Brahms' First Piano Concerto.

This will be a five-minute chat about this masterpiece.

The First Piano Concerto of Brahms starts with a huge orchestral introduction.

The orchestra at full force.

The music then develops, gets a little bit more lyrical

again dramatic back and forth and then

comes down to a more feeling of

more permanent lyricism and this is where the piano comes in:

A long way from

And it is this contrast that is permanently there

in this work.

Brahms wrote it when he was very young and didn't write a second one

until many years later when he had maybe mellowed.

But the dramatism of this is something quite extraordinary and

something that excites me every time I play or conduct this piece.

We have inthe first movement

usually what we call a second subject

a second theme which is usually in

contrast to the first theme and the piano plays this:

The second movement starts very quietly and is throughout a very quiet

movement.

Some would say almost a religious atmosphere predominates.

And this climate - this quiet climate, very introspective

runs through the whole second movement.

That's why the surprise when the third movement starts which is a very lively

almost gypsy music

the contrast is enormous

And this piece is so fascinating because usually you have concertos where the

orchestra plays a minor role - a role of accompanying the piano or sometimes you

have concertos where the piano is not so important but here you have

a dialogue on equal basis and it is really

one of the most wonderful pieces in the repertoire.

I have recorded this piece

many times.

The first time in 1967

but of course I am very attached to the most recent one which I recorded with

the Staatskapelle in Berlin and the conductor for whom I have great

affection and admiration

Gustavo Dudamel.

It was a great pleasure for me to be able to do that

with such a young person with such a musical talent.

In any case I hope you have enjoyed this episode.

I look forward to welcoming you

for the next episode. Of course you can write your comments and in your comments

please write also if you have any suggestions or requests of any

particular piece of music you would like me to talk about