'One of the greatest pillars of the Romantic repertoire' ~ Stephen Hough
- Maestoso
- Adagio
- Rondo: Allegro non troppo
Pianist Michael Houstoun Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
The concerto was written in 1858 when Brahms was just 24, but his perfectionist spirit led him to revise it incessantly. He showed his drafts to his friends – violin superstar Joseph Joachim and lauded pianist and composer Clara Schumann, seeking their advice on every detail. Brahms clearly wanted to ensure the concerto’s immediate success.
Sadly, it was not to be. The concerto’s first performance in Hannover in 1859 was received with hisses and boos, and its subsequent performance in Leipzig was met with scorn. Brahms shelved the piece.
The concerto’s poor initial reception was probably because audiences expected a conventional Romantic concerto: a showcase for the performer to show off his or her skills, while the orchestra merely provided background accompaniment. Instead, Brahms’ first piano concerto presents soloist and orchestra as equal partners, with both presenting and developing the musical material.
Recorded 7 July 2017, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Producer: David McCaw
Engineer: Graham Kennedy
