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Dear friends:

It's been a long time since I was a "record player," obsessed with the latest releases of the famous pianists of the day. In addition, I just don't like the sound of modern solo piano recordings. I vastly prefer those made in the 30s and 40s. I can't explain why but those old records just sound so much more natural to me: the sound of a fine piano in a good room played by a master.

This new release on the Sony label features thirteen pieces from Brahms' late period. The piano is an S&S D (Hamburg), of course, but the remarkable thing is the playing and the sound of the recording. It's easily the finest new cd of solo piano playing that I've heard. I'm not implying that there aren't others out there, but I DO say that this particular recording has greatness in every bar and I commend it to you, all of you, heartily.

Karl Watson,
Staten Island, NY
kw35@si.rr.com

Just listened to a few on YouTube released by the label. Fantastic. Thanks for the heads up! Volodos is definitely among the very best today at a minimum.

Thank you for that Karl. I also queued up a YouTube video and think I need to buy this recording.

Cheers to you!

The advantage to being a subscriber to Spotify Premium is that I have just downloaded the album to my laptop and I am listening to it as I write on a pair of Sonos 3 and 1 Sonos 5 speakers. The sound is pretty stunning! To reassure Karl: there are other good modern recordings of solo piano.

Thanks, Karl.

P.S. I can add that the sound is quite spectacular and very natural-sounding on a high-end system consisting of a Conrad-Johnson MF2500 amp, a C-J preamp, and a pair of Aerial Model 6's three-way column speakers, the best listening system that I have.

Regards,

These are fine performances and are beautifully recorded, but there is also another wonderful Brahms recording that was released even more recently than the Volodos. The pianist in question is Nelson Freire, on the Decca label.

I'm hard-pressed to choose between these gentlemen's performances of one of my favorite Brahms piano compositions, the Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118, No. 2.

First here is the Volodos rendition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGRlrkxJExQ

Here is the Freire rendition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmTcSYTDyFU

Both are beautifully recorded, but the interpretations are quite different. As I said, it is hard to choose between the two. To make my decision even more difficult, I already own three fine recordings of this piece - Helene Grimaud, Radu Lupu, and Murray Perahia. I'd love to buy both of these new recordings, but my CD cabinet has only so much space and my wallet has only so many dollars.

to my ears decca has generally served solo piano recordings well, at least with lupu and schiff.

Almaviva:

Your point is so well-taken. One simply CANNOT choose. Nelson Freire has been one of my favourite pianists since I heard him in my first year at The Curtis. He played the E-flat Liszt Concerto with Kempe conducting the Royal Philharmonic. In my opinion, he plays even better today. His tone seems to sing in all contexts and is totally non-percussive. He's a wonderful artist and plays Brahms gorgeously. Have you heard his recording of the two concerti ? So many fine performances there but still Nelson Freire's are standouts. He makes a big sound but there is never a question of pounding.

Karl Watson

I have Freire's recording of the Brahms concerti with Chailly and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. I feel that Leon Fleisher's recordings with Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra are still tops with regards to performance, but the Freire/Chailly/Gewandhaus performances are extremely good and much better recorded.

Yes, yes, their performances are tremendous, thrilling, heaven-storming even, as the record guides insist over and over. I would not want to be parted from the Curzon/Szell 1st.

But whenever I hear those recordings I feel a bit like the poor traveler in Jesus' parable, the one who'd been set upon by thieves and left for dead beside the road. Give me Nelson Freire's good Samaritan any day, so much more mellow. Those "live wire" performances exhaust me.

Karl Watson

Thanks for sharing the news regarding the new Freire recording - I'll need to find it as he is one of my absolute favorites. I've always liked Katchen's recordings of Brahms, but I'm excited to hear of both the new albums by Freire and Volodos.

My previous teacher thought that Katchen was the ideal performer of Brahms' piano music.

Regards,

Karl and Almaviva:

Thanks for the Freire/Brahms recommendations. I have just acquired those recordings from Spotify. I will listen to them in the morning.

Regards,

I know what you mean about the Fleisher/Szell recordings. The close, somewhat dry recorded sound CBS accorded them did not help matters either. Interestingly enough, Freire and Chailly take an even fiercer approach to the first movement of the D minor concerto than did Fleisher and Szell, but the Decca recorded sound is so much better that the performance is easier on the ears.

Thanks for the Volodos recommendation, Karl. I've been listening a bit on Youtube, and concur that the playing is lovely.

Dear Benjamin:

I apologise for not recognising your post about Julius Katchen. He was a truly wonderful pianist, a BIG pianist yet capable of melting expressivity. I had a dear friend who heard him play both books of the Brahms Paganini Variations at a recital in Aix la Chapelle. He said that it was an unforgettable performance. When I was a kid I used to play his recording of the f-minor Sonata over and over - so expressive yet so noble - with its immense, heroic ending, octave doubling adding to the massive sonority.

When I was a student at the Schola Cantorum, the organ hall was often used as a recording venue and it was there that I played my first Hamburg D. I remember as if it were yesterday trying to play passages from that Sonata, with Katchen's sound in my head on that fabulous D.

Karl

This piece is so enigmatic, especially if you have several different pianists' versions and listen to them sequentially in one sitting. I have an MP3 album I compiled for that purpose and never tire
of playing this. For some reason I do not like to try to play it on my piano and I cannot understand the way it was put together (seeming to have an ending, then continues on. Just adds to the mystery).

I gave up trying to choose between the Volodos and the Freire Brahms CDs. I took the plunge and bought BOTH of them.

The programmes of the two CDs are not identical, so it's not a complete extravagance. At least that's what I'll try to convince myself.

In the meantime, I will be enjoying two wonderful recitals.

Dear Karl,
Thank you so much for this posting! Prior to this, I had a completely different impression of his playing... I would have placed it in the category of the high volume players of today, rather than sounding like Mr. Freire’s mentor Guimar Novaes or his lyrical contemporary Leif Ove Andsnes. I dare say I prefer Mr.Volodos playing of the Intermezzo to the same recording of Gould, Perahia and even to that wonderful Brahms player Mr. Freire himself! I’ll have to get the album and listen to all of the recordings!

Your friend,