https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ7l7za45J4

Yes...It's a miracle!...A pure miracle of recording history...
This interpretation is at once the most supercharged (introduction to
the maestoso, Curzon's trills, the torrential energy of the finale!),
and one of the purest (has the adagio, dark and limpid, ecstatic, ever
been equalled?...I ask the question)...
Conductor and soloist impart a phenomenal tension to the discourse,
while conveying an emotional and poetic breath of unbelievable
intimacy!...
As for the sound recording...It simply hasn't been done better since
1962, the date of this recording...The great Decca era...

Curzon's recording with Beinum is almost as good, but it's in mono, and
less dazzling...

NB: If I'm not on this forum so often, it's because I'm assiduously
preparing for the Paris Olympics, in the uncompromising discipline of
archery...The target is, as you may have guessed, Friends of RMCR, our
friend DK...Hit in the bull's-eye at 30, 50 90 and 120 meters...I'm
currently training at the 5000 km target...It's certainly more
tricky...But I'll get there, Nom de Moi...

MELMOTH wrote:

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ7l7za45J4

> Yes...It's a miracle!...A pure miracle of recording history...
> This interpretation is at once the most supercharged (introduction to
> the maestoso, Curzon's trills, the torrential energy of the finale!),
> and one of the purest (has the adagio, dark and limpid, ecstatic, ever
> been equalled?...I ask the question)...
> Conductor and soloist impart a phenomenal tension to the discourse,
> while conveying an emotional and poetic breath of unbelievable
> intimacy!...

Szell scared the shit out of everyone involved here.

Too bad Kapell never played it with Szell. It's the only interpretation I can think of that would exceed the force of nature that is Kapell/Mitropoulos. If Szell tried to pull his bullying shtick there, Kapell would have punched him in the face. That's how I like my pianist in Brahms PC1.

howard wrote:

> MELMOTH wrote:
>
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ7l7za45J4
>>
>> Yes...It's a miracle!...A pure miracle of recording history...
>> This interpretation is at once the most supercharged (introduction to
>> the maestoso, Curzon's trills, the torrential energy of the finale!),
>> and one of the purest (has the adagio, dark and limpid, ecstatic, ever
>> been equalled?...I ask the question)...
>> Conductor and soloist impart a phenomenal tension to the discourse,
>> while conveying an emotional and poetic breath of unbelievable
>> intimacy!...
>
> Szell scared the shit out of everyone
> involved here.

Imodium (loperamide) is cheap.

> Too bad Kapell never played it with Szell.

Thanks God! Kapell was an athletic butcher!
He had not the slightest notion of phrasing,
touch, color or articulation. All muscle, no
music.

> It's the only interpretation I can think of
> that would exceed the force of nature that
> is Kapell/Mitropoulos. If Szell tried to
> pull his bullying shtick there, Kapell
> would have punched him in the face.

The finest Brahms PC1 on record is Bruno
Leonardo Gelber with the Munich Philharmonic
under Franz Paul Decker, Grand Prix du Disque
in 1966:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-v8nO-OAZQ

> That's how I like my pianist in
> Brahms PC1.

Then you would have probably liked Rudolf
Kehrer a lot. One of the most powerful,
finest Brahms PC1 ever.

Cheers!

MELMOTH wrote:

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ7l7za45J4

Ridiculous!

> Yes...It's a miracle!...A pure miracle of
> recording history...

Loud, vulgar, insensitive, mechanical, boots
on the keys. Are your ears still filled with
escargots?

> This interpretation is at once the most
> supercharged (introduction to the maestoso,
> Curzon's trills, the torrential energy of
> the finale!), and one of the purest (has
> the adagio, dark and limpid, ecstatic, ever
> been equalled?...I ask the question)...

I heard Curzon had to be fed amphetamines and
glued to the piano stool to make this recording.

> Conductor and soloist impart a phenomenal
> tension to the discourse, while conveying
> an emotional and poetic breath of unbelievable
> intimacy!...

Curzon, Szell, and intimacy? ROTFL! You must
have listened to a different performance.

> As for the sound recording...It simply hasn't
> been done better since 1962, the date of this
> recording...The great Decca era...

You need another pair of STAXes on your ears!

> Curzon's recording with Beinum is almost as
> good, but it's in mono, and less dazzling...

Curzon was a pompous idiot! Every single one
of his recordings is a boot stomp on the keys.

> NB: If I'm not on this forum so often, it's
> because I'm assiduously preparing for the
> Paris Olympics, in the uncompromising
> discipline of archery...The target is,
> as you may have guessed, Friends of RMCR,
> our friend DK...Hit in the bull's-eye at 30,
> 50 90 and 120 meters...I'm currently training
> at the 5000 km target...It's certainly more
> tricky...But I'll get there, Nom de Moi...

After swimming across the pond? Hhmmm ....

Cheers!

DeepBlue wrote:

> howard wrote:

>> MELMOTH wrote:
>>
>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ7l7za45J4
>>>
>>> Yes...It's a miracle!...A pure miracle of recording history...
>>> This interpretation is at once the most supercharged (introduction to
>>> the maestoso, Curzon's trills, the torrential energy of the finale!),
>>> and one of the purest (has the adagio, dark and limpid, ecstatic, ever
>>> been equalled?...I ask the question)...
>>> Conductor and soloist impart a phenomenal tension to the discourse,
>>> while conveying an emotional and poetic breath of unbelievable
>>> intimacy!...
>>
>> Szell scared the shit out of everyone
>> involved here.

> Imodium (loperamide) is cheap.

>> Too bad Kapell never played it with Szell.

> Thanks God! Kapell was an athletic butcher!
> He had not the slightest notion of phrasing,
> touch, color or articulation. All muscle, no
> music.

>> It's the only interpretation I can think of
>> that would exceed the force of nature that
>> is Kapell/Mitropoulos. If Szell tried to
>> pull his bullying shtick there, Kapell
>> would have punched him in the face.

> The finest Brahms PC1 on record is Bruno
> Leonardo Gelber with the Munich Philharmonic
> under Franz Paul Decker, Grand Prix du Disque
> in 1966:

There is an even better live performance out there by Gelber with Skrowaczewski from 1983 in Saarbrücken. Overwhelming pianism.

howard wrote:
>
> DeepBlue wrote:
>
>> The finest Brahms PC1 on record is Bruno
>> Leonardo Gelber with the Munich Philharmonic
>> under Franz Paul Decker, Grand Prix du Disque
>> in 1966:
>
> There is an even better live performance out
> there by Gelber with Skrowaczewski from 1983
> in Saarbrücken. Overwhelming pianism.
>

Is it on YouTube? A link would be very
much appreciated.

Thx

DeepBlue wrote:

> howard wrote:
>>
>> DeepBlue wrote:
>>
>>> The finest Brahms PC1 on record is Bruno
>>> Leonardo Gelber with the Munich Philharmonic
>>> under Franz Paul Decker, Grand Prix du Disque
>>> in 1966:
>>
>> There is an even better live performance out
>> there by Gelber with Skrowaczewski from 1983
>> in Saarbrücken. Overwhelming pianism.
>>

> Is it on YouTube? A link would be very
> much appreciated.

> Thx

It used to be. I'll see if I can find it.

howard wrote:
>
> DeepBlue wrote:
>
>> howard wrote:
>>>
>>> DeepBlue wrote:
>>>
>>>> The finest Brahms PC1 on record is Bruno
>>>> Leonardo Gelber with the Munich Philharmonic
>>>> under Franz Paul Decker, Grand Prix du Disque
>>>> in 1966:
>>>
>>> There is an even better live performance out
>>> there by Gelber with Skrowaczewski from 1983
>>> in Saarbrücken. Overwhelming pianism.
>>
>> Is it on YouTube? A link would be very
>> much appreciated.
>
> It used to be. I'll see if I can find it.

I wasn't able to find it. There is however
a 1936 Horowitz/Walter live performance
for the sado-masochists in this ng:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X23eekgvqP8

Enjoy! (or not!)