Audition: Brahms Piano Concerto No.1 - Vladimir Horowitz/Concertgebouw Orchestra/Bruno Walter

 pp 1936 - venue unknown

This recording needs to be contextualised given its age. The Orchestra is not on great form and not very well recorded, even for the time. Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Concertgebouw in those days was not the sleek and rich body and it later became. Woodwinds are a bit wiry, the horns iffy and some instrumental lines are lost at times. The timpani are often quite intrusive but this may be the recording issue given it’s a live recording. There’s some untidy playing too, but this may partly be because Walter pushes hard at times. 

Walter’s reading is urgent and muscular we don’t always associate with him with this approach - he was 60 years old in 1936. Unfortunately, sometimes when combined with the recording, it comes over as uneven, somewhat crude and distracting in the recording when he presses hard, though there are many moments of beauty too.

Horowitz is extravagant and effusive and on less disciplined form than he was playing for Toscanini the year before in New York. Though Jed Distler reminds us that Horowitz wasn’t particularly happy playing under his father-in-law. Horowitz is by turns bold and forceful presence and in the slower passages, sensitive to every detail. It’s remarkable to hear the concerto played with that range.

There’s something of a pull and push in this reading between conductor and soloist which is exciting sometimes which I don’t find very satisfying at others. We shouldn’t be put off though, it’s always interesting to hear a different take on a major work by major artists. 

Whilst there are lots of things to admire in this reading and Walter does give a passionate account in the orchestra, I tend to prefer the version with Toscanini . Horowitz is so head strong that he can’t really be matched by the orchestra in terms of virtuosity. Though there’s plenty of times when there is harmony between the two. Given it’s a live performance it’s gratifying that there aren’t too many intrusions from the audience. 

Note: the Music and Arts disc which I heard had 3mins of Horowitz’s perf with Toscanini dubbed in with a track break due to a broken 78. This marked by a track break. It makes little difference.

So I’m in two minds about this but…

Performance 8 out of 10

Interpretation 9 out of 10

Recording 6 out of 10