Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 & Symphony No. 3

Featuring

Sviatoslav Richter
Evgeny Mravinsky
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra
Johannes Brahms

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Composer Biography

Brahms invented his own musical motto, 'frei aber froh' (free but glad), represented by the notes F-A-F, which appears prominently in his Symphony No. 3.

Performer Biography

Svjatoslav Richter, the pianist, refused to play several famous works throughout his career, including Bach's Goldberg Variations and Beethoven's Emperor Concerto.

Performer Biography

Dmitri Shostakovich dedicated his Eighth Symphony to Yevgeny Mravinsky, the conductor on this album.

Performer Biography

Svjatoslav Richter, the pianist, was called 'a genius' by his teacher Heinrich Neuhaus after an audition.

Composition History

Brahms jokingly referred to his Piano Concerto No. 2 as 'a tiny piano concerto with a tiny dainty scherzo,' despite it being one of the longest in the repertoire.

Interpretation

Svjatoslav Richter, the pianist, believed that a pianist should only be a performer, carrying out the composer's intentions to the letter without adding anything not in the score.

Performer Biography

Yevgeny Mravinsky, the conductor, initially studied natural sciences before pursuing music and became the permanent conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic in 1938.