Alexandre Kantorow, Brahms Festival 17-19 January 2025

Bozar hosted a Brahms festival this weekend and the piano concertos were being played by Alexandre Kantorow who already has coverage here. Today, he was in the company of the Belgian National Orchestra who were at home. Friday night’s concert was the Brahms 2 and Sunday afternoon was the Brahms 1. Both were sublime but I tend to lean a little towards the first piano concerto.

Both concerts were full, and I was up in a box rather than down at the feet of the soloist which is my preferred location. While I wasn’t totally lost on the orchestra pieces, the two piano concertos were absolute highlights. It’s also obvious that Kantorow is becoming a superstar, and it is hardly surprising. He was playing a Steinway and the sonority was exquisite, very bright and clean. I’ve always felt that the Steinway Ds were really reliable until I played a couple which didn’t quite do it for me lately. But the one in Bozar this weekend was a beautiful sounding instrument.

The second piano concerto on Friday night comes across almost as an autobiography to me; covering the dramatic ups and downs of Brahms’ life. Its second and third movements are amongst my favourite pieces for piano and orchestra.

I’ve never quite known what to make of the first concerto; it has a very long introductory phase, and then, the opening phrases for the piano are reticent, almost guarded. I’m always fascinated by the idea that he and Pyotr Tchaikovsky were completely overlapping and even shared a birthday although Brahms was 7 when Tchaikovsky popped out. There’s a lot in common, except the sound. They might both be romantics but that’s about as far as it is; they are both very distinctive.

I’ve always loved the third movement of the first concerto, and I’m pretty sure the first person I heard play it live was Barry Douglas. There is something quite imperious about Kantorow’s approach to it, however. I have never heard it played quite like that and yet, it was mesmerising.

He played encores at both concerts. I would love to know in particular what he played after the first piano concerto. I’m not saying I could ever aspire to play it, but I’d like to dream, anyway.

What I will do on my holidays…

I bought some sheets by Fazil Say lately. I’m taking a couple of weeks’ break from my ABRSM schedule as I have some travelling to do during that time as well.

So I have decided for now to start learning this

Brahms in Izmir by Fazil Say

It is really pretty and although it’s not getting hours of my time, it is very lovely to play even in learning mode.

New Sheet Music: Brahms 79 – 2 Rhapsodies

I listen to Brahms while working and discovered Radu Lupu’s recording of assorted opuses including Opus 79. I really like the second rhapsody from Op 79 so I bought it lately, Henle (so blue edition), nothing spectacular photowise.

It’s on the syllabus for the ARSM which is on my radar, although I was also targetting 118/2 for that (no work done on it this week). I’ll think about it. I had a look at it briefly yesterday at the end of a practice session. It was challenging to say the least.

If you ask me who my favourite composer is, I would still say Rachmaninoff. But I seem to own more music by Chopin and Brahms for some strange reason.

Sheet music acquisitions

Latest purchases
More Brahms and lots more Rachmaninoff

I wanted to get some plastic covers for my Henle music that I carry to acoustic piano practice, and also, I wanted non-tearable manuscript notebooks.

On the sheet music, every time I buy some, I think that’s the end. Most of the Rachmaninoff that I own is published by Boosey & Hawkes and I couldn’t get everything I wanted in London a couple of months ago. I was also experimenting with Prelude in G minor the other day (perhaps not the greatest idea) and I realised I didn’t much like the quality of the paper I was working from. I never thought I was so picky. I could see Henle had an edition of it so I decided I wanted that. I’ve been increasingly. Elegie and chunks of Etudes Tableaux are on my to be learned at some point in the future when I don’t hurt myself trying to do this, and I wanted the 117 intermezzi as well. I have one or two of them in the Brahms piano book (I should probably do some reviews. Score happy me.

Of course I should do this electronically, space and all that.