Post by erik on Feb 17, 2024 19:54:24 GMT -5
Two works by Johannes Brahms are in this week's Classical Albums Spotlight via Sony Classics' Royal Edition of recordings made by Leonard Bernstein.
Brahms: PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2; VARIATIONS ON A THEME OF HAYDN
Piano: ANDRE WATTS
New York Philharmonic Orchestra/LEONARD BERNSTEIN (Sony)
The very frigid response that had been given to his First Piano Concerto (the big D Minor) in 1858 didn’t necessarily stop Johannes Brahms’ ambitions (given that his first two symphonies ensued, after years of fearing he wouldn’t measure up to Beethoven), but he did avoid going back to the genre of the piano concerto for nearly a quarter century, until 1882, when he came out with his Second, one that is even longer (by five minutes) than its predecessor. But while it is significant in its breadth and size, because it has a “tiny wisp of a Scherzo” (in D Minor) in between the first and third movements, the Second Piano Concerto, otherwise in the key of B Flat Major, requires an orchestra no bigger than the First, which is to say roughly the size of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. Nevertheless, it is a challenging piece for the soloist, even in its lush slow movement; and the finale is worthy of comparison to Mozart’s final piano concerto (#27), itself also in the key of B Flat Major.
One of the ways that Brahms found his way into trying to write in the symphonic form (again, the shadow of Beethoven hung over him, as it did for most Austro-German composers of the 19th century) was to write in the variation form. Sometime in 1866, he stumbled upon a movement for winds in B Flat Major which he believed had been written by Franz Joseph Haydn, which led him to compose a series of variations around the theme of that wind movement for two pianos that became known as the Variations On A Theme Of Haydn, which he then proceeded to adapt for orchestral forces of the size of the symphonies of Beethoven and Schubert. It was not until well into the 20th century that evidence began to emerge that the theme might have actually originated with one of Haydn’s contemporaries, Ignaz Pleyel. Nevertheless, the Haydn Variations, which begin with the initial theme, proceeding to go through eight variations (variously in B Flat Major and B Flat Minor), before culminating in a grand Passacaglia reprise of the Haydn/Pleyel theme. It was an important step for Brahms on his way to the symphonic form, though it would take until 1876 for that first symphony to appear.
The great Andre Watts ably navigates the ins and outs of Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto at the age of 22, which was how old he was when he made his recording of it in January 1968 with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic; and the orchestra itself was clearly under its peak under Lenny’s skillful directorship for the entirety of the 1960’s. Lenny and the orchestra also made their dramatic but not overblown recording of the Haydn Variations in December 1971, giving the work one of its best performances in the recording arena. This CD, part of the Bernstein Royal Edition series, is definitely one to have for this brilliant Brahms pairing.
Brahms: PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2; VARIATIONS ON A THEME OF HAYDN
Piano: ANDRE WATTS
New York Philharmonic Orchestra/LEONARD BERNSTEIN (Sony)
The very frigid response that had been given to his First Piano Concerto (the big D Minor) in 1858 didn’t necessarily stop Johannes Brahms’ ambitions (given that his first two symphonies ensued, after years of fearing he wouldn’t measure up to Beethoven), but he did avoid going back to the genre of the piano concerto for nearly a quarter century, until 1882, when he came out with his Second, one that is even longer (by five minutes) than its predecessor. But while it is significant in its breadth and size, because it has a “tiny wisp of a Scherzo” (in D Minor) in between the first and third movements, the Second Piano Concerto, otherwise in the key of B Flat Major, requires an orchestra no bigger than the First, which is to say roughly the size of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. Nevertheless, it is a challenging piece for the soloist, even in its lush slow movement; and the finale is worthy of comparison to Mozart’s final piano concerto (#27), itself also in the key of B Flat Major.
One of the ways that Brahms found his way into trying to write in the symphonic form (again, the shadow of Beethoven hung over him, as it did for most Austro-German composers of the 19th century) was to write in the variation form. Sometime in 1866, he stumbled upon a movement for winds in B Flat Major which he believed had been written by Franz Joseph Haydn, which led him to compose a series of variations around the theme of that wind movement for two pianos that became known as the Variations On A Theme Of Haydn, which he then proceeded to adapt for orchestral forces of the size of the symphonies of Beethoven and Schubert. It was not until well into the 20th century that evidence began to emerge that the theme might have actually originated with one of Haydn’s contemporaries, Ignaz Pleyel. Nevertheless, the Haydn Variations, which begin with the initial theme, proceeding to go through eight variations (variously in B Flat Major and B Flat Minor), before culminating in a grand Passacaglia reprise of the Haydn/Pleyel theme. It was an important step for Brahms on his way to the symphonic form, though it would take until 1876 for that first symphony to appear.
The great Andre Watts ably navigates the ins and outs of Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto at the age of 22, which was how old he was when he made his recording of it in January 1968 with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic; and the orchestra itself was clearly under its peak under Lenny’s skillful directorship for the entirety of the 1960’s. Lenny and the orchestra also made their dramatic but not overblown recording of the Haydn Variations in December 1971, giving the work one of its best performances in the recording arena. This CD, part of the Bernstein Royal Edition series, is definitely one to have for this brilliant Brahms pairing.