Audition: Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 - Mauricio Pollini/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Karl Bohm (1979)

Recording: Vienna, Musikverein, Großer Saal, 12/1979. Released 1980. 

Bohm was a distinguished Brahms conductor and very well known to the orchestra, in contrast, aside from the Piano Quintet Op. 34 and the two concerti, Pollini did not record any other Brahms and one wonders why. He went on to record the Second Concerto with Abbado, and both concerti with Christian Thielemann.

Cutting to the chase, it’s pretty clear from my audition that this recording whilst worthy, was not the most successful venture though it’s sold many copies for the record company. The soloist, the Orchestra and the recording all have the deficiencies.

The only sweet spot I could point to is the diligence with which 84 yo Dr Bohm was able to gather up the Vienna Philharmonic and get them to play with power and accuracy throughout.

That said too many times, the recording loses details and sometimes instrumental lines go completely unheard. This is upsetting given the important balance between the keyboard and the woodwind especially against a full and fabulous string section. Timpani were also intrusive too often. So it’s an unsatisfactory recording though there are enough points of power and fluency which endorse this as one of the finest Brahms orchestras - in the right hands.

Another point is that Pollini doesn’t seem to engage until the last movement. In the first movement his contribution was not substantial enough to match the orchestra.

There are moments where the Vienna magic shines through and there are equally moments of spellbinding passage work by Pollini, but this hardly gets the recording to the head of the field even at this stage of my auditions.

Performance 7 out of 10

Interpretation 8 out of 10

Recording 6 out of 10