Amazing value: Katchen plays Brahms (1 Viewer)

[Dennis Nicholls]

Every so often you find a real bargain in classical recordings. My newest treasure is the Julius Katchen recordings on CD of the complete solo piano music of Brahms (London 455 247-2). Everything is here: the Paganini Variations, the four Ballads, the Waltzes, the 3 Sonatas, and the complete Hungarian Dances. Katchen really does an amazing job of interpretation and is a damn firey technical pianist to boot. It's really a tragedy that he died at 42. 6 CD's in a small cardboard box, no jewel cases, but it's only $38 at Amazon. Cheaper elsewhere I am sure. And every disk is over an hour in length. The recordings date from the middle 1960's, but being Decca are of very high technical quality. You won't think this is some old dusty recording at all. Highly recommended to those wanting to explore Brahms - at that price you can't lose.
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Feline audience members Katie, Susie, Fluffy Pumpkin, and Naughty Tuxedo

 

[alan halvorson]

Wow, someone who knows classical music exists. Ok, Dennis, I will look this one up - I'm a classical piano fan (even though my classical music knowledge is quite lacking) - and I just might buy it. Just to shove one back at you, get the latest (or any) Lizst recording by the Mango sisters on Cedille. Wonderful playing, glorious sound and dynamics up the old ying-yang - you won't regret it.
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They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa To the funny farm. Where life is beautiful all the time and I'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats and they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!!!!
- Napoleon XIV

 

[Coressel]

For classical music, both rare and well-done, check out the NAXOS label. It's fantastic, and quite inexpensive. $5 - $6 at most stores. World-class musicians, some of whom I've interviewed or reviewed recently, are featured on this label. Even your local Borders Books & Music store will shelf NAXOS titles a low prices. Great stuff, whether you want Mozart or Antheil.
[Edited last by Coressel on July 27, 2001 at 08:58 PM]

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

I guess I just get carried away as most of my classical CD collection dates from the mid to late 1980's. What we get now are much better deals. For example, rather than a disk with Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, you now get a disk with the Concerto PLUS the Music for Strings, Celeste, and Percussion - much better deal.
And I love to turn the whippersnappers onto Brahms. Joe Sixpack certainly never heard of him. He was one of the greatest "crossover" composers. J.S. Bach was the first: he combined the northern German contrapunctal style with the Italian lyrical style. In the case of Brahms, he combined the technical style of the German classicists (e.g. Beethoven) together with the passionate gypsy style of Hungary (e.g. Listz).
Search for Katchen and Brahms online. You will find no shortage of superlatives commending his interpretations. I was finally going to replace my (long lost) LP collection of Brahms piano music, and was amazed I could get what are arguably the best performances in a single cheap set.

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Feline audience members Katie, Susie, Fluffy Pumpkin, and Naughty Tuxedo
[Edited last by Dennis Nicholls on July 27, 2001 at 09:56 PM]