Rubinstein-Shapiro-Krips:Brahms Andante, Op. 83

Arthur Rubinstein, pianist (1887 - 1982), Harvey Shapiro, 'cellist (1911 - 2007), Josef Krips (1902 - 1974), and the RCA Victor Symphony: Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83: Andante movement, by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)
The solo 'cellist in this recording, Harvey Shapiro, studied with Willem Willeke (1879 - 1950). The violinist Joachim took the young Willeke to meet Brahms, and the three of them played the composer's chamber music. Willeke studied the Brahms 'cello works with the composer himself and later taught at the Juilliard School in New York City, thus presenting a unique and invaluable link to Harvey Shapiro and his students all the way back to what must have been truly a golden age! According to Harvey Shapiro and the producer John Pfeiffer, this Andante movement was recorded in one take, with no edits.
Read more about Harvey Shapiro here: www.jameskreger...

[@amandaforsyth649]

The most beautiful cello solo

[@axelsohn1454]

IMHO, Harvey's is absolutely the very best performance of the solo. Another very fine one was by Georg Faust former principal cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic in a filmed performance with Peter Serkin and Claudio Abbado, conductor, though the tempo is slightly faster and maybe not as generous. I also remember a wonderfully inspired and sustained rendition by Jonathan Miller when he was with the Hartford Symphony in a performance by the pianist Emil Gilels conducted Arthur Winograd, whose genius brought to Hartford some of the great Soviet artists (others included Oistrakh, and the composer and conductor Khatchaturian)

[@axelsohn1454]

Actually the tempos are close but this version breathes somewhat more fluidly at the end of each phrase or transitions than the Serkin.

[@axelsohn1454]

One more comment about the Gilels performance, which took place in the winter, and enroute from NYC to Hartford, Gilels' train was stuck in the snow without heat for 12 hours, yet from that trip he went directly to the dress rehearsal and played brilliantly - with a poker face. It was real inspiration for the orchestra and Miller played beautifully.

[@altercello]

great Harvey Shapiro! the best cello teacher I've ever met... love him!

[@TheJamesalden]

Thanks so much for sharing this; that it is much appreciated...Thank You!!....

[@ernstschliephake522]

Thanks so much...that Brahms recording is my favourite with Rubinstein. So I didn't know, that Harvey Shapiro played that amazing solo: I met Harvey on July 24 1998 at the 80th birthday party of Ruggiero Ricci at Salzburg...such a great personality! Took some funny pictures of him, which I can mail to you on Messenger Facebook... Greetings from Munich, Ernst

[@peteklat]

Just idyllic! Thank you Brahms, thank you players.

[@satorumurai0731]

thank you...