{"id":13149,"date":"2014-01-13T16:54:42","date_gmt":"2014-01-14T00:54:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/?p=13149"},"modified":"2014-01-13T16:56:44","modified_gmt":"2014-01-14T00:56:44","slug":"a-tale-of-two-brahms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2014\/01\/13\/a-tale-of-two-brahms\/","title":{"rendered":"a tale of two brahms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Another musician who blogs quite frequently is the pianist Stephen Hough (a favorite soloist here in Portland, with frequent appearances with the Oregon Symphony), and he recently wrote a blog post for the Guardian<\/a> newspaper (he also has a regular blog at the Telegraph<\/a>) describing his process of revising his opinions on the two Brahms piano concertos as he prepared to record them for a newly released album. <\/p>\n

His prevailing opinion was this:<\/p>\n

I might say that of the two Brahms piano concertos the second is the better piece, but the first is the greater. I think the second is better constructed, better orchestrated, themes are better developed, harmonies are better judged, textures are better balanced – but for me the earlier work has a greater burst of pure, utter, natural genius. Its flame flares with such intensity, and with such promise of more to come (he was only 25 years old when he wrote it), that I find myself overwhelmed by it in a way I’m not by his second (and final) piano concerto, written 22 years later.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And then, after having played these two massive concertos on a single concert<\/em> last year, he came to the following conclusion:<\/p>\n

For all the grandeur and excitement of the first concerto’s youthful flare, the second’s older vintage seemed wiser, more fascinatingly complex as I revisited and re-recorded both pieces last year. Its musical arguments seemed more nuanced, more open to exploration, more a search for common ground where, as in life, the sun can shine brightest … and warmest.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n