Johannes Brahms

Ilian Garnetz is Moldavian and, before his extraordinary performance at the Queen Elisabeth competition in 2009, was still unknown outside his own country. Alina Bercu is Romanian, just 20 years old, but has already been a finalist in the Clara Haskil competition. Together they constitute a talented duo, inventive and spontaneous. Therefore it is no surprise to see that the BNP Paribas Fortis bank has selected Garnetz for a series of concerts and this recording of Schubert-Ysaÿe-Brahms: three facets of a wonderful violinist, perfectly accompanied in Schubert and in Brahms.

The two Brahms piano concertos stand like bookends to his career. The First had a long and difficult gestation, starting life as a symphony. The premiere was a disaster, with hissing and slow hand-clapping. One reviewer wrote that it was more a ‘concerto for piano against orchestra’, than a concerto for piano and orchestra. It’s young man’s music – turbulent, aggressive and passionate, with moments of great tenderness, especially in the slow movement.

The Second is a vast work in four movements. Brahms (always ready to issue misleading news on his new works) described it as a small work, light and cheerful. However, it is imbued with the autumnal sunshine warmth of late Brahms, and, although not without moments of great drama and another deeply emotional slow movement, is a supremely confident work from a composer at the peak of his powers.

Both concertos require a titanic pianistic technique and wrists of steel. Stephen Kovacevich’s first recordings of these two works were highly praised when first issued. They are appropriately and generously coupled with solo works roughly contemporaneous to each concerto. Kovacevich has gone on to make other fine recordings of this repertoire, but these show him at the height of his considerable powers.

New booklet notes.

‘Let me say straight away that the performance is extremely fine; indeed, such is its eloquence that I put aside the score and notepad and just listened for pleasure the first time round.’ Gramophone (First Concerto), June 1981

‘The performance combines poetic feeling and intellectual strength in no small measure, and it is one to which I am sure I will want to return. There is an unforced, natural eloquence that I much admire; the first movement unfolds without any false urgency and momentum; it is spacious, autumnal, reflective as well as majestic.’ Gramophone (Second Concerto), December 1981

This collection features some of the greatest composers ever to record, along with disciples playing pieces by their masters.

The disciples fall largely into two main ‘schools’: the Chopin/Schumann axis and the Liszt/Leschetizky group, offering piquant contrast in the piano styles that survived in the playing of Artur Rubinstein and Vladimir Horowitz, respectively.

The recordings were selected for performance quality as well as historical and sonic considerations.

Audio conservation: Ward Marston

Andreas Boyde’s interpretations fascinatingly reveal the structures of the composer’s works, enabling the soul of Brahms’ musical world to resound in the most natural manner possible. Here he continues his Brahms Cycle. (Vol.1 OC584, Vol.2 OC585, Vol.3 OC586)

These recordings were made in 1957 and 1959.

The artists in this second part of the successful lullaby collection include Juliane Banse, Christian Gerhaher and Andreas Scholl. Volume 1 (CARUS83001) was featured on BBC Radio 3 CD Review in March and has sold thousands of copies in Germany. Canon, folk song, art song and settings for choir by various composers offer insight into the diversity of the repertoire of the lullaby and evening song.