120 Brahms: Piano Quintet F minor op. 34, Handel Variations op. 24

Description

“[…] As already briefly mentioned, this recording is in DVD-Audio format, which means: you are best owning a surround (5.1), system and then you can hear an instrument from each speaker. In centre front is the pianist, left of the pianist the violist, on the right the second violin, at back left the first violin and finally at back right the cello. So you are situated in the middle of the ensemble and you have the impression you belong to the musicians, which gives you a hugely enhanced enjoyment of the music and a very different, more active experience of the performance. The listener in with the musicians: it’s a great experience. And with such a natural, balanced sound, you’re gobsmacked! No instrument is neglected here and the whole picture is organic and transparent.” (klassik.com)

“[…] The rendition of Brahms’ Piano Quintet is characterized by unusual transparency, famously a rare virtue in the case of Brahms′ chamber music with piano. The tonal levels of the strings and keyboard instruments are effectively and structurally plausibly set off against each other, with American pianist Peter Orth proving to be an immensely sensitive partner whose playing never compromises the balance. That this precisely calculated sensitivity is not at the expense of expressiveness is shown, for example, in the immensely espressive Andante. In all of this, the dynamic scale is played out to the full, especially in the Scherzo, which is rich in contrast. Orth’s rich palette of touch is also evident in his rendition of the Handel Variations, which combines brilliance with subtlety and in this respect even surpasses the old DG Brahms edition with Daniel Barenboim.” (stereoplay)

Audiosample (mp3, stereo)