GG: Tempi, etc.

["Baldwin, Daniel" <baldwin@baermarks.com>]

Speaking of tempo matters, who here has heard GG's performance of the Brahms
1st piano concerto with Leonard B. and the NY Phil (1962 concert), recently
issued by SONY? Arved Ashby in Jan/Feb '99 issue of ARG gave it a rave. I am
always gratified when GG gets a rave (even a posthumous one), but in this
case I find that the performance works in the rather Bachian 3rd mvt., but
is otherwise somewhat problematic (including some smudged notes from the one
and only!) Also, the sound is deficient -- some of the piano passages sound
like they were recorded under water (or is this GG's idea of how to suppress
what he refererred to as the "masculine/feminine" contest between soloist
and orchestra in concerti?) The watery sound, combined with the stately
(enervated?) tempo in the first mvt. has a dangerously soporific effect.

Opinions? 

Daniel Baldwin
BAER MARKS & UPHAM LLP
805 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Tel: (212) 702-5700
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