Beethoven: Triple Concerto/Brahms: Double Concerto

The Brahm's Double is also a beautiful piece but in this case, it has a very hard act to follow.

From the very first note you are aware of the passionate authority of the piece, both in its composition and in the empathy of the musicians. It's a piece which inspires you with its sense of humanity - its feel for the grandeur of life and human achievement, its exploration of your own emotional portfolio.

Beethoven's greatness, I feel, lies in his ability to inspire you with epic, universalist chords and themes which enrich you with a sense of connection, with a sense of love of life and optimism for the potential of the human condition ... and then he pens passages of near silence, delicate little melodies which touch your heart and rediscover your own, deeply personal emotions. Beethoven combines the personal with the politico-philosophical in a unique and inspiring fashion ... and a recording in 1969 seems to be suited to the era.

The recording? Taking such musical giants as Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Richter, and Karajan, and giving them the opportunity to craft their art together is an exercise which stands as a tribute to the professionalism and artistic integrity of each. All had spoken of their desire to capture the music as Beethoven intended. Their search for authenticity produces a stimulating exploration of the 'Triple' and a musical balance and rapport which other recordings do not equal.

Written in the first decade of the 19th century, with a world fast in the grips of revolution and social change, the 'Triple' is Beethoven at his most optimistic and humanistic. Though not regarded as his finest work, it is nevertheless an uplifting and emotionally charged work to which you can return again and again.

The Brahms 'Double' concerto, which forms the second half of the CD, is a less grand piece, but one which enable Oistrakh and Rostropovich to display the richness of their techniques. Recorded in 1969 with George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra, this is a fine performance which ranks amongst the best on record.

While Brahms has never inspired or moved me in the way Beethoven can, the 'Double' is an engaging, cerebral work in which cello and violin dance together - it was written to patch up a rift in Brahm's friendship with a leading violinist, so we can perhaps see Brahms as the cello, poking a degree of fun at himself as the violin is allowed some of the more romantic and liberating lines while the cello is the more serious, more apologetic, partner. Judge for yourself.

A wonderfully entertaining and stimulating CD, to be most highly recommended.