Sviatoslav Richter plays Brahms Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 (1/5)

Part 1
Johannes Brahms - Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83
1. Allegro non troppo
Live recording, May 24, 1951
Cond. Evgeny Mravinsky, Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Symphony

Category:

Music

Tags:

• sviatoslav
• richter
• brahms
• concerto
• piano
• classical

[jewish1972]

Rubinstein´s version is better

[truecrypt]

Just saying "better" is not good enough! ;)

How about trying to continue?

"Rubinstein's version is better because... etc."

I don't think the matter is as simple as "better/worse", but if you could formulate the reasoning behind your opinion, it would be great.

[jcilwcw]

I listened to Brahms's music when I was a kid and this concerto is simply the best creation of all mankind.Artists like Richter and Rubinstein come once in a life time,very few and far in between.

[kathydayphd]

Of all the recordings of this wonderful piece, this one is my favorite. Richter brings everything he has to his music, and he has an amazing range of feeling and a mastery of technique that has not been surpassed, in my opinion.

[kassianik1]

My favorite concerto of all existing concertos in the world. Wow!

@jewish1972 I think Richter's version is better.

[peoney100]

thank you for uploading this wonderful vintage sounds! is like listening to a record, not digital..and it is so close and intimate. wonderful!

[chrish12345]

I've never heard the pianist being able to recreate such a genuine 'tavern' piano style before

[rosshickok]

This performance does not touch the Fleisher/Szell recording. Strong playing but bad pacing and the opening horns sound like kazoos. Richter was much better in solo repertoire. Still a good performance, and Richter's strength shows through.

[wolfblister]

@wolfblister

questions in the latter posting were intended for truecrypt, but i would be glad to hear from others

[wolfblister]

@wolfblister

i imagine this has been digitally remastered. version?

would you comment on richter's later recordings, in comparison to this?

[wolfblister]

truecrypt, thank you so much for posting this. richter's phrasing is really marvellous. like many great recordings from the era of 78s, it suffers from the limits of current recording technology in tonal balance, so i need to listen closely to 'hear' what richter was doing. by the early '60s great strides had been made in recording, but they cant replace the spirit richter brings alive here.

[wolfblister]

by the time serkin recorded with szell, the technological advance is clear, as also the contribution of the recording engineer. what i like about that recording is that i can hear the piano and the orchestra conversing, which i imagine was brahms' intention. in rubinstein/coates the sound is esquisite, but the recording is 'all about artur'