Search - Brahms, Macdowell, Reiner :: Piano Concerto 2

The Cliburn Reiner musical relationship

Miles Hoffmann | Famous Potatoes, United States | 12/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It all begins with the tall piano player from Texas winning the Tchaikovsky Competition in May of 1958. America had a winner in the classical music world. His fame spread all across the world and audiences alike loved to hear his piano playing. "We need to record this Texan so we can remember his style of playing," the recording studios said. Sol Hurok, manager of Van Cliburn managed to get Cliburn a contract with RCA, for RCA was hinting around to get some soloists to record with the orchestra, for the orchestra,at that time, was doing mainly symphonic pieces. When Cliburn and Reiner first met,they were a very contrasting duo, physically - the squat,latonic Hungarian with the gangling tall Texan towering over the conductor. Reiner assumed a grandfatherly attitude towards Cliburn, who valued the elder musician's guidance. This professional relationship that this pianist and conductor duo recorded five masterful concertos: (these are the original RCA Victor LP catalog listings) the LSC-2455 Schumann-piano concerto in A minor, recorded in 1960; the LSC-2562 Beethoven-5th Piano Concerto "Emperor", recorded spring of 1961; the LSC-2581 Brahms-2nd Piano Concerto, also recorded in the spring of 1961; the LSC-2601 Rachmaninoff-Piano Concerto no. 2, recorded in 1962; and the LSC-2680 Beethoven's-Piano Concerto no.4 April of 1963 (their last recording together - and the last recording with Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony).
On this recording of the Brahms: Cliburn REALLY put his heart and soul in this recording to augment the professional relationship that he had with Reiner, for I think this is the best recording of all of the Brahms 2nd that I've heard. Even the earlier recording with Emil Gilels with Reiner can't hold a candle to this recording of Cliburn."

One of the highlights from RCA Living Stereo.

Carlos Quintero | Caracas, Venezuela | 03/30/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"


This is for sure one of the best samples in this series. Perhaps

maestro Reiner even did a better job in his recording with Gilels,

but this collaboration with Cliburn was also wonderful. Beautiful

and skillfully playing from soloist and orchestra make a close to

perfect performance in very good sound. The MacDowell concerto is

also greatly performed by Cliburn and Chicago forces, then under

the Baton of Walter Hendl, making a reference recording for ages.

An absolute recommendation."

Tremendous Brahms 2nd

Bruce Berr | 09/10/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have known this recording/performance since I got it on an LP decades ago. It's marvelous to have it in digital form. Van Cliburn's performance of this masterpiece (Brahms Bb) is indeed second to none."