Ludwig van Beethoven; Johannes Brahms - Triple & Double Concertos (Richter; Oistrakh; Rostropovich)

Information

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven; Johannes Brahms

• Beethoven - Concerto for piano, violin & cello in C major, Op. 56
• Brahms - Concerto for violin & cello in A minor, Op. 102

Sviatoslav Richter, piano

David Oistrakh, violin

Mstislav Rostropovich, cello

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Cleveland Orchestra / George Szell, conductor

Date: 1969 / 1998

Label: EMI

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Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. Beethoven is acknowledged as a giant of classical music, and his influence on subsequent generations was profound. His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto, 32 piano sonatas and 16 string quartets. Many of his most admired works come from the last decade of his life, when he was almost completely deaf.

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Johannes Brahms (7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer and pianist. In his lifetime, Brahms's popularity and influence were considerable. Brahms composed for symphony orchestra, chamber ensembles, piano, organ, and voice and chorus. Many of his works have become staples of the modern concert repertoire. An uncompromising perfectionist, Brahms destroyed some of his works and left others unpublished. Brahms is often considered both a traditionalist and an innovator. His music is firmly rooted in the structures and compositional techniques of the Classical masters, with a highly romantic nature embedded within.

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Sviatoslav Richter (March 20 [O.S. March 7] 1915 – August 1, 1997) was a Soviet pianist known for the depth of his interpretations, virtuoso technique, and vast repertoire. He is considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. Richter worked tirelessly to learn new pieces. His vast repertoire, around eighty different programs, not counting chamber works, ranged from Handel and Bach to Szymanowski, Berg, Webern, Stravinsky, Bartók, Hindemith, Britten, and Gershwin. Despite his large discography, Richter disliked the recording process, and most of Richter's recordings originate from live performances.

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David Oistrakh (30 September 1908 – 24 October 1974) was a Soviet Russian violinist, violist, and conductor, who is acclaimed for his exceptional technique and tone production. He graduated from the Odessa Conservatory in 1926 and made his Moscow debut in 1929. Oistrakh gave recitals throughout the Soviet Union and eastern Europe and in 1937 won first prize in the Eugène Ysaÿe violin competition. From 1934 he taught violin at the Moscow Conservatory. Oistrakh was first heard in western Europe and the United States through his recordings for Melodiya. From 1951 he toured extensively in Europe and the United States.

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Mstislav Rostropovich (27 March 1927 – 27 April 2007) was a Russian cellist and conductor, one of the best-known cellists of the 20th century. Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, he was trained by his parents and at the Moscow Conservatory (1943–48), where he was a professor from 1956. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. Although sometimes criticized for occasional over-romanticism, Rostropovich was admired for his keen musicianship. He was also well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works (over 100 pieces), which enlarged the cello repertoire more than any cellist before or since.

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