Brahms: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 · Ballades Op.10 · Klavierstücke Op.76 – London Symphony Orchestra 2xCD

UPC: 8718247710102 

MPN: 8802010 

Brand Name: Newton Classics

Overview

This majestic 2-CD Newton Classics release unites pianist Stephen Kovacevich and conductor Sir Colin Davis in definitive performances of Johannes Brahms’s two great piano concertos, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Coupled with Brahms’s Ballades Op.10, Scherzo Op.4, and Klavierstücke Op.76, these recordings—made between 1979 and 1983—capture Kovacevich’s powerful yet poetic approach to Brahms’s pianism: muscular, lyrical, and deeply introspective. Sir Colin Davis’s refined direction and the London Symphony’s burnished tone complete what remains one of the finest Brahms cycles of the modern era.

Product Features

• Format: 2 Compact Discs (DDD/ADD Stereo)
• Total Duration: 147′54″
• Recording Dates: 1979–1983
• Recording Locations: Henry Wood Hall & London Studios, UK
• Producers: Ray Minshull (Op.15, Op.10) · Peter Wadland (Op.83)
• Balance Engineers: James Lock (Op.15, Op.10) · John Dunkerley (Op.83)
• Genre: Classical / Concerto & Solo Piano
• Style: Romantic
• Label: Newton Classics B.V. (licensed from Universal International Music B.V.)
• Country of Manufacture: European Union
• Art Direction & Design: Jan Martin Wilschut, Amsterdam Hotsprings
• Cover Image: Thierry Martinot / Lebrecht / HH

Interesting Facts

• Two Giants of Brahms Interpretation Stephen Kovacevich, one of the most insightful pianists of his generation, brings both structural clarity and emotional honesty to Brahms’s monumental concertos.

• Sir Colin Davis’s Deep Musical Partnership Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra provide a richly symphonic canvas, highlighting Brahms’s orchestral textures as equal partners to the piano.

• A Pianistic Journey The addition of solo works—Ballades Op.10, Scherzo Op.4, and Klavierstücke Op.76—offers an intimate counterpart to the concertos, tracing Brahms’s evolution from youthful passion to late reflection.

• Critically Acclaimed Recordings Long praised for their balance of strength and lyricism, these recordings remain reference interpretations for Brahms enthusiasts and collectors alike.

Track Listing

CD 1 – 75′51″

Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor, Op.15

1. I. Maestoso – Poco più moderato – 21′29″
2. II. Adagio – 15′19″
3. III. Rondo: Allegro non troppo – 10′59″

Scherzo in E-flat minor, Op.4 – 9′46″

Four Ballades, Op.10

1. No.1 in D minor – 3′52″
2. No.2 in D major – 5′12″
3. No.3 in B minor – 3′41″
4. No.4 in B major – 5′59″

CD 2 – 72′03″

Piano Concerto No.2 in B-flat major, Op.83

1. I. Allegro non troppo – 17′55″
2. II. Allegro appassionato – 8′30″
3. III. Andante – Più adagio – 14′32″
4. IV. Allegretto grazioso – Un poco più presto – 9′06″

Eight Klavierstücke, Op.76

1. Capriccio in F-sharp minor – 2′35″
2. Capriccio in B minor – 2′54″
3. Intermezzo in A-flat major – 2′24″
4. Intermezzo in B-flat major – 2′16″
5. Capriccio in C-sharp minor – 2′49″
6. Intermezzo in A major – 2′52″
7. Intermezzo in A minor – 2′33″
8. Capriccio in C major – 2′53″

Performers: Stephen Kovacevich – Piano London Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Sir Colin Davis

Publishers

© 1985 Universal International Music B.V. © 2010 Newton Classics B.V. under license to STEMRA. Manufactured and printed in the EU. All rights reserved.

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