Help with Brahms piano pieces.

gagelle

gagelle

Super Member
Can someone help me find the best sounding records of Brahms' piano music? I have a two part set on VOX, VBX-430, with pianist Walter Klien. I like it very much but I was ripped off on volume 1. It was graded B+ but is filled with scratches that affect enjoyment of the music. Then I stumbled on a pianist named Julius Katchen. I bought volume 2 of a French pressing on Decca. It says SXL 6.118 Artistique. Please forgive my preference for Katchen. He soars to such sublime heights that I think he makes the angels weep. I've heard there's a Katchen box set on Decca but it's supposedly rare and expensive. I'm only looking for records pressed before the digital age. Late 50s to late 60s vinyl sound the best to me. I'm also open to trying other pianists.

I'm still a Brahms novice. I used to think that Glenn Gould was the best pianist. I still have great admiration for him, especially for his Bach recordings. But listening to different pianists opened a new world for me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

If anyone can PM me, I'm looking for a reliable seller who play grades and does it conservatively. I realize that I may have to pay for shipping from Europe. It appears that there's no inexpensive way to get great records.
 
Register to hide this ad
I recommend the Brahms 2nd piano concerto by Sviatoslav Richter with Eric Leinsdorf subbing an indisposed Fritz Reiner with the Chicago symphony orchestra. Arguably one of the very best performances on record. Richter's perfect seemingly effortless reading of Brahms' intentions seamlessly integrated with/into the orchestra, rather than in front of or against it, is imo flawlessly satisfying without any obvious virtuoso "showboating". Richter has said he wasn't happy with Leinsdorf's "rushed" pacing, but I find the feeling of urgency the tempo imparts perfect for the piece, and this performance.
Literally a legendary performance and recording.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Thank you Pio. I'll look for it.

I was thinking more in terms of his solo piano pieces. I found the second volume of Brahms' "Complete piano music on Vox," (VBX 431) Walter Klien is the pianist. I liked it enough to search for the first volume. it was, unfortunately, filled with distracting scratches even though rated near mint. It's the last time I buy from a dealer's who doesn't play grade. The high volume dealers claim they can't play grade every record. I wish I had a reliable source.

With my limited experience, I decided I enjoyed pianist Julius Katchen's Brahms's solo pieces better than Klien: Not that Klien is deficient in any way. Katchen just hits me emotionally in a way I can't describe.
 
If your lp is visually very good but noisy, clean it again, and yet again.

My favorite Brahms piano recordings are Dinu Lipattis. He had recordings on Columbia if you can find them, re-released on Angel/EMI nowadays. The vinyl sounds far better than the recent digital releases. In any event, the music is superb.
 
Last edited:
Last edited:
I think Rubinstein interprets Brahms beautifully. This album is so great. I haven't heard it in a while so I can't comment as to it's audio fidelity. But IMO, with Rubinstein playing the way he does here, you'll want to get it.

092.jpg


EDIT:

Actually, as I remember it, the audio fidelity is very good...
 
Last edited:
I enjoy Katchen, Gilels, Backhaus in Brahms solo piano music (on LP, as requested, but the OP is missing the superb Richter series taped live by Decca - no LP here). Kempff may be also considered in this group, along Arrau.
 
Yes, Gannon,

There's something special about Rubinstein. I have one or two of his records that I was lucky to get before price rise.

Thanks,
Seth

jgannon said:
I think Rubinstein interprets Brahms beautifully. This album is so great. I haven't heard it in a while so I can't comment as to it's audio fidelity. But IMO, with Rubinstein playing the way he does here, you'll want to get it.

092.jpg


EDIT:

Actually, as I remember it, the audio fidelity is very good...
Click to expand...
 
The performance you recommend is considered by many to be one of the best ever recorded. An original record is, unfortunately, costly. I actually found it on someone's list of 10 things to do before you die. If I could find a clean record for under $75, I would jump on it.

The fellow's advise to clean a record more than once is good. I remember that it worked for me on a particular record that must have been caked with dirt.




Pio1980 said:
I recommend the Brahms 2nd piano concerto by Sviatoslav Richter with Eric Leinsdorf subbing an indisposed Fritz Reiner with the Chicago symphony orchestra. Arguably one of the very best performances on record. Richter's perfect seemingly effortless reading of Brahms' intentions seamlessly integrated with/into the orchestra, rather than in front of or against it, is imo flawlessly satisfying without any obvious virtuoso "showboating". Richter has said he wasn't happy with Leinsdorf's "rushed" pacing, but I find the feeling of urgency the tempo imparts perfect for the piece, and this performance.
Literally a legendary performance and recording.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
 
Hi David,

I want both. I know this sometimes is an unrealistic expectation. With labels, I have a special fondness for a "Decca" recording of Katchen that was pressed in France. I have volume 2. I would like to find the first volume. It's a stereo pressing: SXL-6118. It's so powerful that it often resonates in my mind for days after I play it.

Just a few years ago they were practically giving away classical records at a local music store called "Rasputin Music.," They are a large California retail operation with several stores in the big cities. They specialize in used media. Now, they're looking up their classical records and overpricing the good labels.

I also see these Russian pressings on Ebay that cost a fortune. I have no idea why they're so expensive. I don't understand anything on the jacket.
 
Thanks for the tip.

I'll look for some of Lipattis' performances.

The repeat cleaning is a great idea.

Things improved dramatically with my new Dynavector 20X2L. I actually can't hear some of the scratches that were annoying when played with my AT cartridge.



GuyK said:
If your lp is visually very good but noisy, clean it again, and yet again.

My favorite Brahms piano recordings are Dinu Lipattis. He had recordings on Columbia if you can find them, re-released on Angel/EMI nowadays. The vinyl sounds far better than the recent digital releases. In any event, the music is superb.
Click to expand...
 
gagelle said:
The performance you recommend is considered by many to be one of the best ever recorded. An original record is, unfortunately, costly. I actually found it on someone's list of 10 things to do before you die. If I could find a clean record for under $75, I would jump on it.

The fellow's advise to clean a record more than once is good. I remember that it worked for me on a particular record that must have been caked with dirt.
Click to expand...

It's available on CD if you'd like to hear the performance prior to investing in a top grade vinyl pressing.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
 
I found what I want but can't afford it now. Apparently, my Decca vol 2 is part of a 7 volume Katchen set. Mine was pressed in France but most were pressed in The UK. I've only seen the Decca records sold by European vendors. The primary problem is postage cost. I would have to buy each volume from a different vendor. Nobody appears to have the whole set. Another problem is grading. I can't find anyone who play grades. After being burned numerous times, I can't pay over $16 in postage and trust the record's condition to visual inspection. Serious groove damage can be as microscopic as a worn stylus. If they were available in the US, I could take the chance. So I just have to wait and watch. Something may turn up. I thank everyone for the help.
 
Most of them are available on digital format, although I do appreciate your insistence on vinyl copy.

FWIW, I like Glenn Gould's Brahms :beatnik:
 
Grigory Sokolov is another tremendous pianist. His performance of Brahms Piano Sonata No 3 in his 1991 Tokyo recital is second to none. It also is excellent SQ-wise.

Not only is it unavailable on vinyl, however, it is only available on pirate digital format :D
 
Thanks everyone. I occasionally buy those "evil silver disks," as they're affectionately called on "London Jazz Collector." Sometimes I"m even surprised by their sound quality. I'm especially impressed by the jazz series mastered as XRCDs, Toshiba's proprietary mastering method. But at $40 a pop, XRCDs may be doomed to extinction.

My bedroom system, where I do most of my listening, is almost totally analogue. I would have to spend a substantial amount to get a digital system that would come close to its sound quality. In this case, I may have to compromise. But some of the records mastered in the early 60s are so good that they're addicting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom