Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh,...

Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, ... | Mstislav Rostropovich, Ludwig van Beethoven, ... | The Dream Team

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Great Recordings O...

	Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, ... Mstislav Rostropovich, Ludwig van Beethoven, ... EMI Classics, 1999 average customer review:based on 27 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Brahms Definitive, Beethoven Nearly Definitive

Here is as fine a version of the Brahms Double Concerto as you are likely to find. It combines the grace and lyrical prowess of Oistrakh with the always idiomatic playing of Rostropovich with Szell and the Clevelanders showing their own virtuosity with this difficult Brahms score. I am not a terribly big fan of Brahms in general, but if every performance met this standard I would certainly change my tune. This is a definitive version in my view. The Beethoven records a momentous event where three of the top virtuosi of the day came together in 1969 to record the Triple Concerto. It is a stunning performance, but I found the recording less than clear in many passages, and sometimes the soloists were difficult to hear as if they were placed too far back. The recording location, the Jesus-Christus Kirche in Berlin, has been the site of many historic recordings. Indeed, my favorite recording of this very work was recorded some nine years earlier by Ferenc Fricsay and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra with Geza Anda on piano, Wolfgang Schneiderhan on violin and Pierre Fournier on cello by Deutsche Grammophon (may not currently be available in the U.S.) in the exact same Church and the sound is full and immediate and the performance is every bit as excellent. Having said this, the warmth of Oistrakh's playing comes through well, and Richter is captured perhaps the best of the three. The reason I have not deducted any stars is because it is a rare opportunity to hear three virtuosi at the height of their careers playing together in such a landmark recording.

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The Dream Team

The Triple and Double can hardly be said to be the crowning achievements of Beethoven's and Brahms' concerto output, but this team makes as good a case for them as anybody. All three soloists have made extensive recordings of the solo concerto repertoire, but here, they show that they can be team players, too. The pianist in the Triple or the violinist in the Double might feel slighted that he/she does not get enough of the limelight compared to his/her partners, but there is never an attempt by any of these three men to steal each other's thunder; they all have a great deal of respect for one another's musicianship.

This is one of ten CDs that I own in EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" series, and I have not been disappointed by a single one of them. This CD in particular lives up to the designation.

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Perfect Brahms, almost perfect Beethoven

To have three of the greatest soloists of our time together in one recording is pure ecstasy. The Brahms concerto couldn't have been played finer, precise with the sweet tone of Oistakh, deep passionate playing of Rostropovich, and the outstanding conducting of Szell. There are several great recordings of the Double, like Heifetz & Piatagorsky with Sargeant, but that version is lacking the deep felt emotions felt by Oistrakh and company. The Beethoven triple, however, is not up to the same level as the Brahms. This is due largy to Herbert Von Karajan. He just doens't have what it takes to be a sympathetic accompanist. As usual, HvK has smoothened out the lines imposing that Karajan sound on the Berlin Phil. As it is well known, Richter and HvK couldn't stand each other (listen to their recording of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto available on DG, Richter is great, it is still a satifying recording due to the simple fact that three of the greatest soloists of our time are performing in this one recording. Reccomended!!!

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Weak Beethoven Triple, phenomenal Brahms Double

I was somewhat disappointed by the Beethoven Triple in this CD. The soloists and conductor struggle to come to consensus on the tempo throughout the piece, and in many spots, it's apparent that the soloists give up their own flow to adjust to each other. Whether the soloists or the conductor has the "right" tempo is debatable (I personally prefer Karajan's choice of tempo), but when they don't agree, then neither makes sense. I also wish Karajan and the Berlin Phil would let the soloists' sounds come through more.
On the other hand, the Brahms Double performance ranks as the best that I've heard. Just hearing Rostro's opening cello recitative makes the whole CD worth it, and better yet, there's no decline in intensity, emotional depth, or clarity throughout the rest of the concerto. Places which I thought were impossible to articulate when played with a full-scale orchestra came through with amazing ease. The third movement is at a slower tempo than other recordings I've heard, but somehow it makes sense when played with such warmth and impeccable technique.

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, page 5, 6

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