Yup, I am considerably biased towards CSO be it Fritz Reiner or George Solti.
Hello Karl, I’m the OP. Many thanks for the detailed comments.
I have to go dig at my dad’s place to see if he has the reels. There were many reels but a lot of them were recorded by him.
I am pretty sure there is still a very old vinyl (mono) there. It will be good searching through that.
I will look for that DECCA release which might be there also.
Happy Birthday, Paul!
If it’s the release I’m thinking of, it was in 1958. But it was originally pressed by Philips in France and released with a Spanish language cover in Spain. Mono. The U.S. releases were done by Columbia Masterworks. Also mono.
Happy cake day, Paul! Enjoy!
Thanks for this extended and insightful exposé.
I brought up this version of the concerto, for its sound quality and also to get a grasp of the reference timeframe and perhaps even the mentioned reference recording. As that reference may partly indicate what defines the best of the best (for the OP).
I hope our shared love and suggestions for the concerto support ErVikingo in his loving memory.
I found a discography for Serkin on-line. It is (coincidental to your father’s service)l Korean: trmsolutions.co.kr showing that Serkin recorded Brahms’ First with Reiner/Pittsburgh in 1946, Szell/Cleveland mono in 1952, Ormandy/Philadelphia stereo in 1961 and Szell/Cleveland stereo in 1968. It is the 1968 that I own and know best though I happened to listen last year to a fine sounding hi-res 192/24 version of the 1952 mono on Qobuz. From your reference to a soundstage in your original post I hastily assumed you must have been listening to a stereo release. If you think it was mono I would guess it might have been the 1952 mono.
No big deal it’s my bday I’m catching up to my fellow forum brothers. I’m glad you and your family are safe!
His complete Mahler Symphonies are my favorite versions of the Mahler Symphonies!
What about Gilels Jochum?
Up to second movement now (on Qobuz). It’s very good.
The IRS are singing!
Thanks !
I saw Daniil Trifonov play Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 at the Kennedy Center last night. It was incredible. And he played to a packed house, which is unfortunately unusual at the Kennedy Center these days. Hopefully Trifonov will do a recording some day.
I enjoy Emil Gilels performance on Deutsche Grammophon. I’m a little biased because my wife takes piano lessons from the student of one of his students. There several CDs of the same recording and a Japanese SACD.
That’s fantastic. I remember an older gentleman at the Miami symphony that had small microphones on his eyeglass “legs” and was recording to a small tascam digital player.
Never saw him again maybe got kicked out
Classical music bootlegs!
Something for somebody with the Bacch4mac Pro, disguised as hearing aides? 