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Clifford Curzon's recordings of Brahms two piano concertos from 1960 and 1961 were regarded in their day as among the finest ever made. And as reissued here on Decca's Heritage Masters series, they still have to be deemed to be in that class. The reason is simple: the great English pianist finds the ideal balance between heart and mind in Brahms without skimping on the bravura virtuosity. This is not as easy as it sounds. The great German Romantic composer was as famous for hiding his strong feelings as he was for flexing his mental muscle, and to emphasize unduly one or the other can be disastrous. But Curzon finds the middle way between the two, granting the darker, more tempestuous First Concerto its full measure of dramatic tragedy and the lighter, more lyrical Second Concerto its full measure of joyous release but without shortchanging either works magnificent form and brilliant structure. And along the way, the scrupulous pianist nails every note and hammers each sonority with exactly the correct amount of force and feeling without once descending to showboating or grandstanding. With the masterful but very different accompaniments of George Szell and the London Symphony in the First Concerto and Hans Knappertsbusch and the Wiener Philharmoniker in the Second (the former being hard, tight, and tough, the latter being sweet, smooth and expansive), Curzon turns in performances that every fan of these works ought to hear. It should be added that the recordings, despite being taped in monaural, are still clearer, deeper, and warmer than most subsequent stereo or digital recordings.
© TiVo
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Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15 (Johannes Brahms)
Johannes Brahms, Composer - London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - George Szell, Conductor, MainArtist - Clifford Curzon, Piano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Culshaw, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Johannes Brahms, Composer - London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - George Szell, Conductor, MainArtist - Clifford Curzon, Piano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Culshaw, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Johannes Brahms, Composer - London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - George Szell, Conductor, MainArtist - Clifford Curzon, Piano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Culshaw, Producer, Recording Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
DISC 2
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83 (Johannes Brahms)
JAMES BROWN, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Johannes Brahms, Composer - Wiener Philharmoniker, Orchestra, MainArtist - Hans Knappertsbusch, Conductor, MainArtist - Clifford Curzon, Piano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Culshaw, Producer, Recording Producer - Erik Smith, Producer, Recording Producer - Gordon Parry, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1958 Decca Music Group Limited
JAMES BROWN, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Johannes Brahms, Composer - Wiener Philharmoniker, Orchestra, MainArtist - Hans Knappertsbusch, Conductor, MainArtist - Clifford Curzon, Piano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Culshaw, Producer, Recording Producer - Erik Smith, Producer - Gordon Parry, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1958 Decca Music Group Limited
JAMES BROWN, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Johannes Brahms, Composer - Wiener Philharmoniker, Orchestra, MainArtist - Hans Knappertsbusch, Conductor, MainArtist - Clifford Curzon, Piano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Culshaw, Producer, Recording Producer - Erik Smith, Producer - Gordon Parry, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1958 Decca Music Group Limited
JAMES BROWN, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Johannes Brahms, Composer - Wiener Philharmoniker, Orchestra, MainArtist - Hans Knappertsbusch, Conductor, MainArtist - Clifford Curzon, Piano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Culshaw, Producer, Recording Producer - Erik Smith, Producer - Gordon Parry, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1958 Decca Music Group Limited
Album review
Clifford Curzon's recordings of Brahms two piano concertos from 1960 and 1961 were regarded in their day as among the finest ever made. And as reissued here on Decca's Heritage Masters series, they still have to be deemed to be in that class. The reason is simple: the great English pianist finds the ideal balance between heart and mind in Brahms without skimping on the bravura virtuosity. This is not as easy as it sounds. The great German Romantic composer was as famous for hiding his strong feelings as he was for flexing his mental muscle, and to emphasize unduly one or the other can be disastrous. But Curzon finds the middle way between the two, granting the darker, more tempestuous First Concerto its full measure of dramatic tragedy and the lighter, more lyrical Second Concerto its full measure of joyous release but without shortchanging either works magnificent form and brilliant structure. And along the way, the scrupulous pianist nails every note and hammers each sonority with exactly the correct amount of force and feeling without once descending to showboating or grandstanding. With the masterful but very different accompaniments of George Szell and the London Symphony in the First Concerto and Hans Knappertsbusch and the Wiener Philharmoniker in the Second (the former being hard, tight, and tough, the latter being sweet, smooth and expansive), Curzon turns in performances that every fan of these works ought to hear. It should be added that the recordings, despite being taped in monaural, are still clearer, deeper, and warmer than most subsequent stereo or digital recordings.
© TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 7 track(s)
- Total length: 01:38:40
- Main artists: Clifford Curzon
- Composer: Johannes Brahms
- Label: Decca Music Group Ltd.
- Genre: Classical
© 2009 Decca Music Group Limited This Compilation ℗ 2009 Decca Music Group Limited
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