Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15 In D Minor: Rondo - Allegro non troppo
Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15 In D Minor: Applause
Wow! This is one hell of a performance! Grimaud has fought hard during her career not to be typecast as a "French" pianist doomed to spend her life playing cute little concertos by Saint-Saëns and keyboard fluff by Sa... more »tie, and with this performance she really throws down the gauntlet. This is as classically Germanic a performance as you're likely to hear: rock solid, moderate tempos, a gorgeously modulated piano sonority, and a view of the music that perfectly balances passion with classical discipline. She is helped in no small measure by Sanderling, one of the great Brahms conductors of our day, and also by a live recording that catches the whole inspirational event on the wing. This is one of the great ones, make no mistake. --David Hurwitz« less
Wow! This is one hell of a performance! Grimaud has fought hard during her career not to be typecast as a "French" pianist doomed to spend her life playing cute little concertos by Saint-Saëns and keyboard fluff by Satie, and with this performance she really throws down the gauntlet. This is as classically Germanic a performance as you're likely to hear: rock solid, moderate tempos, a gorgeously modulated piano sonority, and a view of the music that perfectly balances passion with classical discipline. She is helped in no small measure by Sanderling, one of the great Brahms conductors of our day, and also by a live recording that catches the whole inspirational event on the wing. This is one of the great ones, make no mistake. --David Hurwitz
D. R. Schryer | Poquoson, VA United States | 09/12/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This performance reveals a side of Brahms' 1st Piano Concerto that one does not normally hear. Most performances present the first movement as very stormy and bombastic, albeit beautifully so. Grimaud and Sanderling, however, take a somewhat slower tempo than most and, in doing so, reveal moments of lyrical tenderness that one is not used to hearing -- yet with no loss of grandeur. The second movement is appropriately lyrical but not excessively slow and the finale presents a stirring conclusion to a highly satisfying performance. Clearly Grimaud is a pianist whose work is worth following."
Superb Piano Playing
T. Treichler | San Francisco | 10/17/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Among my 17 versions of this concerto (including the two of Arrau, Kovacevich and Weissenberg) this ranks among the best of the crop. Unfortunately, the timpany and horn parts are way too subdued, but Grimaud's superb interpretation compensates for that. The slow tempi don't bother me. They remind me of Richter-Haaser's memorable performances of both Brahms concerti reflecting the weighty character of the piece. I recently heard Grimaud playing the concerto live with Ashkenazy conducting. The tempos were faster, baut that does not take away anything from this CD. The performance was as memorable as those live performances of Curzon, Arrau and Richter-Haaser. Grimaud is an impressive Brahms interpreter, perhaps the most outstanding one since since Julius Katchen."
A revelatory performance.
T. Treichler | 01/01/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This recording reveals a tragic grandeur of the concerto that
seems to have escaped other performers. The broad tempo of the
first movement seems just right for this purpose, and there is
an admirable gravity to Ms. Grimaud's playing. Would people one
day talk about this performance in the same hushed tone as
Richter's 1958 performance of Pictures at an Exhibition?"
A must have for your collection
T. Treichler | 02/11/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you like Brahms and/or just like piano repertoire, this d-minor masterpiece is a must have. And Ms. Grimaud's recording deserves to be heard as well. My favorite recording of this work so far is Alfred Brendel's. Leif Ove Andsnes has a wonderful recording as well. Be warned, some people complain that Grimaud's tempo for the 1st movement is too slow (alsmot as slow as glenn gould's infamous performance with leonard bernstein as conductor). If I could play the Brahm's concerto myself, I wouldn't play it as slow as Grimaud, but she still pulls it off very convincingly and passionately."
Not just "another" interpretation
Ying Lu | Detroit, MI United States | 12/20/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"With a handful of top notch pianists, both young and old each hashing through this highly complex concerto piece, one asks, why Grimaud? If we leave the beauty of her lyricism, her strength and her artistry aside, one can not help but be in awe of her instinctive understanding of Brahms as a composer. What I find even more fascinating with this recording is that the Pianist, born and raised in France, seems to understand German music, perhaps the Germanic sound expressionism far better than her counterpart- the German orchestra itself."