Menacing violins open Johannes Brahms’ First Piano Concerto. His mentor, Robert Schumann, had recently attempted to take his own life, and had been committed to a sanatorium. Brahms rushed to support Schumann’s wife, Clara, but soon, tender feelings developed on both sides. The contemplative second movement was, Brahms told her, ‘a portrait of you.’
In his letters, Tchaikovsky said that the meaning of his Sixth Symphony would remain a secret from audiences. We do know one thing: by ending it not with a triumphant finale but with an intimate lament, he created new, intensely personal possibilities for the musical form.
Simon Trpčeski’s feeling for Brahms shines through in his performances. With Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda at the helm, the LSO burns brightly too.
Produced by the London Symphony Orchestra
