s. The "late-bloomer" aspect of his career places a considerable quorum of his most polished recordings squarely within the stereo era. Some of this material had made its way onto CD prior to this release, most notably his Chopin. Unfortunately, Rubinstein's well-deserved public acclaim as Chopin's supreme torchbearer unjustly limits his reputation along "expresio unius est exclusio alterius" lines. For example, though Rubinstein chose to record only a small handful of Beethoven sonatas, it is doubtful that one might hear them better played, even by his Beethoven specialist contemporaries Schnabel and Kempff. Rubinstein also ardently championed French and Spanish music, and is said to have loved performing Brahms most of all. This release places many of his most accomplished recordings before the ears of the listening public for the first time since their original release on vinyl.

I am frequently intoxicated by the earliest recordings from the 30s and 40s. Some of them, like his first traversal of the Chopin scherzi, are bite-your-nails-til-they-bleed thrilling. On the other hand, the initial limitations of the recording process required this (and every) pianist to make bothersome compromises with respect to tempi and dynamics at times. Ultimately, it comes down to personal taste. I am more consistently drawn to Rubinstein the wise-master than Rubinstein the young Turk.

RCA invested undisclosed sums of time and money into restoring, remixing, and remastering all of the recordings for this release. Some of the earlier recordings have been available on CD for quite some time (e.g. Chopin's Op. 28 Preludes, the Ormandy/Philadelphia Grieg concerto). Despite the intervention of acoustical restorationist-par-excellence Ward Marston, the remastering undertaken in the course of this project has not dramatically improved the sound on these releases. Short of traveling several decades into the past and placing more sensitive microphones in more strategic locations, there was probably little else that could have been done. Marston's brilliance is far more obvious in restoring to near original luster many deteriorating tape recordings from the late 40s and early 50s. The stereo recordings also sound fuller.

I am pleased with my purchase because having access (and, most importantly, having listened to) all of these recordings is a moving experience. It allows me to contemplate this extraordinary artist as a man, whose performance is inevitably colored by the accumulation of experience, the expanding flexibility of the recording process, the onset of maturity, and (perhaps sadly) declining physical powers. There are multiple recordings of most pieces in this collection, but I rarely find it difficult to cull a favorite among them. At this point, I play some of the records frequently, and others rarely. If your aim is to hear Rubinstein at his best, this set provides the resources you need to make what are at turns obvious, and others hopelessly personal choices. This set includes detailed (and mostly newly written) liner notes for each record as a well as an engaging hardcover book providing no fewer than 3 complete indices to the recordings (by date of recording, Composer, and Volume number). The box itself is a work of art, looks stunning on a shelf, and never requires polishing. Most of the 81 volumes are sold separately, and have been made available for download on the Apple Music Store.

While I will not claim that Rubinstein's interpretations are equally effective, I cannot think of any other pianist, now living or forever deceased, who could approach such a broad repertoire with the unwaivering technical finesse and prophetic musicianship evident in the bulk of his recorded output. If you never see the likes of a "Rubinstein Collection" on the shelf again, do not dismiss it as another textbook illustration of price elasticity. To do so is to dwell on on the vagaries of consumerism when the more important issue is that the next Rubinstein may never be.

CLASSICAL MUSIC AT ITS MOST EXPENSIVE (AND BEST).......2003-05-30

You have two choices: Starve the kids or skip the mortgage payments for a month or two. How else can you afford this 94 (!) disc set that captures every studio recording the classical icon ever recorded. Trust us: The kids are fat enough.

It's actually not so expensive.......2001-06-06

Provided you have the time, listening to this collection not only helps you better appreciate Rubinstein's supreme talent but also gives you some idea of his unfolding genius--how his technique and interpretation changed through the years. There's enough room in music for every kind of interpretation, as long as you take the music first, and all the interpretations Rubinstein offered are interesting. Of course this set is expensive, but it's nearly 100 CDs plus liner notes, so the price is not that bad. Besides, if you decide to really listen to this set the way it deserves, it's going to be years before you buy another CD.

A Superb Reissue.......2000-04-30

A friend of mine was able to aquire the Rubinstein Collection and I have been borrowing from it liberally.

RCA deserves to be commended on going the extra mile and releasing ALL of the authorized Rubinstein recordings, well organized and superbly remastered in this comprehensive edition. Hopefully, RCA will also release the individual volumes for those who are not completists or who simply cannot afford the entire set. True, this set is at full price. A source who was connected with this reissure has told me that RCA planned to issue the set at mid price, but the cost of this mammoth edition went far overbudget--and the full price was dictated by their production costs. Certainly, the money was well spent. The ramastering, particularly in the earlier recordings, must be heard to be believed. The packaging, documentation, and liner notes are all first class.

It is fascinating to trace Rubinstein's evolution as an interpreter--from the devil-may-care early days through the mature recordings of the 1950s, into the 1970s, when his playing on record tended to be a bit cautions.

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 1 In C. Major Op. 1: Allegro
Piano Sonata No. 1 In C. Major Op. 1: Andante (nach einem alteutschen Minneliede)
Piano Sonata No. 1 In C. Major Op. 1: Scherzo: Allegro molto e con fuoco
Piano Sonata No. 1 In C. Major Op. 1: Finale: Allegro molto e con fuoco
Piano Sonata No. 2 In F Sharp Minor Op. 2: Allegro no troppo, ma energico
Piano Sonata No. 2 In F Sharp Minor Op. 2: Andante con espressione
Piano Sonata No. 2 In F Sharp Minor Op. 2: Scherzo: Allegro
Piano Sonata No. 2 In F Sharp Minor Op. 2: Finale: Introduzione (Sostenuto) - Allegro no troppo e rubato

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 3 In F Minor, Op. 5: Allegro maestoso
Piano Sonata No. 3 In F Minor, Op. 5: Andantae espressivo
Piano Sonata No. 3 In F Minor, Op. 5: Scherzo: Allegro energico
Piano Sonata No. 3 In F Minor, Op. 5: Intermezzo: Andante molto
Piano Sonata No. 3 In F Minor, Op. 5: Finale: Allegro moderato ma rubato
Ballades, Op. 10: No. 1 In D Minor: Andante
Ballades, Op. 10: No. 2 In D Minor: Andante
Ballades, Op. 10: No. 3 In B Minor: Intermezzo, Allegro
Ballades, Op. 10: No. 4 In B Major: Andante con moto

Tracks:

Klavierstucke, Op. 76: No. 1 Capriccio In F. Sharp Minor
Klavierstucke, Op. 76: No. 2 Capriccio In B Minor
Klavierstucke, Op. 76: No. 3 Intermezzo In A Flat Major
Klavierstucke, Op. 76: No. 4 Intermezzo In B Flat Major
Klavierstucke, Op. 76: No. 5 Capriccio In C Sharp Minor
Klavierstucke, Op. 76: No. 6 Intermezzo In A Major
Klavierstucke, Op. 76: No. 7 Intermezzo In A Minor
Klavierstucke, Op. 76: No. 8 Capriccio In C Major
Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79: No. 1 In B Minor
Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79: No. 2 In G Minor
Fantasies, Op. 116: No. 1 Capriccio In D Minor
Fantasies, Op. 116: No. 2 Intermezzo In A Minor
Fantasies, Op. 116: No. 3 Capriccio In G Minor
Fantasies, Op. 116: No. 4 Intermezzo In E Major
Fantasies, Op. 116: No. 5 Intermezzo In E Minor
Fantasies, Op. 116: No. 6 Intermezzo In E Major
Fantasies, Op. 116: No. 7 Capriccio In D Minor

Tracks:

Three Intermezzi, Op. 117: No. 1 In E Flat Major: Andante moderato
Three Intermezzi, Op. 117: No. 2 In B Flat Minor: Andante non troppo e con molto espressione
Three Intermezzi, Op. 117: No. 3 In C Sharp Minor: Andante con moto
Klavierstucke, Op. 118: Intermezzo In A Minor: Allegro non assai, ma molto appassionato
Klavierstucke, Op. 118: Intermezzo In A Major: Andante teneramente
Klavierstucke, Op. 118: Ballade In G Minor: Allegro energico
Klavierstucke, Op. 118: Intermezzo In F Minor: Allegretto un poco agitato
Klavierstucke, Op. 118: Romanze In F Major: Andante
Klavierstucke, Op. 118: Intermezzo In E Flat Minor: Andante - Largo e mesto
Klavierstucke, Op. 119: Intermezzo In B Minor: Adagio
Klavierstucke, Op. 119: Intermezzo In E Minor: Andantino un poco agitato
Klavierstucke, Op. 119: Intermezzo In C Major: Grazioso e giocoso
Klavierstucke, Op. 119: Rhapsody In E Flat Major: Allegro risoluto
Klavierstucke, Op. 119: Scherzo In E Flat Minor, Op. 4: Rasch und Feurig

Tracks:

Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 1 In B Major
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 2 In E Major
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 3 In G Sharp Minor
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 4 In E Minor
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 5 In E Major
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 6 In C Sharp Major
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 7 In C Sharp Major
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 8 In B Flat Major
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 9 In D Major
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 10 In G Major
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 11 In B Minor
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 12 In E Major
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 13 In B Major
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 14 In G Sharp Minor
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 15 In A Flat Major
Waltzes,Op. 39 (First Version): No. 16 In C Sharp Minor
Hungarian Dances WoO 1: No. 1 In G Minor
Hungarian Dances WoO 1: No. 2 In D Minor
Hungarian Dances WoO 1: No. 3 In F Major
Hungarian Dances WoO 1: No. 4 In F Sharp Minor
Hungarian Dances WoO 1: No. 5 In D Flat Major
Hungarian Dances WoO 1: No. 6 In D Flat Major
Hungarian Dances WoO 1: No. 7 In F Major
Hungarian Dances WoO 1: No. 8 In A Major
Hungarian Dances WoO 1: No. 9 In E Minor
Hungarian Dances WoO 1: No. 10 In E Major

Tracks:

Variations On An Original Theme In D Major: Op. 21, No. 1
Variations On A Hungarian Song In D Major, Op. 21, No. 2: Op. 21, No. 2
Five Studies For Piano, Anh. Ia-1: No. 1 Study In F Minor After Frederic Chopin
Five Studies For Piano, Anh. Ia-1: No. 2 Rondo In C Major After Carl Maria von Weber
Five Studies For Piano, Anh. Ia-1: No. 3 Presto In G Minor After J.S. Bach (1st Version)
Five Studies For Piano, Anh. Ia-1: No. 4 Presto In G Minor After J.S. Bach (2nd Version)
Five Studies For Piano, Anh. Ia-1: No. 5 Chaconne In D Minor By J.S. Bach (For Left Hand Alone)

Tracks:

51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6
51 Exercises WoO 6

Tracks:

Variations On A Theme By Schumann In F Sharp Minor, Op. 9
Variations On A Theme By Schumann In F Sharp Minor, Op. 9
Variations On A Theme By Paganini In A Minor, Op. 35: Book 1
Variations On A Theme By Paganini In A Minor, Op. 35: Book 2

Tracks:

Theme And Variations In D Minor GA Post. XV-9 (From String Sextet No. 1, Op. 18)
Gavotte In A Major From Iphigenie en Aulide By Christoph Willibald Gluck Anh. Ia-2
Sarabande In A Minor WoO Posth. 5-1 And Two Gavottes In A Minor And A Major WoO Posth. 4-1
Gigue In A Minor WoO Posth. 4-1
Sarabande In B Minor WoO Posth. 5-2
Gigue In B Minor WoO Posth. 4-2
Klavierstuck In B Flat Major Anh. Post. III-4
Canon In F Minor Anh. Posth. III-2
Canon (Inverted)
Rakoczy March Onh. Posth. III-10
Sarabande In A Minor: WoO Posth. 5-1
Impromptu D 899-2 By Franz Schubert D 899 (Study For The Left Hand) Anh. Posth. IV-2
Landler D 814 By Franz Schubert, Anh. Post. Ia-6
Piano Quintet By Robert Schumann, Op. 44, Anh. Posth. Ia-7: Scherzo

Tracks:

Four Song Transcriptions From 'Die schone Magelone' (Transcribed By Idil Biret): No. 12 Muss es eine Trennung geben
Four Song Transcriptions From 'Die schone Magelone' (Transcribed By Idil Biret): No. 10 Verzweiflung
Four Song Transcriptions From 'Die schone Magelone' (Transcribed By Idil Biret): No. 11 Wie schnell verschwindet
Four Song Transcriptions From 'Die schone Magelone' (Transcribed By Idil Biret): No. 14 Wie froh und frisch
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 1 In B Major
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 2 In E Major
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 3 In G Sharp Minor
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 4 In E Minor
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 5 In E Major
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 6 In C Major
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 7 In C Sharp Minor
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 8 In B Flat Major
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 9 In D Minor
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 10 In G Major
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 11 In B Minor
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 12 In E Major
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 13 In C Major
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 14 In A Minor
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 15 In A Major
Waltzes Op. 39 (Second Version): No. 16 In D Minor
Nine Cadenzas For Piano Concertos - Concerto In D Minor: For J.S. Bach: Concerto In D Minor BWV 1052 WoO Posth. 11
Nine Cadenzas For Piano Concertos - Concerto In G Major: For Mozart: Concerto In G Major K 453, WoO Posth. 13 - First Movement
Nine Cadenzas For Piano Concertos: For Mozart: Concerto In G Major K 453, WoO Posth. 13 - Second Movement
Nine Cadenzas For Piano Concertos: For Mozart: Concerto In G Major K 453, WoO Posth. 13 - Second Movement
Nine Cadenzas For Piano Concertos - Concert In D Minor: For Mozart: Concerto In D Minor K 466, WoO Posth. 14
Nine Cadenzas For Piano Concertos - Concert In C Minor: For Mozart: Concerto In C Minor K 491, WoO Posth. 15
Nine Cadenzas For Piano Concertos - Concerto No. 3 In C Minor: For Beethoven: Concerto No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 37 Anh. Posth. IV-7
Nine Cadenzas For Piano Concertos - Concerto No. 4 In G Major: For Beethoven: Concerto No. 4 In G Major, Op. 58 WoO Posth. 12 - First Movement
Nine Cadenzas For Piano Concertos - Concerto No. 4 In G Major: For Beethoven: Concerto No. 4 In G Major, Op. 58 WoO Posth. 12 - Third Movement

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 In D Minor: Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 15 - Maestoso
Piano Concerto No. 1 In D Minor: Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 15 - Adagio
Piano Concerto No. 1 In D Minor: Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 15 - Rondo: Allegro non troppo

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 2 In B Flat Major: Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 In B Flat Major Op. 83 - Allegro non troppo
Piano Concerto No. 2 In B Flat Major: Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 In B Flat Major Op. 83 - Allegro appasionato
Piano Concerto No. 2 In B Flat Major: Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 In B Flat Major Op. 83 - Andante
Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 In B Flat Major Op. 83 - Allegretto grazioso

Amazon.com

This set is a remarkable bargain, containing all of Brahms's solo piano music, including such chips from his workshop as cadenzas for other composers' concertos and a series of strictly mechanical piano studies that nobody will want to listen through. No matter. Idil Biret has a firm grasp of Brahms's idiom, and she plays with insight and passion throughout the set. Although she doesn't startle with her virtuosity, she handles the considerable technical demands of the music with great confidence. The orchestra and conductor make strong contributions on their two discs. The set comes with a fat booklet telling you nearly everything you'll want to know about the music. Too bad the individual variations in sets aren't tracked, but it's hard to think of another complaint about this monumental achievement, a startlingly reasonable way of getting to know Brahms better. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2007-06-11

I love this woman!!! Her playing is perfect, so is her technique!!! Lovely, just lovely.

Decent as a Collection.......2007-05-17

Referring back to my previous, extensive review (May 11, 2007) on Ms Biret's complete Chopin Piano Music survey, most of the problems described can be found also in her complete Brahms survey. The good news is that Brahms's music better can cope with Biret's weird pianism; the chief reason being the greater structural strictness of Brahms's music relative to that of Chopin. Still, her 'over-liberal' (or erratically exaggerated more accurately labeled) playing in terms of tempo, rubato and pedaling is disturbing throughout the set. Furthermore, her technique is better suited to Brahms than Chopin--even though its limitations become rather obvious in the, indeed fiendish, Paganini Variations.

Nevertheless, this set can actually be recommended as a decent alternative for those who desire the complete piano works of Brahms (because complete it is indeed!). One cannot be too picky here as the competition is markedly limited: Mr Jones's Brahms survey on Nimbus may offer more idiomatic interpretations, but is unfortunately severely marred by innumerous miss-hits that are too disturbing for pleasant repeated listening. A better recommendation, then, is Mr Oppitz (also playing a Bösendorfer--see below) on RCA (originally Eurodisc), although quite far from being masterful. One is better off collecting bits and pieces from Alexeev (EMI--nla) and Kovacevich (Philips). I would specifically like to recommend Grimaud's beautiful survey of the Opp 116-119 pieces (Erato).

Lastly, the piano sound is basically the same as in the Chopin set--a Bösendorfer captured with a highly metallic, fabricated quality. Even if Biret's playing is decent--seldom better or worse--the two stars are chiefly awarded for the good collection value of this bargain-priced box set.

A great introduction.......2000-10-16

Having the complete works of such at a times dense piano composer as Brahms is perhaps not the best way to go, but with Mrs. Biret at the piano, and at Naxos prices, is a wise decision. You are able to know the composer in a deep way.

Most of the performance are excellent, and you will not find one that is below average. The recording is very good and with ample sonic space.

I have heard it twice already, and allowed me to explore Brahms.

Highly recomended

Track Listings: