This rec just goes to show you, that while there are lots of famous pianists who suck, there are also lots of non-famous pianists who own.
Brahms 2 by Gilels’ friend from back in the day, Yakov Zak.
Personally I’ll take this over 90% of the Brahms 2s out there.
Agreed - a very nice rec. I recall seing this listed somewhere and figured must be worth hearing given some the pianists he taught.
I’ve never even heard of this pianist. Respec
i’ve always read his name on lists of illustrious neuhaus pupils, along with the regulars, and always wondered who he was…
Yeah, besides being known to Gilels collectors as Gilels’ early duo partner, he is not very well known at all. He died around the same time as Oistrakh and Oborin, at only 60-some years of age.
His Wikipedia page says he taught Afanassiev, Egorov and Petrov.
To further exemplify my point, here’s one of the most stunning Bach-Busoni Chaconne recs I’ve ever heard, but the pianist Yakov Flier:
About the Brahms, that’s an amazing recording. It’s like my mom always said: Pianists are like ants.
So many go without the credit they deserve, and so many get undeserved credit.
Flier I’ve heard of, apparently he plays a great rach 3
i dislike everything Afanassiev recorded. Very slow tempi, slower than da pogo, and provocative playing. he has no respect whatsoever towards composers’ marking.
Well, there are a couple live afanassiev recs I like, but beyond that, most of his stuff is not for me.
Egorov was amazing though - His Schumann is some of the best I’ve ever heard.
i just listened to this. it’s really top notch playing. the orchestra is equally good. which one is it?
Kurt Sanderling + Leningrad Phil.
definitely, Egorov Schumann on EMI is a must have esp. Kreisleriana op.16.
“In 1977 Egorov participated in the Van Cliburn Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. He became an audience favorite. When he was not chosen as a finalist, some disappointed and angry listeners formed a committee led by American impresario Maxim Gershunoff, to raise money for Egorov equal to the Van Cliburn top prize of $10,000.”
sadly, da guy died at da age of 34 b/c of HIV.
Legendary collaboration, alongside Richter/Sanderling/Leningrad
So that’s why it’s so good. Legendary.
shit, that was really good. are there any other recordings by this guy? can i take some recommendations from you guys for Brahms 2 recs? the brahms concerti have become my favourite concerti and i wanna build up a collection. im really pissed off also because nelson freire pulled out of the brahms2 concert that im going to and john lill is doing instead. i expect it should be good, but i love freire’s rec so i am now currently very depressed. i’ll bootleg it anyway.
Lill is very nearly as good as Freire, so don’t be too disappointed.
My favourite recs of Brahms 2 are:
Richter '58
Gilels / Reiner
Solomon
Leonskaja / Masur
Freire
Schnabel
Bachauer
Rubinstein / Krips
Fleisher
Fischer / Furtwangler
Cliburn / Reiner
Kuerti
i wasnt expecting Gilels to be on your list after i heard Gilels/Jochum a while back. Dont get me wrong about Lill, i liked the rec that you uploaded, but it just doesnt put me on the edge like Freire’s rec does. the solomon and leonskaja recs are great too and i still need to give the kuerti a listen. i think i will buy the Gilels and Cliburn for Christmas. i dont have enough cliburn recs. btw, Nelson Goerner’s Brahms 1 was really good last thursday. i should be able to upload it soon, providing that my connection stops giving up half way through.
The early 
/Toscanini. Everybody go ahead and rip on it, but that is one of my favorite recs of all time. Tha orch must have gotten uncomfy with two such MOFOZ in front of them.
yea, da 's brahms 1 really blew me away.
Gilels/Jochum is totallly disappointed.
Gilels/Reiner, however, is just …WOW