Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat major Op.83 [48:45]
Klavierstücke Op.76 [25:03]
Nicholas Angelich (piano)
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra/Paavo Järvi
rec. Hr-Sendesaal, Frankfurt, 6-9 April 2009. Stereo. DDD
VIRGIN CLASSICS 50999 266349 2 0 [74:37]
It is curious that this disc, by a British label and featuring a German orchestra,
an Estonian conductor and an American pianist, should be aimed the French
market, especially given Brahms' reception there, which is nicely summed up
in the liner-otes by a quote from Debussy "Let's leave, he's about to
start the development."
In fact, Nicholas Angelich is a long-time resident of France and has a considerable
following there. And while this may seem a risky proposition - I could be
forgiven for playing things safe considering their current finances - it follows
a commercially successful and critically acclaimed recording from the same
pianist of Brahms' First Concerto.
The Second is a very different work, with very different, not to say more
numerous, interpretive challenges. Both concertos are long and both are more
symphonic than most composers’ essays in the medium. But the First is a youthful
work, in a clearly delineated form and with fairly open orchestral textures.
The Second is much later and in many ways more radical. It is a work that
the pianist must absolutely dominate, not to the extent of overpowering the
orchestra - surely a physical impossibility here - but rather through his
lines and textures leading those of the orchestra.
That doesn't quite happen, and I'm not sure why. The sound engineering may
be to blame, although the clarity of both piano and orchestra suggest otherwise.
Angelich seems content to be an equal partner with the orchestra. So at the
opening, it is as if he is accompanying the solo horn, and by the time the
first orchestral tutti starts he has lost the limelight for good.
The performance is quite four-square, with a surprising lack of rubato. One
result of this is that the tuttis in the outer movements are stripped of some
of their bombast. To my ear, that is no bad thing, but think of Brahms, doing
everything in his power to add something to Beethoven’s canon and yet repeatedly
resorting to excess. Angelich seems intent on reining the work back to Beethovenian
dimensions.
The orchestral playing is good without being exceptional. Paavo Järvi is sensitive
to Angelich's approach, and delivers a similarly disciplined, almost Classical,
orchestral environment for the soloist. The third movement Andante is where
it all finally comes together, and the orchestra's string and woodwind soloists
set the atmosphere beautifully for Angelich's light, flowing cantabile lines.
His disciplined approach really comes into its own here, and combines wonderfully
with a delicacy of touch that is all too rare.
The Klavierstücke Op.76 are hardly a filler, clocking in at over 25 minutes.
Again, Angelich avoids indulgence and gives clear precise readings. The recording
was made in the same concert hall-cum-radio studio (the hr-Sendesaal in Frankfurt)
as the concerto, and while it is fine for the orchestral recording, it causes
a severe loss of intimacy in the solo music. The piano is in a resonant acoustic
and, I think, miked at a distance. The round, slightly opaque, piano sound
that results would be ideal for some pianists, but not this one, his art depending
so much on clarity and directness of expression.
The many people who bought Angelich's previous Brahms instalment will probably
know what to expect, and perhaps the programming here is designed specifically
for them, with the Second Concerto continuing the First's symphonic tendencies
and Op.76 continuing on from its chamber-like textures. Angelich is a brave
man even to contemplate the Second Concerto, and his recording is a welcome
addition to a discography that ought by rights to be a good deal more substantial.
But this is definitely a recording for those who like their Brahms measured
and precise. If you want some real drama, you would probably be better off
tracking down Ashkenazy or Pollini.
Gavin Dixon
For those who like their Brahms measured and precise