BRAHMS
Piano Concerto no 1 in D minor
SCHUMANN
Introduction and Concert Allegro in D
minor
Idil Biret with the Polish
National Radio Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Antoni Wit)
(recorded 29-31 August,
1996)
Naxos 8.554088
[66:15]
Crotchet
The notable feature here is the coupling of the Brahms and Schumann pieces.
I had not previously heard the Schumann. Listening to it straight after the
concerto I was struck by its remarkable similarity to the Brahms in thematic
content and general texture, which could be explained only partly by their
shared key-signature. Afterwards, turning to the sleeve note, I learned that
Brahms had indeed made the Schumann piece the starting-point for his concerto,
which contains a number of direct quotations from that work. This disc can
certainly be recommended to anyone who wishes to study the musical and personal
relationship between the two composers in 1853/54: while Brahms was on the
threshold of a successful career, Schumann was about to end his days confined
to an asylum.
Both works receive solid, straightforward accounts. In the concerto, Idil
Biret belies her gender with a reading of great virility, and is fully equal
to the work's technical demands. If there are one or two faults, these are
partly attributable to the composer, but mainly to the limitations of the
instrument at her disposal. Thus, the first movement's somewhat plodding
second subject is not helped by the piano's lacklustre tone in its middle
register. In the slow movement, I found her playing dutiful rather than inspired;
but she brings real zest to the finale.
Balance is generally good, though the opening is marred by over-thunderous
timpani (noticeable elsewhere too). The orchestra comes over best in the
p/mf dynamic range (the fugato passage in the finale, for instance, is superbly
handled), but I did not care for the sound quality in tutti passages, where
some distortion is apparent.
The Schumann is an uneven work. It has moments of inspiration but not a little
padding (as in the banal D major ending). But, for the reason given above,
it merits the occasional airing.
Adrian Smith
Performance
Sound
