In 2006, the year prior to the release of this two-disc set of
Brahms' late piano music, young American pianist
Nicholas Angelich released a single disc of
Brahms' early piano music featuring the Ballads and the Paganini Variations. That disc was a marvel and a wonder -- comparisons with
Richter and
Kempff did not seem unreasonable -- but it was not as utterly beyond comprehension as this disc. True,
Angelich's technique is as commanding and his tone is as variegated as before -- but
Brahms' late piano music demands more of a pianist: it demands a depth of soul as well as a breadth of experience that a young performer could hardly be expected to possess. And yet, irrefutably,
Angelich possesses that depth and breadth. The strength, tenderness, and especially the insatiable longing for all one's ever loved and lost is present in his performances, turning into sound the mysteries of
Brahms' sorrow. It's true that
Angelich does stretch tempos at times -- the Andante non troppo e con molto espressione from his Opus 117 Intermezzi is much slower than any andante conceivably could be -- but because of the compelling intensity of his interpretations, this only heightens the overall tension. Anyone who loves great
Brahms' piano playing or just great piano playing should hear these performances. Virgin Classics' sound is rich, warm, and fine grained.