Search - Johannes Brahms, George Szell, Cleveland Orchestra :: Leon Fleisher Plays Brahms

Great works; great performances by a heroic artist

Allan Brain | Houston, TX USA | 04/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Leon Fleisher was a major youthful talent, not to say"prodigy" in the '40s and '50s. Largely accompanied by theCleveland Orchestra and Szell, he recorded many of the greatest concertos for piano--all five Beethoven concertos in a set that was a best seller for years, the Schumann and Grieg concertos, and the two Brahms concertos. The Brahms are the best piano concertos ever written, I think, because they are endlessly inventive, always interesting musically and emotionally, and are showpieces not just for the piano, but also the orchestra. Fleisher and Szell are perfect partners in these works--one never gets the idea that either musician is showing off, yet these works are written such that there are sometimes what seem to be struggles, even combat, between the orchestra and the piano. (Just try listening to the second movement of the Brahms second concerto, and you will hear this.) That is the nature of the compositions, and that is among the reasons these particular performances work so well. Also included in this release are some solo works by Brahms, recorded in the mid-'50s. As one of the Sony "Heritage" releases, the package contains interesting information about the original recording sessions, photographs, and facsimiles of the original LP jackets.I highly recommend this set and wish Sony would come out with a Fleisher edition; this is a wonderful artist who would have had a stellar career if he had not had the misfortune to suffer from the neurological problem directly related to his playing (carpal tunnel syndrome is a repetitive stress injury) at the peak of his career and at a time when classical music was still promoted even on prime-time television. One can only admire Fleisher for his dedication and determination to continue his career in music. Let's hope he records the two-handed repertoire again too!Finally, a word about the sound: it's not up to today's digital recordings, and there is some tape hiss, but these classic performances are not to be missed. You will want to hear these again and again. END"

Great Performances of High Caliber

Scott D. Harris | Chattanooga, TN | 12/11/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Brahms concertos represent the summit of pianistic/orchestral combination in many respects and a listener to these performances would undoubtedly comprehend this statement, even if not musically trained. Szell and Fleischer make an effective team and one is happy Sony has rescued these performance gems from the archives.The 1st Concerto dates from 1958 and is in surprisingly good sound for its age (actually somewhat preferable to the 2nd - more on that in a moment) and opens with an appropriately weighty flourish. Throughout Szell and Fleischer move through the concerto at a moderate pace with some, though not an overly great level of tonal muscularity. Perhaps the best way to describe this playing is to characterize it as Romantic writing played with an almost Classical feel and, at times, restraint. The Cleveland Orchestra is outstanding.The 2nd Concerto, dated 4 years later in 1962, is also a successful performance though with an altered sound picture. Much less reverberance and an up-close sound stage make this a slighly less enjoyable performance. Severance Hall, the recording location, underwent renovation at the direction of Szell in late 1958-59 (after the recording of the 1st Concerto) but from this recording, the cure might have been worse than the disease. The performance is also tightly played, though certainly not without drama (2nd movement) and, once again, with a classical air. Cello contribution in the 3rd movement is very fine. The Handel Variations and Waltzes (mono sound) make great, unusual couplings and show Fleischer's virtuosity favorably. I'd recommend these performances to any Brahmsian and to any admirer of Szell/Cleveland Orchestra as they clearly demonstrate the excellence to which both were capable. Liner notes and pictures are impressive. I found Fleisher to be very good, without being outstandingly great, which might be heresy to some. If you want a really distinctive piano element in the Brahms concertos, try Zimerman/Bernstein on DG. Bottom line, however, is that this set is a great value and contains very fine performances of both works."

Absolutely the best!

Really Windy | Wyoming | 03/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just a quick note. I owned both Fleisher/Brahms concertos on LP back in the 1970's. I have about fifteen different artists, all world class recordings of these wonderful concertos. When I heard Mr. Fleisher's, his playing set the standard for everyone to measure up to, (along with Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra's vision of the pieces.) In 1979, I had the honor of playing the first movement of the d minor concerto for Mr. Fleisher in a masterclass at Peabody, and the insight from that one lesson has lasted a lifetime. I would also like to mention for historical reasons, that Leon Fleisher was the first American pianist to win the Queen Elizabeth competition in Belgium, and one of the pieces he played in the competition was the Brahms 1st Concerto. Lastly, I have a recording on LP of Fleisher and (I think) the Julliard String Quartet playing the Brahms Piano Quintet. This has never been reissued, and I am about forced to buy one of those record players that will transfer it to digital. I would much rather buy a reissued CD, so PLEASE, will one of you recording labels reissue this !!! It is a great recording !!!"