Search - Johannes Brahms, Edo de Waart, London Philharmonic Orchestra :: Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1; Piano Sonata No. 3; Rhapsodies, Op. 79; Piano Pieces, Opp. 117-119

New Compilation By Brahms' Best Interpreter

Jonathan M. Goodman | Franklin Square, NY USA | 01/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow, I have the honor of breaking in the review line on this 3-CD set! Here we have Radu Lupu's entire recorded output of Brahms' piano music, all from 1971-81. CD 1 (like CD 2) was previously released as a single CD, so be sure you're not duplicating your collection. CD 3 is a previously out-of-print recording of Concerto Nr. 1 with the London PO conducted by Edo de Waart. I'll address this first. I had never heard Lupu's concerto, and, as an unremitting Lupu fan, I had high hopes. He plays the socks off the thing as I envisioned. However, de Waart and the London PO aren't quite up to Lupu's standards, and a tug-of-war at times threatens the proceeedings. It seems Lupu wants to push ahead in tutti passages, then wants to luxuriate in solo moments--perfectly Brahmsian, I think, if de Waart would only allow him. Also the strings just play with sloppy intonation and execution. One wishes for Jochum's Berlin Phil. to come to Lupu's aid here! Having said that, I will likely keep this right up there with my Gilels version, if only to hear again and again Mr. Lupu's poetry and passion.

As for the other 2 discs (CD1: Sonata Nr.3, Theme and Var. in d minor; CD2: 2 Rhapsodies Op.79, 3 Intermezzos Op.117, 6 Piano Pieces Op.118, 4 Piano Pieces Op.119), I rate his playing to be the best I've heard of these works. If you think he's got the more wistful, roaming Brahms down, you may be surprised to hear his Op. 5 Sonata, where his architecture rivals Richter. I think Lupu just GETS Brahms, more so than anyone else. I feel the same way about Brendel and Schubert.

This 3-CD set makes a wonderful intro to Brahms piano music; if you only wish to own one, this would be a terrific choice!

* * * * 1/2 stars (because of the concerto)



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Radu Lupu - a musicianship specially shaped for Brahms's mel

P. Adrian | Arad, Romania | 06/15/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Released by DECCA in 2005 as a celebratory bow for the 60th anniversary of (its exclusive artist) Radu Lupu, this Brahms CD box set comprises recordings made by the great Romanian pianist during the decade 1971 - 1981 Emerging in his mid-twenties on the international concert platform with three first prizes in his bag, won in prestigious international piano competitions (Van Cliburn - 1966, Enescu - 1967, Leeds - 1969), Lupu rapidly established himself as one of the top performing artists of our time with a definitive affinity for the classical-romantic repertoire. His refined craftsmanship seems especially suited for music of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Brahms. Yet Lupu hates self promotion and publicity, being widely regarded as a genuine anti-star, his arrival as one of the most acclaimed and sought-after pianists of the last decades has covered him by flattering engagements with most impressive concert stages and orchestras around the world.



Regarding the Intermezzos op.117 and Piano pieces op.118 & 119 recorded here, I will quote Jeremy Hayes who put it so inspired in the liner notes of the accompanying booklet: "This music perfectly suits Lupu's meditative style of playing; he has his own singular concept of these works and performs them with total conviction. His playing profoundly conveys the intimacy and inwardness of much of this music, as well as its sense of resignation and deep emotion imbued with richness of experience and fantasy." I think these assertions can be extended over all 3 CDs under consideration here, for Lupu stands indeed as a musician with interpretive qualities shaped especially for the musical mellowness the Brahms's output requires. It is as if Brahms himself would have selected Lupu - out of a plethora of very good pianists - to convey the profoundly ruminative and contrasting moods of his overwhelming Sonata No.3 in F minor or the mighty Rhapsodies op.79. Radu Lupu's pianism has frequently been characterized as full of delicacy, exhibiting a pure romantic insight and a compelling sense of narration, kindling uneven poetic colours and masterful contrasts out of his keyboard. Listen, in this respect, to his rendition of the monumental Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor and experience Lupu's unique artistry in all its facets. His crystal-clear conception and minutely weighted finger-work - stemming from an unfailing curiosity for the depths of the score - conferred to Lupu an immediately recognizable touch, praised by Daniel Barenboim as "unmatched aural imagination and ability to create orchestral sonorities and textures". How wonderful is it employed in the reflective Adagio or in the stormily passionate final Rondo.



This CD box set - as its two companion volumes of DECCA Lupu's Edition, devoted to Schubert and Beethoven respectively - is a must for all who love Brahms piano music and are interested in fine accounts of it. Radu Lupu's is among the very few authentic and valuable ones on the market now. Therefore, it deserves - with no hesitation, in my opinion - five stars!

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