RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83* (1881) [48:42]
Klavierstücke, op. 76 (1871-1878) [25:03]
Nicholas Angelich (piano)
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra/Paavo Järvi*
rec. Hessischer Rundfunk/hr-Sendesaal, Frankfurt, 6-9 April 2009
VIRGIN CLASSICS 2663492 [74:37]
In an interview
for MusicWeb International with Aart van der Wal, earlier this year, the American
pianist, Nicholas Angelich, makes clear his love for the music of Brahms.
That interview is well worth reading, not least because it is very relevant
to this new recording.
In the interview Angelich cites recordings by Wilhelm
Backhaus (with Karl Böhm) and by Edwin Fischer (live in 1942 with Furtwängler)
as recordings that he especially admires. He comments: “The Brahms Concerto
is very, very special…. In a way it is a symphony with the piano inside, and
at the same time it is both a real concerto and chamber music! Soloist and
conductor need to be able to make that all happen. Of course, when you don’t
have a good relationship with the conductor you will not be able to find something
that will musically work for you. That applies to any concerto, but even more
strongly to the Brahms. When you cannot change anything or if your views are
more or less ignored you are lost as a soloist.” He went on to praise the
conductor Paavo Järvi, with whom he seems to have a significant rapport on
the evidence of this present disc – the same artists have already recorded
the First concerto. That disc was released in 2008, but I haven’t heard it
and, indeed, I’m not entirely sure that it remains in the catalogue (Virgin
Classics 5 18998-2).
This new recording of the Second Concerto begins auspiciously. Many performances
linger a little – or sometimes more than a little – over the triplet at the
top of the opening phrase but that doesn’t happen here. Instead, the phrase
just unfolds simply, first on the horn and then on piano, but the lack of
rubato doesn’t mean there’s no feeling. As Järvi and his orchestra continue
to unfold the opening pages one is quickly aware that the orchestral accompaniment
is very distinguished. The playing is full of fibre but, equally, the tone
produced by all sections is rich and warm. One also notices throughout the
performance that, when called for, the orchestral attack is firm and precise.
In short, I’d be surprised if anyone buying this recording is at all disappointed
by the quality of the accompaniment.
Nor do I think the standard of the solo playing will disappoint. I don’t believe
I’ve heard Nicholas Angelich play before but I was most impressed. In the
first movement his playing is, by turns, commanding and poetic. I believe
that the solo part was the last concerto that Brahms took into his own concerto
repertoire – he gave the first performances with Hans von Bülow conducting
– and I’m sure that he, like countless pianists since, found that he’d set
the soloist a formidable range of challenges. Angelich takes all these in
his stride and, indeed, appears to surmount them with ease. One thing that
impressed me repeatedly throughout was the sheer clarity of his playing, even
in the most demanding, tumultuous passages (sample the section in the first
movement between about 7:30 and 8:20 as a good example).
There’s excellent rhythmic energy from the soloist and the orchestra in the
second movement and the energy is apparent not just in the turbulent passages
but also in those stretches where the music is more relaxed. It’s noticeable
that in those relaxed sections there’s no dawdling; the performance remains
purposeful, with good forward momentum.
For many listeners – and I’m one of them – the radiant slow movement is the
heart of this concerto. It’s nothing short of scandalous that the player who
here delivers the crucial cello solos is not named for he or she makes a very
fine contribution indeed. Comparing this performance with the classic 1972
Gilels/Jochum recording on DG, the Berliner Philharmoniker’s cellist, the
superb Ottomar Borwitzky, possesses perhaps slightly the richer tone but it’s
a close run thing and the playing of the Frankfurt cellist is deeply satisfying.
When, after the lengthy introduction, Angelich begins to play (2:37), his
touch is quite magical. The passage beginning at 6:40, where the piano muses
accompanied, initially just by two clarinets, is especially atmospheric, leading
up to the return of the cello solo at 8:32. The very end of the movement is
perfectly poised. The marvellous Gilels/Jochum account is more spacious overall
– playing for 14:02 against 12:29 in this present recording - but the pacing
adopted by Angelich and Järvi seems to me to be completely satisfying.
The finale is, for the most part, lithe and charming, though Brahms briefly
admits some darker passages. Angelich and Järvi catch the mood expertly and
theirs is, overall, a light-hearted and genial reading. Towards the end, where
Brahms employs triplets to add rhythmic urgency and impetus, the reading is
exhilarating.
The choice of the eight Klavierstücke to complete the disc is an intelligent
one. These short pieces consist of four pieces entitled Capriccio and
the same number of Intermezzi. Angelich does them all very well. The
first, a Capriccio in F Sharp major, was a fifty-second birthday present for
Clara Schumann in 1871. We read in the notes that she thought the music put
her in mind of a desolate, windswept cemetery – just the sort of birthday
gift one wants! Hearing Angelich’s performance, which is full of feeling and
fantasy, I can understand her reaction. Angelich’s finger-work in the light,
dancing Capriccio in B minor (No. 2) is admirably nimble while in the pensive
Intermezzo in A Flat major that follows he evidences a beautiful, poetic touch,
not for the first time on this CD. I admired also the strong way in which
he projects the restless, even fiery Capriccio in C Sharp minor (No 5) and
his beautiful phrasing in the Intermezzo in A minor (No. 7). Collectors may
wish to be reminded that an earlier recital of Brahms’s solo piano music by
Angelich, also for Virgin Classics, impressed Christopher Howell (review).
As I hope I’ve made clear, this is a very fine Brahms disc indeed. The Klavierstücke
are far from being mere ‘fillers’ and they receive distinguished and well-considered
performances. Inevitably, however, most attention will centre on the concerto
performance and Angelich’s is a very good one. Though his playing is distinguished
– and, as such, offers a good enough reason to invest in this disc – I’m sure
he’d be the first to agree that the success of the whole enterprise is enhanced
greatly by the extremely fine playing of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Nor should one overlook the conducting of Paavo Järvi, which is excellent.
He has clearly trained the orchestra expertly and he proves to be a sensitive
and responsive accompanist – I suspect there’s good chemistry between him
and Nicholas Angelich. Finally, the engineers have more than played their
part by providing first class sound, which gives exceptional clarity to the
orchestral textures while placing the music in a sympathetic, warm acoustic.
The balance between the piano and the orchestra is very satisfactory.
There are a great number of recordings of the Brahms Second Piano Concerto
in the catalogue and several are very fine indeed, including the Emil Gilels
version, to which I’ve already referred. However, it seems to me that this
new account by Nicholas Angelich deserves to be ranked among the very best.
It’s a long time since I’ve enjoyed a performance of this masterpiece so much.
John Quinn
see also review by Gavin
Dixon
A performance of the Brahms Second Piano Concerto that deserves to be ranked
among the very best