Brahms - Piano concerto n°2. Mov 2

[PaulThePuppetier]

I just watched this live to day.

Almost brought me to tears

[Ritorneremo1]

Celibidache and Barenboim - what is there to add? Simply divine!!!

[Lalagartitita]

This movement is so mesmerizing...

[romanitza24]

How can a music be so perfect? How can it talk exactly about my deepest feelings, the one I wouldn't know how to express in words, which are so intimate, so profound and yet so mysterious even to me? It touches my very soul in a way little things do. And I am sure a lot of you agree with me :)

[PaulThePuppetier]

@romanitza24 yes^^

[OrchestrationOnline]

This takes me back to age 15, when I had only one aim in life, to be a concert pianist. Spookily, Barenboim is interpreting this movement nearly exactly as to where I was trying to get it all those years ago.

[aristotle358]

Possibly my favourite movement. I've never heard the Barenboim performance. I was waiting for one of my favourite passages which came at 6:03. It was the slowest I had ever heard it yet very expressive. I liked the feeling he put into it.

[dragmio]

If someone asked me what is Romanticism in music, I'd tell them to listen to this concerto.

[rfaerron44]

ESTE MOVIMIENTO ES EL QUE MAS ME GUSTA POR SU FUERZA E INTENSIDAD

[thealma1234567]

particulamente este movimiento es tan intenso que transporta a otro nivel espiritual.

[thealma1234567]

particulamente este movimiento es tan intenso que transporta a otro nivel espiritual

[jmanthirtyseven]

Piano sounds like a thin, percussive, bright.. bad sounding piano... I bet its NOT a Steinway.

[anferlo]

@jmanthirtyseven I'm sure the quality of the recording allows you to recognize it. Quite a great musician!

[jmanthirtyseven]

@anferlo No question.. Amazingly talented and gifted musicians! Wish I had that gift, or desire to work to get to that point with my musicianship!

[jmanthirtyseven]

@anferlo Are you fond of the tone of this Concert Piano in this recording?

[anferlo]

@jmanthirtyseven It obviously is a recording from a tv channel, then it's compressed to any video format. Then it's uploaded to youtube where it is compressed again and then, after that, you decide to judge the piano's tone. What do you expect?

[jmanthirtyseven]

@anferlo I hear what your saying, and yes, the piano is a very difficult instrument to record however, the rest of the orchestra sounds great.. IDK.. this is a pretty High quality LIVE recording imo.. I guess I'm just a piano snob lol

[piersastontaylor]

@jmanthirtyseven Pff, Bosendorfers are superior.

[Oceanave8]

I heard/read somewhere that this movement was actually written during the course of Brahms' construction of Concerto #1 but he shelved it for later. I've never cared much for Concerto #2 as a whole, but this Mvt. 2 has always made listening to it worthwhile. It makes for a dandy work on its own, altho I know it's never performed as such.

[jpalacio25]

Brahms is tedious to listen to...

[PhedraBcn]

@cjr3559 That's a disaster only technology could bring us. Bye Bye valve amplifier etc... for shitty loudspeaker on a dreadful computer...

[gingervytis]

@cjr3559 You have not "invested" but SPENT.

[8491angel]

what is it about this movement that grabs my heart and soul? Nothing in other composers repertoire has that magic. I am a Bach fan and like Beethoven, Gluck and others, but Brahms in this concert sounds so profound and complex that makes me love this masterpiece more and more.

[TheVaccumtube]

@cjr3559 hahahaha. You are right Sir. : )

[rfaerron44]

the best part for me at 4:50 to 7

[ueblondon]

Brahms called this movement 'Scherzo'..this is not a Scherzo, this is a massive masterpiece!

[TheVaccumtube]

@ueblondon Yes, he called it " dainty scherzo " by the way. Amen, this movement alone is an absolutely accomplished master piece. Ich liebe Brahms !!

[llcamus249]

absolutely smashing! Wonderful performance of wonderful music!

[dfmutant4488]

honestly the best piano concerto in my opinion. Good take.

[Mozartmostly]

I don''t know much about Brahms or the soloist Barenboim. But all the slander against him makes me cheer for him. He does not look arogant at all. Go him.

[encabulator]

This concerto is truly a titan amongst concerti and this movement is one of the most titanic. Danny Does Drama! You gotta love the guy. He and Barbirolli offered a fabulous reading of this and other Brahms works in the late 60s on EMI - unbeatable. That conductor looks like something out of the 19th century! Wonderful stuff!

[andreaferigo]

at 5.08...Beethoven.. I love You Johannes the Great!

[fungustungus]

0:18 - 0:20 : is the guy on the left like "wtf?"

[GothicalSOberhauser]

@fungustungus Hahahahahahahaha! I guess he must be xD

[chopinphil]

Magnifique (:

[ueblondon]

that is how to play brahms although he is not the best pianist alive..

[cinnaplid]

Sublime.

[andreyborisov]

Funny. Old Celibidache doesn't lead so tempo slows down and then young Barenboim has to skillfully recover it every time.

[LARSE42]

ESTOY DE ACUERDO CON LOS COMENTARIOS ANTERIORES, EXCELENTE CONCIERTO. PERO ESTA EN MONO Y NO EN ESTEREO

[annvanmiegem]

so delicate, so poised, yet strong. I love it

[Hattakiri]

Louis and Johnny are close?? Beethoven was a huge influence to Brahms, indeed, but he developed a lot, so in the end they are two completely different things! Study their music, and you'll agree!

(Brahms is closer to Mozart than to Beethoven, as far as Schönberg supposes)

[farristhegreat]

Brahms and Beethoven's music are very close, if you don't know the score you will mix between them. But let us not forget that Beethoven is the one that created THE ROMANTIC PERIOD, that came after CLASSICAL PERIOD. without him we wouldn't have enjoyed Brahms, Chopin, etc." So please don't say that Beethoven's music leaves anybody cold. It's filled with depth and emotions.

[muziekengeluid]

Extreme mono...

[afertyus1000]

is this in mono????

[jorgealbertobaron]

SINFONIA CON PIANO

[jorgealbertobaron]

GRAN OBRA DE BRAHMS

[HaydnFan1732]

Pagisubuh, Beethoven is sort of basic mainstream today.

He has a lot to offer, but his charm is maximized on beginners who love this emotion rubbish.

[bagdad4]

how is emotion at any age rubbish?

[HaydnFan1732]

It isn't. It is rubbish, however, when they start saying that Haydn and Mozart are boring because they have 'no emotion'.

To enjoy Brahms (or baroque/haydn+mozart/ etc.) you need more musicl maturity.

[paganiniGOGO]

So any post-romantic music is for the immature?

[rfaerron44]

Increible musica que me llena de una emocion y de un sentimiento tan grande que ninguna otra musica lo ha logrado hasta hora

[rfaerron44]

Es una musica que llega al corazon , al sentimiento, da ganss de llorar

[skryabyn]

haha

4:36 james levine's cousin??

[SebastienLoong]

@skryabyn Hahahah, true. (:

[pagisubuh]

that 67 does not understand anything about beethoven!so dont talk about it !bloody hell perhaps you did not reach his level for his music! buggerrrr..

[lvmzk]

My personal favorite performance of this piece is Richter's, but this is a really close second. He is one exciting performer. His Beethoven's Appassionata is second to none.

[cuppajoe99]

Here's a fun exercise: try to find a performance of a piece of classical music on YouTube that has not elicited a comment complaining about the tempo. (Hint: this is not possible.)

[davishev]

...or, try to find anything on Youtube that hasn't elicited a comment

[toadswildride]

@cuppajoe99 Agreed. I heard a conductor once say that she loved premiering a piece because it was the one time no one could complain about tempo.

It's not that the tempo is ever wrong--it's that it's slower or faster than what one is accustomed to hearing.

Instead, focus on phrasing and execution.

[mauec2]

@cuppajoe99 // This one!

[vibraharp226]

@cuppajoe99

Interesting and humorous comment yourself. And I think it invariably comes down to folks complaining about conductors taking Brahms' music too slow. But gosh darn it, they're right! (Not here, though).

[stellar732]

My favorite is Horacio Gutierrez with Andre Previn. Love his playing.

[brit1066]

I am 67 and have loved classical music all my life, I can remember at the age of five at school using simple instruments to play Schuberts Rosamunde. I have never been a great fan of Beethoven, much of his music leaves me feeling cold and frankly bored.

Brahms music however leaves me with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat, his music is from the heart not the head.

Rachmaninovs 2nd will always be the greatest of all but Brahms 2nd gives it a damn good run. Barenboim is simply FABULOUS.

[deviantrake]

Nice but too slow! My favourite is still Rudolf Serkin with George Szell.

[simichbrau]

In response to Perkeno: "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig". Oops! Wrong discussion.

Yes, each of us has his/her favorite pianist or whatever; the final point is: Enjoy who you love to listen to and screw everyone else's opinion. If you're happy, what difference what someone else thinks of your choice?

BTW, I love Barenboim also, tho he can be a bit showy at times.

[simichbrau]

I love Daniel Barenboim as a pianist and as a conductor. But, this conductor needs a stick of dynamite up his ass. Pick up the tempo man!

[tzikky]

you have talked to Brahms and he gave you the right tempo ..:)? Barenboim himself considered celi one of the greatest musicians of the century, and one of the greatest Brahms conductors so...take your dynamite and ...you know..

[Sim882]

x2 re tempo

[sabysync]

good interpretation!

[sitesnk]

Romantic and passionate movement and performance...

[mishima1974]

What a mess!

[pianomed]

this is truly a piano symphony, more than a piano concerto, it is great the way in which orchestra an soloist dialogue. oh, and the oboe... just great

[Sim882]

Yes, this movement (and perhaps the entire concerto) is a piano symphony.

Makes you wonder why more compositions like this aren't written. The piano is with the violin the most expressive instrument to me. It's the grandest of the piano concertos and one of the best.

[memorioso]

Barenboim has a particular understanding of the piece. So does Van Cliburn. And of course Richter. They all convey Brahms' musical aesthetics, each with a personal touch. That's what musical interpretation (and appreciation) is all about... Let us learn from these masters rather than criticize their "banging" or lack thereof...

[Sim882]

Julious Katchen's version is my fav. This is still moving - i think i prefer faster tempo for this movement but its just personal preference

[AFSS30]

Vejam o vídeo de Nelson Freire "Um trecho difícil". Admiro o Barenboim, mas o Nelson Freire mostra como de fato se deve tocar esta parte considerada tão difícil. Parabéns Nelson!

[saintdracula]

People think old school is bad, but look at what happened to this lust for modernism, we eventually with Daddy Atonal Schoenberg, who reaches very few people accross the music scape.

[georgewu5]

When I was a young man, I used to love Beethoven and his combatant attitude. I almost believed that if I tried hard enough, as Beethoven did, I would be successful. False! Life is not like that at all. As I grew older, I discovered that Brahms is more human. He accepted fate and kept on going. I discovered Beethoven at seventh grade; but I died with Brahms someday! dancewu(dot)net

[8491angel]

Totally agree with georgewu5. The more I listen to Brahms, the more I love his music. There is a quality in his music that touches a part in me that somehow Beethoven does not reach. After Bach, Brahms is my preferred german composer. All due respect to Ludwig's

lovers. It's a matter of personal taste and not an intention to say one is greater than the other in a dogmatic way.

[georgewu5]

84: I have a secret love which is similar to Brahms unattainable love to Mrs. Shulmann. That is another reason why I felt a lot of emotional connection to Brahms unspeakable pain within. yes, Beethoven triumphed; but Brahms struggled and submitted to the fate somehow made Brahms more human. My first love lasted me for 56 painful years already,never seemed to go away, as I grew older, the more intense it had become. I am 71 years old now, how many more years do I have to suffer?-dancewu(dot)net

[alvarito45]

I insist...Beethoven did reach!!! The big difference between Ludwig and Johannes is the time. Beethoven lived with Mozart and Haydn. He coul not be more original and yet he was such a genius. Brahms had enough time to mature...Shumann, Chopin, Liszt and add a few more names and fifty years. Yet I prefer this concerto over the Beeethoven 5th.

[gaetanosol]

Meravigliosa dimostrazione di come va usato il Peso del Braccio!

[brucewhain]

yes, that's some scherzo. Wish it were steadier though, esp. where the hands cross. raized on Arau version. Extremes in speed and volume. Maybe a dry run.

[Classclguy]

There's some banging here and there [first piano passage of this piece], and some rough spots. My two favourite performances of this concerto are Richter/Leinsdorf and Backhaus/Bohm-VPO [I'm surprised nobody mentions Backhaus' version in the Youtube comments because I think it's a really good version that shouldn't be missed]. The rhythm doesn't slow down then speed up in those two recordings as it does here. Just my opinion.

[yvesvangelre]

Boring 'old school' Brahms. Barenboim never was the most sensitive pianist in the world, but combined with a conductor whom likes to stretch every piece to 'great' lengths, it's a small nightmare. Bavarians probably love it though. Pumpous, linear loud and 1 dimensional, like a BMW.

[muslit]

how could anyone play with Celibidache? he couldn't help but interfer with the natural flow of music, basically the opposite of Barenboim's personality - not withstanding positive comments by Barenboim, these two are no match - the most boring brahms 2nd i've ever heard -

[medpiano]

I'm a HUUUUGE Barenboim fan of both his playing and conducting. This was disappointing. This movement SHOULD be "pesante" (the whole notion of 'Scherzo' here is a cruel joke by Brahms), but it shouldn't be plodding. There *IS* phrasing here, for those that say otherwise, but it's overshadowed by everything else.

[BrucknerEnthusiast]

Glad there's someone out there who appreciates Barenboim - nobody talks about him much as a pianist these days. His musical integrity and refusal to resort to gimmicks is a noble contrast with the attention-seeking behaviour of some less good classical musicians who are being hyped up by the media. But his CD recordings of this concerto with Barbirolli and Mehta were better.

[MaxErnst]

too rough and hard

[tippettt]

Barenboim & Celibidache made a great duo in every piano concerto they've singed: Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Brahms

[loborojos]

Inigualable a través de todos los tiempos la majestuosidad y garbo con que dirige Ceribicache; muy dinámica, fuerte y audaz la interpretación de Baremboim, muy a la altura de la soberbia clase de dirección que se ve aqui: como siempre, la filarmónica de Berlín demostrando por que es la mejor.

[bbbworship]

this is the most horrible rendition of the concerto i've EVER heard

[swimgirlangel]

It's very good but I have to agree with Perkeno about the banging. I suppose I've gotten used to Van Cliburn's version now as well. Unfortunately I can only view this 2nd movement on youtube.

[vocalpianist]

I like this concerto a lot but, I prefer Vladimir Ashkenazy's version.

[Perkeno]

Barenboim does a lot of banging... I prefer Berezovsky's version; too bad it's been removed.

[Jimddye]

You sound absolutely ridiculous making that comment about Barenboim

[Perkeno]

Why? bcs it's Barenboim, we are not allowed to criticize? Now that's ridiculous. Rubinstein himself admitted that he could play like a pig at times, so...

[BrunoLien]

Of course you're allowed to criticize Barenboïm. The problem is that you should also open your ears: you would then hear that he does'nt play like a pig, but like a great brahmsian.

[sab3156]

A great Brahmsian should do a lot of banging, neglect melody lines, and fight against the beauty of the orchestra, correct?

[Perkeno]

>you would then hear that he does'nt play like a pig

I did not say that. Rubinstein referred to *his* own playing that way.

>but like a great brahmsian.

Maybe elsewhere, but not here. Listen carefully, it's rough, there's no decent phrasing whatsoever. It seems he has no control over the sound.

[BrunoLien]

He has absolute control over the sound. I've heard so many interpretations of this concerto, on records and in concerts, and it's one of the most beautiful I know.

[valarking]

Agreed. Baremboim doesn't sound good at all here.

[Namuchat]

I think there was a problem with the piano.

[supergirl1234512345]

wowo ...good

[sll10]

Man this is good playing by barenboim! The conductor seems to generally be ignoring the soloist though (the conductor never looks at him).

[Perkeno]

He doesn't need to, they can hear each other. Plus, the way it's set up, the pianist is behind him, so it's hard to turn his head all the time.

[sll10]

True.