Amy Chastek wrote:

>I disagree with JH's sumation.  Hough is truely one of the century's
>keyboard titans but for the life of me, he does mainstream repetiore
>crummily.  I like Graffman's old record but I also do not like the Jando
>performances.  Masterpieces such as these deserve excellent performances
>(Gilels,Pollini, Richter or Horowitz are preferable).  Sometimes you
>pay for what you get.  Has R.Serkin's CBS performances been reissued?

I am not sure which "sumation" Amy does not agree with, but am willing to
listen.

I have the CBS CD with Serkin/Szell.  I don't know if the Serkin/Ormandy
is or was available.  This LP was my first Brahms first.  I remember very
clearly buying this record while I was in college in the early '60's.  It
also has a great cover design, and back then you could audition a record
before you spent your $5.95.(I think the mono version was a dollar
cheaper.) I have a number of other versions of this work, but somehow none
of those that Amy mentions.

I have the Kapell, Curzon and Morovec recordings and am impressed by these
also.  I feel that this is a work that can easily accept some excess on the
pianist's part.  A quote from Walter Niemann (again from the LP) says that
"Never before, not even in Beethoven, has any instrumental concerto struck
such a wild note of passion and revolt, indeed of daemonic terror, as this
first movement." Nor, to me, does any other second movement express such
feelings of agonizing sorrow kept in check by classical form.  I hear the
same agony in the Rachmaninoff 3rd, which in the right hands, makes me feel
like I am hearing some elemental cry that *cannot* be held quite in check.

When I bought the Serkin/Ormandy, I was particularly intrigued by the
statement on the back of record jacket which says "No one coming new to
Brahms should start with this concerto - the Second Symphony, the Haydn
Variations, even the Second Piano Concerto are far better choices."
Well....So much for that!  - I did come new to Brahms way back then, and it
is still my favorite concerto - at least on even days.  The Rachmaninoff
3rd is my favorite on odd days.  Stay in d minor, and you've got me
hooked!!

The jacket notes go on to say "Filled though it is with intimations of the
Brahms to come, this concerto will always be a thing unique - an example
ot that most intriguing and mysterious of all artistic roads, the road not
taken." Maybe this is what drew me to this concerto.  I had just made one
of those irrevocable life-altering career decisions and was full of
wondering about my own "road not taken".  Still am!

Does anyone know if the 2 piano sonata version of this work has ever been
recorded? Or does the music still exist? It would be a real treat to hear
it.

Joel Hill
Tallahassee, FL - USA
ALKAN Web Page: http://www.nettally.com/joelhill/Index.html