Johannes Brahms:
- Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83
Brahms’ second piano concerto has had a particularly notable history in the city of Dresden, Germany, where the composer himself played the work twice on the stage of the Semperoper – where this recording was made.
This recording was also made at the Semperoper, Dresden, Germany, in January 2013. And this performance reunited Maurizio Pollini and the Staatskapelle orchestra under Christian Thielemann. Pollini and Thielemann had already won a prestigious ECHO award for their DG recording of the first concerto, released in 2012.
The German newspaper Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten wrote:
“The resolve and self-assurance with which Pollini played here was fascinating. The sound was able to gain in breadth and depth. Christian Thielemann accompanied with great attention and with tightly coiled flexibility.”
The music is performed by Maurizio Pollini, piano, with the Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann conducting.
From the very first bars of this CD, the experience of a great pianist grabs the listener. Pollini may not have all the energy of his younger years, but his phrasing sounds terrific, with sensitivity that is excellent.
Pollini finds many new subtle points in this concerto, which adds to the satisfaction of the listener.
This is music by Brahms that is wonderful and lyrical, and its adventurous spirit is hard to overemphasize. Let me illustrate:
Here is the Brahms Piano Concerto Number 2, third movement, Andante, with Maurizio Pollini, piano, and Claudio Abbado conducting, recorded several years ago:
And next, here is Maurizio Pollini in the album trailer for this recording of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2, conducted by Mr. Thielemann:
Tags: Maurizio Pollini, Brahms, Piano Concerto #2, Thielemann