Lazar Berman, a bear of a man whom The Times of London called "one of the last unabashed exponents of the Romantic tradition of Russian pianism", was known for the power of his playing and for his prodigious technique, but was also capable of great delicacy at the keyboard. The core of his repertoire was the great Romantic and post-Romantic works, from Beethoven to Prokofiev and Shostakovich. Emil Gilels referred to him as a "phenomenon of the musical world". Eloquence presents his complete Deutsche Grammophon recordings over five titles. The issue of his 1963 recording of Liszt's Transcendental Études in the West created a sensation, and he sold out houses wherever he played. These successes led to his recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, beginning with the Tchaikovsky First Concerto with Herbert von Karajan. Berman said he liked to take a romantic approach to the classical repertoire and a classical approach to the romantic. When asked why he had suddenly changed his approach to the Tchaikovsky to a more lyrical one, Berman told Gramophone's Alan Blyth, "Well, it wasn't my choice but the composer's: I used to play the piece as most pianists play it. Then I did a lot of research into how it had been interpreted in the composer's own time. It changed my approach entirely." And speaking on the subject with High Fidelity's Barry James, "I've changed my views about Tchaikovsky. I've dropped the bravura interpretation of the First Concerto. I've read a lot of his writings and I think I understand his soul. Tchaikovsky was not a pompous composer, but a lyricist. So that's how I perform his First Concerto." The highly-regarded recording of the two Liszt Piano Concertos came a year after that of the Tchaikovsky, this time from Vienna and with Carlo Maria Giulini, who in turn was making his Deutsche Grammophon debut with it. Upon hearing Berman's first solo recording for DG (Rachmaninov, Prokofiev), Herbert von Karajan allegedly re-scheduled a recording session with the Berlin Philharmonic in order to record Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto with Berman. These are the only three concertos Berman recorded for Deutsche Grammophon and now appear on a single album.
I**S
This offers alternatives of a more lyrical nature than many fine and fiery options
These two recordings deliver good sound and balance typical of DGG engineering in 1975 (Tchaikovsky) and 1976 (Liszt). In general one could summarise Berman’s approach to all three of these concertos as one of laying particular stress upon their lyrical aspects rather than virtuosic display wherever possible. This is without denying the more extrovert elements in concertos that frequently encourage reverse interpretive approaches. In all three concertos there seems to be complete accord with the conductor, either Karajan or Giulini, so no interpretive disagreement can be detected.In more detail, it is the Tchaikovsky concerto that most deviates from regular performing practice. Berman justifies his re-think over his interpretation by referring to his studies reaching all the way back to performing practice at the time of composition. As he comments, Tchaikovsky’s normal writing style as evidenced in numerous works of all genres including the three ballets, the set of symphonies, the violin concerto and Rococo Variations etc. is essentially lyrical in nature regardless of the drama incorporated. It would therefore be wrong to play this piano concerto primarily as a display vehicle for pure virtuosity. Thus this recording, with the obvious support of Karajan, changes the more frequent balance of emphasis.Much the same can be said of the Liszt concertos although some may find Giulini’s support rather too staid at times. In all three concertos this disc offers often refreshing modified viewpoints and far from the ‘red in tooth and claw’ approaches to be found elsewhere. Significantly perhaps, Ashkenazy comments that he generally avoided playing the Tchaikovsky concerto (despite his early recording) on the basis that he did not warm to concertos that were primarily display vehicles. Berman would argue that this is a misunderstanding of the concerto’s content. On the other hand Argerich, with either Dutoit or Chailly, clearly revels in the display aspects of the Tchaikovsky as does Rodriguez too in easy examples of the more extrovert exponents of this work.Similar divergences of viewpoint can be found in the Liszt works. Without attempting detailed examples, Katchen delivers one of the most exciting versions of the ‘tooth and claw’ approach recorded and both Richter and Zimmerman are superb in these ways too. Ultimately, there is ample room for both types of emphasis in these three works and purchasers of this disc will be richly rewarded at minimal cost.In summary, this disc offers alternative interpretations of a more lyrical nature than many fine and fiery options
R**S
Berman is both brilliant and subtle
Old chestnuts of mine.Not quite in the Van Cliburn-Richter class but still enjoyable.Berman is both brilliant and subtle.Guilini a bit staid in the Liszt.
A**R
Five Stars
The best rendition I have heard of this work in modern times,
G**T
Four Stars
Very good recording
B**X
Five Stars
Excellent recording
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