Search - Johannes Brahms, Alfons Kontarsky, Aloys Kontarsky :: Brahms: Hungarian Dances Nos. 1 - 21 [Germany]

Hungarian Dances with the Duo Kontarsky

Carlos Dantas Moura | Brazil | 09/14/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of my favorites Vinyl records is Brahms' Hungarian Dances for four hands, played by the brothers Alfons and Aloys Kontarsky. The dances are a set of 21 lively tunes, based mostly on Hungarian themes. They are among Brahms' most popular works. Brahms became acquainted with hungarian melodies in 1852, when he played a duo with the hungarian violinist Eduard Remenyi. In 1869 he published the version for four hands of the first 10 hungarian dances. Remenyi accused Brahms of stealing the sketches he has prepared before their concerts. Brahms, aghast, published a second series in 1890, with dances 11-21, not based on hungarian sources but writing them "a la hongroise" (in hungarian style). Later he arranged the first 10 dances for solo piano. He wrote orchestral arrangements for No. 1, No. 3 and No. 10. Other composers, including Dvorak, orchestrated the other dances. One can buy from the French Amazon "Johannes Brahms Complete Works" in 60 CDs, a real bargain, where they have all three versions.

The Duo Kontarsky won, in 1955, first prize in the Baviera Monaco ARD. After that, they started a brilliant career, interrupted when Aloys got sick, in 1983. Speaking about one performance of the "Nuovo Quartetto Pianistico Italiano" one critic said : "The four pianists make up an ensemble which, for musical harmony and perfection of tone, reminds one of the "Duo Kontarsky" ... multiplied by two !

I am glad to see the original Deutsche Grammophon recording in CD, which I recommend to all Brahms' admirers.

The cover of the Vinyl version I have shows a photograph of the Kontarsky brothers, which is much better than the CD cover."