Track Listing

1. Rhapsodies (2) for piano, Op. 79: Rhapsody No. 1 in B minor
2. Rhapsodies (2) for piano, Op. 79: Rhapsody No. 2 in G minor
3. Intermezzi (3) for piano, Op. 117: Intermezzo No. 1 in E flat major
4. Intermezzi (3) for piano, Op. 117: Intermezzo No. 2 in B flat minor
5. Intermezzi (3) for piano, Op. 117: Intermezzo No. 3 in C sharp minor
6. Pieces (6) for piano, Op. 118: Intermezzo in A minor
7. Pieces (6) for piano, Op. 118: Intermezzo in A major
8. Pieces (6) for piano, Op. 118: Ballade in G minor
9. Pieces (6) for piano, Op. 118: Intermezzo in F minor
10. Pieces (6) for piano, Op. 118: Romance in F major
11. Pieces (6) for piano, Op. 118: Intermezzo in E flat minor
12. Pieces (4) for piano, Op. 119: Intermezzo in B minor
13. Pieces (4) for piano, Op. 119: Intermezzo in E minor
14. Pieces (4) for piano, Op. 119: Intermezzo in C major
15. Pieces (4) for piano, Op. 119: Rhapsody in E flat major

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46536 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Customer Reviews

A must for any music lover.
Lupu's playing instantly strikes you as unassuming and purely musical. There is no virtuosity for its own sake, rather one detects a profound sensitivity (heard in the pianists incredible pianissimo and phrasing) and respect for the music.
So many of the Brahms Intermezzi, especially from Opus. 117, require voicing (bringing out one note in a chord above the others), and Lupu is nothing short of amazing in the way he brings out melodies and gives the music a deserving sense of depth and texture.
I highly recomend this cd. Overall, Lupu's playing does full justice to Brahms' complex music. It is nuanced, sensitive, and extremely profound. I confess I have a bias towards people like Lupu. While I like the showy pianists as well, they are often ill suited to play composers like Brahms. But Lupu seems perfectly at home with him and all the unique difficulties his music contains.
A little imperfection in sound quality is nothing compared to the quality of the music you will get on this cd.
Some have called Lupu a poet, or even an holy man of the piano, and I must agree with them. If you hear this cd, you probably will too. This cd is a must if you love music.

Performance sings, sound varies
Just to clarify on the issue of sound quality discussed by previous reviewers: the performances on this disk were recorded made in two separate sessions. Recorded in the first session (1970) were the op.79 no.1 Rhapsody and the three op.117 Intermezzi. These four works constitute 27 minutes of the total 71 minute playing time of this disk. While the sound on these four tracks is rather poor, that of the remaining performances on the disk (recorded at a separate 1976 session) is quite passable, certainly better than on the 1970 tracks.

Lupu's performance is singing with beautiful legato, and makes you want to listen and concentrate. Eventually you can get past the poor sound of four of the tracks. I really enjoy the performance of the op.79 no.1 Rhapsody, despite the deficient sound.

One further note re. sonics on Mr. Lupu's recordings. The sound on his 1982 recording of the Schubert Impromptus is similarly not great but passable, just like that on the majority of this disk.

Masterful CD
I have always been a great Lupu fan, and so its not suprising that I completely adore this recording. The recording quality is not the best, however its very passable, and the playing is simply magical. There are small inaccuracies in the playing here and there, however in terms of depth of line and artisitic vision, the playing of these fantasias etc. is unsurpassed. The sheer depth and variety of tone are unbelievable, and to my mind, no other recording can come close to matching this one. Sensitive but never indulgent, this recording is a must for any Brahms lover!