Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83

Hungarian-born Géza Anda (1921–1976) was described by the conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler as ‘a troubadour of the piano’ whose early death robbed the world of one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century. Anda was an incredible virtuoso, who in 1957 played all the Bartók concertos in one concert but also took up a different challenge by performing and recording all the Mozart piano concertos later in his life. He performed with all the major orchestras and conductors of the time, including Boulez, Fricsay, Karajan, Kubelík and Solti, and made a large number of definitive recordings for EMI and Deutsche Grammophon of music by Brahms, Chopin, Liszt and especially Schumann.

This spine-tingling account of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 has never been issued before. It is a ‘live’ studio recording from 1958 with the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra accompanied by Georg Solti, a fellow Hungarian, and the performance generates enormous electricity between the two artists.

The live recording from 1954 of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No.2 conducted by Otto Klemperer has been issued before but it has been newly remastered for this release. It qualifies for a re-release on the basis that it is one the most recommendable versions of the work and should never be out of the catalogue.

The Russian pianist Emil Gilels (1916–1985) was born in Odessa. After completing his studies with Heinrich Neuhaus in 1937, he was awarded first prize at the 1938 Ysaÿe International Festival in Brussels. After the war, he toured the Soviet Bloc countries of Eastern Europe as a soloist. He was one of the first Soviet artists, along with David Oistrakh, allowed to travel and concertise in the West.

His US debut in 1955, playing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1, was a triumph. His UK debut in 1959 was met with similar acclaim while his Salzburg Festival debut came in 1969. Emil Gilels is regarded by many as one of the most significant pianists of the twentieth century and is universally admired for his superb technical control and burnished tone. His interpretations of the central German-Austrian classics formed the core of his repertoire, in particular Beethoven, Brahms and Schumann as well as twentieth-century music like Debussy, Bartók and Prokofiev.

Gilels made two commercial recordings of the Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 in the studio with Fritz Reiner and Eugen Jochum.

The live magisterial performance of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No.2 dates from 1971when Gilels was at his peak, prior to his studio performance with Jochum.

The live recital dates from 1974 and features vibrant performances of Debussy and Prokofiev, all particular favourites of the pianist. Recorded in brilliant stereo, these WDR-sourced performances have never been released before.

Previous live recordings of Gilels on ICA Classics have been Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3 (ICAC5000) and Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 & Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.2 (ICAC5032) – both CDs have met with outstanding reviews.

Anna Malikova’s career began in the former Soviet Union in the 1980s. She became known in the West after success in competitions in Oslo, Warsaw and Sydney. Today she performs all over the world and has recorded numerous CDs. She is a jury member for many prestigious competitions. This is a live performance.

Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982), born in Poland, requires no introduction – he was one of the greatest and most distinguished pianists of the 20th century with a large discography.

These performances have never been issued before.

They have an historical importance in that after 1914, Rubinstein never played in Germany again and therefore to have him with a German orchestra (KRSO) in Zurich in 1966 was a very rare event.

The fill-up containing performances from Nijmegen in the Netherlands, on the German border, from 1963, was also similarly aimed at a German audience.

Rubinstein caught live in 1966 rather than in the studio brings a much greater spontaneity in the Brahms, which is beautifully and excitingly played without any technical problems associated with live concerts. The orchestra under its then Music Director, Christoph von Dohnányi, on tour in Switzerland, brings a close collaboration to the partnership.

The recital is the completion of the Nijmegen concert, the other part being issued on Medici Masters (MM029) to great critical acclaim.

All these WDR-sourced tapes have been excellently preserved and remastered to the highest standards.

Pianist Nicholas Angelich continues his authoritative and insightful survey of Brahms with his Piano Concerto No.2. In the past, Gramophone has praised Angelich’s “trenchant, focused Brahms,” describing him as “a formidable player … whose performances … are of a wholly exceptional drama, sweep and impeccable craftsmanship.”