Search - Artur Balsam, Budapest String Quartet, Robert Schumann :: Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 1, Schumann: Piano Quintet

Bridge's Budapest Quartet Library of Congress concerts are among the most important historical-release series in the catalogue. The latest, featuring pianist Artur Balsam in two chamber masterpieces by Brahms and Schumann, is one of the most attractive of the lot. The Brahms gets a big-boned performance, full of dramatic sweep and power, tender when it needs to be, fiery in the final Presto, in which Balsam, a noted chamber musician, sounds like a world-class keyboard virtuoso. The Schumann gets a similarly sweeping performance, with the group obviously relishing the big tunes that dot the work. It's an interesting contrast with the Budapest's commercial recordings, an elegant one with Clifford Curzon and a white-hot rendition with Rudolf Serkin. The restored sound of these 1951 and 1953 performances is boxy but strong, superior to most live historical recordings of the period. --Dan Davis