Customer Rating: 
Summary: Gorgeous recording, not overdone
Comment: I'm a former classical musician who doesn't listen to much classical music anymore. That said, I adore Brahms piano music, and this is a wonderful recording. Beautifully performed, not overly sappy or sentimental, Van Cliburn has a wonderfully balanced approach to Brahms' stunning romantic music. For those of you who have mixed feelings about classical music, this is a wonderful alternative to the "New Age" piano music so popular right now (and which I enjoy as well). Perfect backdrop to a romantic dinner for two, sipping wine on the veranda - give it a try!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Van Cliburn is the best Brahms Pianist
Comment: There are, of course, many wonderful interpreters of Brahms piano music. Rubenstein is also good. I think Glen Gould is the worst. Van Cliburn captures a tenderness that I don't hear in any other performances. there is no loss of structure or phrase shaping in his playing he simply plays Brahms as if it were late romantic piano music. Which, of course, it is.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Van Cliburn is simply the best!
Comment: I played some of these pieces and especially love Van Cliburn's interpretation of the Ballad in G Minor as well as the Intermezzo in E.
Van Cliburn makes this piano music sound so easy. It is very difficult and well played with expression and appropriate rhythm.
The sound and tonality of this piano is excellent and well recorded.
I highly recommend this for anybody who wants a top performance of Brahm's piano music.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I can't critique it
Comment: but I can tell you I love it. Brahms--maybe my favorite composer. Van Cliburn--easily my favorite pianist. It doesn't get much better than this in my book. Beautiful music beautifully performed. What more can you ask for?
Customer Rating:
Summary: An extraordinary piano recording.
Comment: One really is at first simply stunned by the sound of the piano. These recordings are 30 years old and sound as good or better than a lot of what gets released today.
And then there is the artist himself. I had never taken Cliburn for a Brahmsian. But there are so many wonderful performances on this CD. Take Op. 118 #6 for example. At first hearing, I thought Cliburn was being interpretive. Then I got out my piano edition of Brahms. And it was marked staccato just as Cliburn played it.
More than just being straight with the music, is the beautiful piano tone and lyrical concentration that Van Cliburn brings to his Brahms.
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